Lose a home game in the Big Ten (a Quad III loss no less)? Better make it up on the road. Illinois has a pair of opportunities this week at Indiana

and Michigan State. Win both and a place atop the conference is secured for a while longer. Win one and stay competitive in the race. Lose both

and the pressure increases on the remaining games on the schedule. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini

Basketball.

Are the Illini Final Four material? We turn to the dean of all Big Ten reporters — Hall of Famer Loren Tate – for his take on Brad Underwood's

surging team, his favorite all-time Big Ten gyms and whether Illinois basketball — and football for that matter – are built for long-term success in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

The resumption of Big Ten play won't be easy for Illinois, with a two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest that begins with a top 10 team in

Oregon. Momentum is on Illinois' side, at least, after an electric win against Missouri and zero letdown against Chicago State. Beat writer Scott

Richey discusses it all in this week's Inside Illini Basketball

Brad Underwood will be in his element the next couple weeks. Winter break means extra time on the practice court for Illinois to go all in on

getting better. Which Kasparas Jakucionis, Kylan Boswell and Co. will do after celebrating both the holiday season and a Braggin' Rights victory.

Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

There's no doubting Illinois' talent this season. It's arguably the tops in the Big Ten from a pure basketball standpoint. Getting the most from

that talent — particularly late in games — is still a work in progress. Good thing it's only mid-December, and there's two-thirds of the season

yet to play. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

Illinois has home court advantage this week in a pair of games that would be a serious résumé boost should Kasparas Jakucionis and Co. come away with a couple wins. That's especially true with No. 1 Tennessee in Champaign on Saturday. There's no bigger win to be had. Beat writer Scott

Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

Illinois will enter Big Ten play this week at Northwestern (and then early next week against Wisconsin) on solid ground as the No. 10 team in the country in the initial NET rankings of the season. A big win against Arkansas — both in margin and level of competition — didn't hurt. A couple conference wins would go a long way in boosting that ranking, too. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini

Basketball.

It's still early in the 2024-25 season, but this Illinois team is sliding comfortably into roles on the court. That includes Kylan Boswell as a

defensive stopper on the perimeter now finding his footing on the offensive end and Morez Johnson Jr. as a rebounding and defense focused big man. Those two and the rest of their teammates will have some high-level games to fine tune those roles in the next several weeks — both nonconference and in the Big Ten. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses it all in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

Illinois made its 2024-25 debut in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday at No. 25. Just in time for its biggest game of the season to date. This

week's trip to Birmingham, Ala., to face now No. 8 Alabama will shine a bright light on exactly where this Illinois team stands in mid-November. A

litmus test, if you will, for where the program needs to be headed with a couple early Big Ten games looming. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's episode of Inside Illini Basketball.

There was only one real surprise for Illinois in the first week of the 2024-25 college basketball season, and it had nothing to do with the

results on the court. While Ty Rodgers did make the decision to redshirt, Illinois still went 2-0, still blew the doors off teams they should dominate. Just in a different style than a year ago, as Will Riley, Ben Humrichous and Co. went "bombs away" from three-point range. Beat writer

Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.