Mighigan State is tough at home, but the Illini took it to them. The only ranked team Illinois has left on its schedule is Wisconsin, whom they've already beaten once. You can't take anything for granted, of course, but Illinois has a good chance of fininshing at least the regular season undefeated. Then there's the conference tournament, and then the NCAA.
The road to the national championship goes through Chapel Hill.
Apparently, Duke agrees with you. They went through UNC rather handily.
(Sorry, Pirate. I couldn't resist.) ;)-->
May I add, the Illini defeated Wisconsin again, and are now 25-0! (This is only the fourth-best start in Big Ten history. Of course, Indiana won it all back in '78-79 (I think).)
A 1-point Duke win at home when Carolina had the last shot of the game in one of the toughest places to play in the country? I don't think that means Duke "went through UNC rather handily." I think Illinois would have a pretty tough time playing in front of the Cameron Crazies too.
Indiana went undefeated in the 1975-76 season, the last college team to pull that off.
Okay, so I exaggerated a little. UNC had a good come-from-behind win today, so we could be seeing the national championship teams in preparation (barring some embarrassing early-round upset, of course). I'm surprised that Kansas and Duke followers haven't chimed in!
Penn State really wasn't expected to have much of a chance. Twenty-six straight wins is an Illini record. They had twenty-five straight in the 1914-1916 seasons. (They were unbeaten -- 16-0 -- in 1915.)
The Illini have now tied the '60-'61 Buckeyes for the third-best start in conference history. With Northwestern, Purdue, and Ohio State left, it's quite likely that the Illini will finish the regular season undefeated. They'll have three games to play in the Big Ten tournament before the NCAA tourney.
An almost embarrassing drubbing of hapless Northwestern. One point of note: Illinois is the ONLY Division I team to have twenty-five or more wins each of its last five seasons.
Perhaps I misread the stat on the Sports Illustrated website (and, of course, I can't find it now -->), but the implication was that no other Division I team has had 25 or more wins in the last five years. Perhaps NC wasn't counted because they haven't done it this year (yet).
If the Illini were in the ACC, they would do well to win half of their conference games! The only teams from the Big Ten that could possibly reach the sweet 16 are Illinois and perhaps Michigan State. Almost any team from the ACC with the exception of the bottom 3 or four teams could be there.
Could you imagine the Illini going undefeated having to play Duke at Cameron or Carolina in the Dean Dome. I think they would even have their hands full playing the lowly Wolfpack at the RBC Center. On the other hand, Duke, Carolina, Wake and Maryland are very capable of taking down the Illini on their wood.
If you don't follow the ACC, you don't know how competitive the league can be. Why is that the conference consistently yields 4 or 5 teams in the sweet 16 each year? Often 2 of the Final Four teams are ACC teams.
I don't claim that Illinois has had the best program over the last few decades. They have, however, been a consistent winner; and this year, I (and apparently all the coaches and sportswriters) think they have the best team in the nation. It is a shame that the only ACC team they have had the opportunity to humble was (the former #1) Wake Forest. It seems likely, however, that they'll meet one or two during the championships. In the meantime, let me enjoy their present success!!
Illinois is very good, no question. If you're the only undefeated team in the country, you deserve to be No. 1. No argument there.
They probably have the best backcourt in college basketball with Luther Head, Dee Brown and Deron Williams. The problem they're going to have in the tournament is with teams that like to pound it inside. Big, strong guys like Carolina's Sean May or Duke's Shelden Williams could give them a lot of trouble.
It looks like North Carolina and Illinois will both be No. 1 seeds so they wouldn't have a chance to meet until the Final Four. It should be interesting.
A merciless pounding of Purdue in Illinois's last home game. Ohio State might present more of a challenge this Sunday. Of course, there's still a LONG way to go for a comletely unbeaten season, which would require 41 wins (30 season, three conference championship, and eight NCAA championship games).
If the seedings predicted in the SI website hold, Illinois's last three games might be Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest. That would be interesting!
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dmiller
I still hold out hope for the IU Hoosiers.
:)-->
(I never really follow this stuff in detail, until play-off time).
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GeorgeStGeorge
19-0!
Lousy shooting from the court, but the Illini hit a LOT of free throws in their overtime victory over Iowa.
George
:)-->
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GeorgeStGeorge
20-0!
This was also Wisconsin's first defeat at home in over two years.
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
21-0!
A crushing defeat of Minnesota. On to Michigan State.
George
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Pirate1974
Don't look now, but the North Carolina Tar Heels are right behind you.
The road to the national championship goes through Chapel Hill.
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GeorgeStGeorge
22-0!
North Carolina, my eye!
Mighigan State is tough at home, but the Illini took it to them. The only ranked team Illinois has left on its schedule is Wisconsin, whom they've already beaten once. You can't take anything for granted, of course, but Illinois has a good chance of fininshing at least the regular season undefeated. Then there's the conference tournament, and then the NCAA.
