Pesky Penn State has tested Illinois

"The last couple of years it's been matchups," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "They've had some in-between guys, like [Geary] Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, and those are tough matchups for big guys. They can pull you out or post you up. And then [Talor] Battle has been very good. Last year they won a bunch of games at home, and now they've gone to Michigan State and won."

Battle, a sophomore point guard, leads the Nittany Lions with 17.6 points per game.

Bannon