Andrej Stojakovic, in his previous stops, was the primary everything. At Illinois, he doesn’t have to do that. However, with Kylan Boswell out with a broken hand, he will have to step up and carry the load. The good thing is this Illinois team can score. A lot.

They have the best offense in all of college basketball, but the most encouraging thing about them over the last month has been the improvements they’ve made on defense since the Nebraska game. That’s why they’ve won eight in a row, and that’s why I’m getting excited. That’s why I want to believe. This team might be special.

It’s the next ten games that are the true gauntlet. In those games, we will learn if this team is special or not quite. It culminates in a February 27 Friday night home game against Michigan. In a month, we will know just how special this team will be. I cannot wait to find out.