After a tough road loss to Purdue that saw it fall out of the AP Top 25, Northwestern (18-5, 7-3 Big Ten) will look to get back on track at home against Illinois on Tuesday.
Illinois (13-11, 3-8 Big Ten) comes into this game on a three-game losing streak composed of losses to Penn State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Fighting Illini have faced a relatively tough slate of Big Ten opponents, and a win over Michigan remains a bright spot on an otherwise forgetful resume. Illinois is ranked 80th nationally by KenPom and is 70th in RPI.