Illini can't lose contact with Spartans

We've seen enough of Illinois, and enough of the rest of the Big Ten, to make some judgments. Is Illinois a great basketball team? No. But in my view, Illinois is a very good team, good enough to compete with anyone in the league, including Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State or anyone else, including Michigan State.

I'd guess Illinois is not good enough to outlast Michigan State over the long haul of the Big Ten season, but that remains to be seen. And that's where it's time to think big.

Tupper