Tennessee basketball lost a hard-fought battle to Illinois Saturday night in Nashville, 80-70. The game was closer than the final score suggests, but ultimately the Fighting Illini's offensive firepower was too much for Rick Barnes' squad to handle.
This is now the third loss in a row for the Volunteers. Granted, they have lost to three solid teams, but this is not a position Tennessee basketball has found itself in recently.
This isn't ideal for the Volunteers, considering Ja'Kobi Gillespie called out his teammates in front of the media yesterday, asking them to play with a purpose.