Nickname: Fighting Illini
Conference: Big Ten
Last Year’s Record: 24-10

Why they’ll make it: Don’t expect this Illinois team to be any different from last years. That means they’ll still play lock-down defense. The Fighting Illini held its opponents to just over 57 points-per-game. That’s quite a feat even in the rugged Big Ten.  Holding its foes to under 40 percent shooting from the floor, the Illini rode its defense to No. 5 seed in the Big Dance last season.

They have some quality upperclassmen returning who have bought into Coach Bruce Weber’s system. They may not be a team of stars, but they know how to win games....

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