The Champaign Room · Nov 3, 2021
Illinois’ four most intriguing non-conference matchups
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports The Illinois Fighting Illini tip off their 116th season of college basketball this Tuesday. The disappointment of last season gets washed away, and the No. 11 Illini wipe the slate clean for 2021-22. Last week I briefly broke down all of Illinois’ non-conference opponents. This week I wanted to pay special attention to a handful of upcoming games.
There’s no real criteria for this list (with a few exceptions I’ll get to in a second), no precepts I’ve decided to stick by. These are merely games I’m eager to watch because of specific matchups, unique stories, or historical significance.