Stay tuned.
:)-->
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
23=0!
On to Michigan.
For Pirate and others with tarry heels, I have this link:
Illinois vs. UNC
George
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Pirate1974
We shall see.
Championships are won in March and April, not February.
That's the great thing about college basketball. The championship is decided on the court, not a popularity contest.
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GeorgeStGeorge
24-0!
A comeback win over a surprising Michigan team. Of course, that's the stuff champions are made of.
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
Apparently, Duke agrees with you. They went through UNC rather handily.
(Sorry, Pirate. I couldn't resist.)
;)-->
May I add, the Illini defeated Wisconsin again, and are now 25-0! (This is only the fourth-best start in Big Ten history. Of course, Indiana won it all back in '78-79 (I think).)
George
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Pirate1974
A 1-point Duke win at home when Carolina had the last shot of the game in one of the toughest places to play in the country? I don't think that means Duke "went through UNC rather handily." I think Illinois would have a pretty tough time playing in front of the Cameron Crazies too.
Indiana went undefeated in the 1975-76 season, the last college team to pull that off.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Okay, so I exaggerated a little. UNC had a good come-from-behind win today, so we could be seeing the national championship teams in preparation (barring some embarrassing early-round upset, of course). I'm surprised that Kansas and Duke followers haven't chimed in!
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
26-0!
Penn State really wasn't expected to have much of a chance. Twenty-six straight wins is an Illini record. They had twenty-five straight in the 1914-1916 seasons. (They were unbeaten -- 16-0 -- in 1915.)
On to Iowa this Saturday
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
27-0!
The Illini have now tied the '60-'61 Buckeyes for the third-best start in conference history. With Northwestern, Purdue, and Ohio State left, it's quite likely that the Illini will finish the regular season undefeated. They'll have three games to play in the Big Ten tournament before the NCAA tourney.
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
28-0!
An almost embarrassing drubbing of hapless Northwestern. One point of note: Illinois is the ONLY Division I team to have twenty-five or more wins each of its last five seasons.
George
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Pirate1974
That's great, but Duke has won 25 or more games the past seven seasons, and with a 20-4 record so far this year, they should easily make it eight.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Perhaps I misread the stat on the Sports Illustrated website (and, of course, I can't find it now
-->), but the implication was that no other Division I team has had 25 or more wins in the last five years. Perhaps NC wasn't counted because they haven't done it this year (yet).
George
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oenophile
If the Illini were in the ACC, they would do well to win half of their conference games! The only teams from the Big Ten that could possibly reach the sweet 16 are Illinois and perhaps Michigan State. Almost any team from the ACC with the exception of the bottom 3 or four teams could be there.
Could you imagine the Illini going undefeated having to play Duke at Cameron or Carolina in the Dean Dome. I think they would even have their hands full playing the lowly Wolfpack at the RBC Center. On the other hand, Duke, Carolina, Wake and Maryland are very capable of taking down the Illini on their wood.
If you don't follow the ACC, you don't know how competitive the league can be. Why is that the conference consistently yields 4 or 5 teams in the sweet 16 each year? Often 2 of the Final Four teams are ACC teams.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I don't claim that Illinois has had the best program over the last few decades. They have, however, been a consistent winner; and this year, I (and apparently all the coaches and sportswriters) think they have the best team in the nation. It is a shame that the only ACC team they have had the opportunity to humble was (the former #1) Wake Forest. It seems likely, however, that they'll meet one or two during the championships. In the meantime, let me enjoy their present success!!
George
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Pirate1974
Illinois is very good, no question. If you're the only undefeated team in the country, you deserve to be No. 1. No argument there.
They probably have the best backcourt in college basketball with Luther Head, Dee Brown and Deron Williams. The problem they're going to have in the tournament is with teams that like to pound it inside. Big, strong guys like Carolina's Sean May or Duke's Shelden Williams could give them a lot of trouble.
It looks like North Carolina and Illinois will both be No. 1 seeds so they wouldn't have a chance to meet until the Final Four. It should be interesting.
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GeorgeStGeorge
29-0!
A merciless pounding of Purdue in Illinois's last home game. Ohio State might present more of a challenge this Sunday. Of course, there's still a LONG way to go for a comletely unbeaten season, which would require 41 wins (30 season, three conference championship, and eight NCAA championship games).
If the seedings predicted in the SI website hold, Illinois's last three games might be Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest. That would be interesting!
George
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Pirate1974
They would only have to win six NCAA tournament games for the championship.
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GeorgeStGeorge
You're right, of course. On the other hand, those last three could SEEM LIKE five!
:)-->
George
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Lifted Up
Uh-Oh!!!
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