As soon as the Illinois Fighting Illini fell to No. 25 Michigan on Sunday, the third straight loss for Bruce Weber's crew, the team found itself squarely on the bubble. At 16-9, the Illini have three weeks of regular season play to prove they deserve an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before conference tournament season begins.
Wednesday's game against Purdue is a close to a must-win for the Illini. Purdue is also 16-9 with tournament aspirations of its own. Another home loss could put Illinois on the outside looking in.
Here's a look at the upcoming schedule for DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern this week.
Wednesday, February 15
Illinois vs. Purdue, 7:30 p.m.
DePaul at Connecticut, 6:00 p.m.
Northwestern at No. Indiana, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 18
Illinois at Nebraska, 4:00 p.m.
DePaul vs. No. 18 Louisville, 11:00 a.m.
Northwestern vs. Minnesota, 6:00 p.m.
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