The Big Ten schedule is a grind

The Illini players and coaches have said it repeatedly this season: The Big Ten schedule is a grind. After knocking off the No. 1 team in the country Thursday, Illinois had two days to prepare for a tough road contest against a Minnesota team that ran the Illini out of the gym a month ago in Champaign. How the Illini bounce back from that short turnaround in a hostile environment will speak to their maturity. "We had a pretty good practice (Friday). We got our minds and bodies right; a lot of guys played heavy minutes," Richardson said. "This one is going to be a big one for us as well."

Marcus Jackson