Flying into town only a few hours before tipoff because of travel trouble a day earlier, and wearing yellow practice jerseys instead of the game uniforms that got stuck on their abandoned airplane, Michigan raced to an early double-digit lead and beat Illinois 75-55 to reach the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. Illinois could still play in the National Invitation Tournament.

DeShawn Freeman scored 21 points and hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to lead Rutgers past Illinois 62-59 on Saturday. The Illini ended the regular season winning four out of five, but the loss may end its NCAA Tournament hopes and coach John Groce's tenure.

The Illini men beat MIchigan State 73-70 last night in Champaign. It was the fourth consecutive win for Illinois, which now finds itself in the NCAA Tournament conversation, despite a 4-9 start in Big Ten play.

Illinois is 1-1 in the Big Ten after a 75-70 win over Ohio State at State Farm Center in Champaign.  The Illini lost a 15-point lead before recovering to get the win on New Year's Day.