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Three Instant Observations From Illinois Basketball's 84-44 Win Over Northwestern

The Illini ran past, over and through the Wildcats on Wednesday in Champaign on their way to their 12th straight win
Jason Langendorf|
Feb 4, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives past Northwestern Wildcats guard Justin Mullins (20) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Feb 4, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives past Northwestern Wildcats guard Justin Mullins (20) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Whatever concerns existed outside the Illinois men's basketball program about Wednesday's matchup with visiting Northwestern being a classic trap game turned out to be not just unfounded but, like the Road Runner zipping through Wile E. Coyote's painted-on tunnel, cartoonishly unrealistic.

The Wildcats kept up the illusion for roughly four minutes, before the Illini turned an early two-point deficit into a 30-9 lead and sprinted away with an 84-44 win at the State Farm Center in Champaign. Illinois (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten) dominated in every way, shape and form, crushing Northwestern (10-13, 2-10) on the boards (50-23), bombing the Wildcats into oblivion from three-point range (17-for-38) and unleashing a defense that suffocated every scoring avenue with superior size, athleticism and tactical acumen.

Here are three more observations from Illinois' win over Northwestern:

1. 'Positional size and shooting' won the day

The Brad Underwood mantra has been willed into existence: positional size and shooting have fueled Illinois' current 12-game winning streak, and the combination has never been more potent than it was Wednesday against Northwestern. The Wildcats simply couldn't match up, and for every glimmer of hope they experienced, the Illini threw up a wall in front of a driving ball-handler, sniped a rainbow three and Hoovered up yet another rebound to envelop them in darkness.

Are we being dramatic? Yes, because that's precisely what it was. The Wildcats didn't register field goals on back-to-back possessions until they were down already down 41-15. The Illini finished with only three blocks, but it felt like 30 when every Northwestern attempt was met with flying bodies and the elongated arms of 7-foot twins Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic. Nick Martinelli, who came into the game leading the country in scoring (23.7 PPG), finished with four points.

On the other end, Northwestern coach Chris Collins chose to double nearly everything in the paint, and the Illini – no matter whose hands the ball were in – always seemed to find the open man, usually with an open look behind the arc. Even Collins admitted after the game: "They are vastly superior to us."

2. A salty Tomi is a dangerous Tomi

Midway through the second half, Tomislav Ivisic mixed it up with Wildcats forward Arrinten Page, who sank a jumper to trim Illinois' lead to, uh, 38 points and jawed at the Illini big man, getting under his skin. On the next trip down the floor, when Ivisic swatted Page's offering around the rim to Tolono, he bowed up and barked back at Page, drawing a technical.

Here's our hard-core, deep-dive analysis on the subject: good. Ivisic languished early in the season, seemingly struggling to find his way in a role that meant not just less scoring but fewer touches. He seemed disengaged. Out of synch. Maybe even bored. That was not the case Wednesday. Against the Wildcats, Ivisic had just five points – but grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and matched Keaton Wagler's game-high five assists. If it takes a tech in a game the Illini win by 40 to light Ivisic's fire, we say keep 'em coming.

3. The Illini may finally be ready to sack East Lansing

Even in the best of years, Illinois has had very little luck storming the gates of Castle Izzo. The Illini have lost six of their past seven games at Michigan State's Breslin Center, including last year's 80-78 heartbreaker in East Lansing. The Spartans' grit and their fan base's fervor make for a tough combo for opponents to overcome.

But at the very least, this time around Illinois can fight fire with fire – while also seemingly having the ability to exploit a key MSU weakness. Tom Izzo's teams always rebound and defend as if their lives depend on it, but the Illini can cancel out those advantages. Three-point shooting can be a bit unpredictable, but Illinois holds a clear edge there. And if the Spartans defend the Illini as they did in their loss at Minnesota on Wednesday – they put the Gophers on the line to shoot 31 free throws – Illinois will bury them with the best collective of free-throw shooters in the league.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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