Illinois Basketball: Time Is Now for Illini to Make Push for NCAA Tournament

When the calendar hits February, it signifies crunch time for college basketball teams that are hoping to make the NCAA tournament, and that is certainly the case for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

As we head into the first week of February, the Illini find themselves with a record of 15-8 (5-5 in Big Ten), which puts them firmly "on the bubble" as they say. John Groce's guys have battled through some adversity to this point in the season with several key injuries and, most recently, the suspensions of Rayvonte Rice and Aaron Cosby. However, despite all of that, they still find themselves in a position to make a late run at the Big Dance.

But it won't be easy.

With eight games remaining on the schedule, Illinois has four remaining home games, where it is currently 11-1 on the season, and four games on the road, where it is only 1-5. Looking at the numbers, it would appear the Illini need to win all of their remaining home games and possibly even steal another one on the road just to have a chance of getting an NCAA bid. That would put them at the magical 20-win mark with a 10-8 conference record. They will also have the Big Ten tournament to improve their resume, but it would be in their best interest to not wait until then.

As of now, most experts have the Illini out of the tournament, and rightfully so, but there's still time for Illinois to make a move. Looking at the current Big Ten standings, you can see what the Illini are up against.

So let's start with the road games, which will no doubt be a challenge, especially for a team that has won a total of one game on the road this season. First up is Michigan State this weekend in East Lansing. The Illini will have their work cut out for them against the Spartans with or without Rice and Cosby, as is usually the case against a Tom Izzo team.

Next is a trip to the Kohl Center to take on a Wisconsin team that is one of the best in the nation and whose only loss at home came against fourth-ranked Duke. The Illini will then take on Iowa in another difficult road game. Iowa is a team that will be looking to solidify their NCAA tournament resume as well, as they are currently a bubble team. And the same can be said for Purdue, whom the Illini beat 66-57 in Champaign a few weeks ago in a tightly contested game. The game in West Lafayette is the final game of the season for Illinois.

Illinois will likely not be favored in any of these games, but it needs to find a way to win at least one of them. 

The remaining home contests for Illinois include Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Nebraska. All of those are winnable games, but none of them are easy. Michigan already beat the Illini earlier this season in a game in which Illinois led by double digits in the second half and then collapsed.

Not much needs to be said about Michigan State, as they are always tough to beat no matter where the game is played. Northwestern is at the bottom of the conference, but it has played the Illini tough recently, including the game in Evanston a few weeks ago where the Illini escaped with a 72-67 win. And Nebraska is no gimme, as they took down the Illini 53-43 earlier this season in Lincoln.

All tough games, but all games that Illinois really needs to win at home in order to stay in the hunt for the NCAA tournament.

The latest version of ESPN's Bracketology has seven Big Ten teams in the tournament, with Iowa and Purdue being two of the last eight teams in. However, it's not out of the question to think that the conference could get an eighth team to join the party. Right now that eighth team would be either Michigan, Illinois or Nebraska, and it all depends on what happens over the next four weeks.

It's do-or-die time for the Illini. They can play their way in or play their way out.

It will certainly be nerve-wracking, but Illinois fans should be used to that by now.