Illinois Surges in NET Rankings, Bart Torvik Before Michigan State Showdown

With recent road victories over top-five foes Purdue and Nebraska, Illinois somehow managed to post arguably the best win from its current 12-game streak in a home triumph over Northwestern, which boasts a 2-10 Big Ten record.

The Wildcats, though, are a deceptively scrappy 2-10 Big Ten team, as they have topped USC in Los Angeles, hung around with UCLA on the road, stayed within striking distance at Michigan State and even own a 20-point blowout win in conference play (against an admittedly down Penn State team).

Despite all those relatively positive signs for Northwestern, none of the traits that had allowed it to stay competitive against nearly its entire slate (NU hadn’t lost by more than 19 this season) were evident on Wednesday night in Champaign – and that had almost everything to do with its opponent.

Illinois dominates Northwestern on both ends of the floor

Feb 4, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) reacts after a play during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Illini shot the cover off the ball, hitting 17 of 38 threes (44.7 percent) while connecting on 11 of their 20 shots (55.0 percent) from inside the arc. Offensively, the night could not have gone better for Illinois, yet that wasn’t even the best aspect of the squad’s performance.

That's because the Illini D suffocated Northwestern, holding prolific scorer Nick Martinelli to a season-low four points (he had scored 19 or more in 13 straight games) while yielding just 44 points to the Wildcats as a team. The final result was a wide margin on the scoreboard, 84-44 in Illinois’ favor.

It was an all-around defensive showcase from the Illini: on the ball, in help, rim protection – you name it. Notably, they were a bit fortunate to see the Wildcats miss the vast majority of their few open looks from long range. But any time a squad shoots 29.2 percent from the field and 16.0 percent from deep, it’s almost never just an “off night” for the offense – but a thoroughly dominant defensive performance.

Illinois leaps in NET Rankings, Bart Torvik after win over Northwestern

Jan 21, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood greets fans as he enters the floor during pre-game introductions at State Farm Center in a matchup against the Maryland Terrapins.. Mandatory Credit: Fred Zwicky-Imagn Images | Fred Zwicky-Imagn Images

And fortunately for Illinois’ NCAA Tournament resume, the analytics accounted for the results. In Bart Torvik – a metric the selection committee uses come Selection Sunday – the Illini defense leapt a whopping 11 spots, from No. 31 to No. 20.

That large of a one-game jump at this point of the season is hardly ever seen, but it’s a testament to the suffocating defense Illinois displayed on Wednesday. In turn, Illinois climbed from the No. 8 overall spot to the No. 4 slot.

In the NET rankings, another well-respected metric, the Illini also trended upward, inching from No. 6 to No. 4. Heading into the Nebraska game, Illinois was slotted at No. 8, meaning it has taken Underwood’s club just two games to leap four spots – which is another impressive move considering progress at the top is exponentially tougher to come by.

As far as both Bart Torvik and the NET are concerned, Illinois is firmly in the mix for a one seed as we speak. And with a matchup at Michigan State up next, the Illini have yet another prime opportunity to bolster their Big Dance resume while climbing higher in the Big Ten standings.