Team of the Week: Illinois

Yes, the Illini turned everybody's heads with that thrilling last-second win over No. 1 Indiana last Thursday night. But I was actually more impressed with their win at Minnesota on Sunday. In the first place, that one came on the road, and we all know how hard it is to win on the road in your conference. (Especially against a team in such dire need of a win.) And second, that game came three days after the big Indiana upset. A less tough, less mature team would have been primed for a letdown, but these veteran Illini know just how precarious their NCAA tournament resume was heading into this week. Even though they are still three games under .500 in the Big Ten, as long as they don't go in the tank over the next five weeks, I fully expect the Illini to be in the field of 68. Go figure.

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