A lackluster finish has the Illini teetering on the verge of a dreaded call from the NIT. Illinois lost five of its last six games, though its competition was fierce during that stretch. That's the only reason why Illinois is still in the conversation. Still, with a 6-6 finishing record and a 5-11 mark against the top 100 teams in RPI, at least one win in Indianapolis is a must. Illinois is led by All-Big Ten point guard Demetri McCamey, who had the second best assist rate of any player in the nation. Big Ten Freshman of the Year D.J. Richardson emerged as a home run threat out of the backcourt.

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"A couple of people blew it out of proportion as me trying to disrespect coach Weber," McCamey said. "It was like father, like son. We both talked on the bench and cooled off. It was more for me to stop being frustrated and help my team win."

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Notre Dame wants to remain independent in football, but that might not matter if the Big Ten and Pac-10 decide to expand and create sweeping changes to major college sports.

"Our preference is clear," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said Tuesday. "I believe we're at a point right now where changes could be relatively small or they could be seismic."

Swarbrick said it will be up to him and university president Rev. John Jenkins to "evaluate the landscape" if realignment happens.

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studurando Weber says his confrontation with McCamey on Sunday was nothing compared to some he had with Dee Brown and Deron Williams

breitwieser Weber says the blowup between mccamey and him was maybe a good thing just to get it out of way #Illini

PKlee_IlliniHQ Weber says #Illini were going to have an off day yesterday - but didn't. BW: "A couple of the players said, 'We need to practice, Coach.'"

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Maybe Illinois can do it, but I've pretty much concluded that if this team didn't feel the urgency for the home game against Minnesota more than a week ago, and if they didn't respond to the urgency of the Wisconsin game on Sunday, they probably won't be able to get the job done on Friday.

I'm looking at the Illini as NIT-bound. And that's too bad.

I've already heard from plenty of fans trying to rationalize a prolonged NIT run as a good thing. Really? Do any of you remember the last time Illinois played in the NIT?

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Things between Weber and McCamey became intense on the bench briefly after the guard bumped his coach while walking past. Weber grabbed McCamey's arm, pulled him back and gave him an earful.

"Love and kisses," Weber said. "Just trying to teach him how to make good decisions."

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"It's not the end of the world," Illini center Mike Tisdale said. "It just feels like it."

While Illinois has another chance in the Big Ten tournament, a 15-point loss at home puts an exclamation point on losing five of its last six games in the regular season. The Illini left another bad impression with little time for the selection committee to forget.

From here, the Illini are on the outside looking in. Only a big run in Indianapolis will get the Illini into the NCAAs for the second straight year after missing the postseason in 2008.

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They've been a tough group to watch, a team that teases you one game then tortures you the next.

Sunday at the Assembly Hall was torture day.

In a must-win situation the Illini players deemed "Game 7" of the playoffs, the Illini could not match Wisconsin's play - not the Badgers' skill nor the Badgers' hustle, especially to loose balls and rebounds.

Tupper

"It's another situation where it's do-or-die, except for after this one there's not going to be another chance," Mike Tisdale added.

Illinois (18-13, 10-8 Big Ten) had opportunities - not just Sunday, but the entire season - and couldn't pull itself out of an early hole. Before another capacity crowd, which witnessed a third straight home loss, Illinois cut a 16-point deficit to five with 7:01 remaining.

Plus, Trevon Hughes and Leuer had four fouls. Weber shouted from the sideline, "This is your chance!" But only the Badgers (23-7, 13-5) took it to heart, closing on a 15-5 run to put an exclamation point on their ninth top-four Big Ten finish in Bo Ryan's nine seasons.

Klee

Whether Illinois already sits on the right side of the bubble with enough quality wins to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament or the Illini still need to beat No. 15 Wisconsin in today's Big Ten Conference game at Assembly Hall, Illinois junior forward Bill Cole sounded like there's no arguing one point.

Without an NCAA berth and a win or two in the national tournament, the season wouldn't get a passing grade.

"We still feel like we can make a successful season out of it just by getting a win and hopefully vaulting us to the tournament," Cole said. "Then anytime you get one or two wins in the tournament, it's a successful season. From there, it's a bonus."

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You know what's at stake for Illinois. So what's Wisconsin playing for? A higher NCAA seed and revenge are two sources of motivation. ESPN.com's Bracketology on Friday pegged Wisconsin as a No. 5 seed. Playing the first two rounds in nearby Milwaukee would be a bonus. Then there's the matter of avenging a 63-56 loss to Illinois at the Kohl Center, the only home loss Wisconsin suffered this season (16-1). "I'm sure they'll come back with a little vengeance to come after us and get a victory at our spot," Weber said. Illinois has swept Wisconsin in a two-game season series only once in the past decade. "This would be a great victory on our resume," Bill Cole said. The Badgers didn't have 6-foot-10 forward Jon Leuer, who averages 11 points in Big Ten play, when the Illini won in Madison.

Klee

"I got to a point where I could yell every day, all day, and it wasn't doing any good," he said. "At Clemson they expected me to come in throwing chairs and go crazy. I just sat and talked. I found that sometimes this group deals with that type of approach better."

Three months later, Weber still wishes the Illini had a greater sense of urgency. As the season winds to a close, he continues to search for ways to unleash it.

Durando