The University of Illinois Fighting Illini have climbed to the No. 4 spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, and they'll have their biggest test of the season on Tuesday as they take on the No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines.
The Illini, fresh off wins over Nebraska and Wisconsin, are still aiming for a number one seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament, and this week could go a long way toward earning that honor as they will face Michigan and Ohio State, a pair of top-10 teams with big aspirations of their own.
Unfortunately for the Illini, they will remain without their top offensive player, as Ayo Dosunmu will miss his third straight game after suffering a facial injury against Michigan State.
Dosunmu had hoped to return for the game, but was ruled out 90 minutes before tip-off by the team's coaching staff. He remains day-to-day.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
BOTTOM LINE: Illinois has four wins and three losses against ranked opponents this season, while Michigan has won six of its seven games against ranked teams.
STREAK STATS: Michigan has won its last 12 home games, scoring an average of 81.3 points while giving up 63.8.
ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Fighting Illini have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Wolverines. Michigan has an assist on 40 of 88 field goals (45.5 percent) across its past three matchups while Illinois has assists on 40 of 79 field goals (50.6 percent) during its past three games.
Local
STINGY DEFENSE: Michigan has held opposing teams to 38.4 percent shooting from the field this year, the lowest percentage among all Division I teams.
