If you can hear a barely audible ticking noise coming out of Champaign tonight, it's likely the sound of Bruce Weber's tenure coming to an end as the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Weber was already on the hot seat, but a 67-62 home loss to Purdue might cost Weber his job, as well as his team a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue and Illinois entered with identical overall records and similar placement on the NCAA bubble. The road win gives the Boilermakers a clear upper-hand moving forward. Purdue was led by senior Robbie Hummel, who with 19 points and 11 rebounds, including a pair of clutch free throws at the end of the game.
Illinois was led by freshman guard Tracy Abrams, who scored a team-high 22 points in a breakout effort. Brandon Paul added 19 for the Illini in the loss.
With the loss, Illinois falls to 16-10, and 5-8 in the Big 10. Purdue improves to 17-9, 7-6.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over to Illinois blog Hail to the Orange and Purdue blog Hammer and Rails. And for more news from around college basketball, check out SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.