Now the difficulty level ramps up for Niko Medved and the Gophers

The Gophers losing their last two home games, in the manner that they did, still stings for fans and everyone inside the program. Against both USC and Wisconsin, the Gophers were either tied or had the lead inside the final ten seconds, and yet they emerged 0-2. Losing like that is always painful. But it's even tougher because after letting a couple very winnable opportunities slip away, the level of difficulty now ramps up significantly for Niko Medved's team.

Next up for Minnesota (10-7, 3-3 Big Ten) is a road game on Saturday morning against No. 13 Illinois (14-3, 5-1). Even that national ranking doesn't quite tell the full story of how good this Illini team has been so far this season, so it would take a significant upset for the Gophers to leave Champaign with a victory.

And it doesn't get much easier after that. The Illinois game is followed by a trip to Ohio State, a home game against No. 8 (and currently 17-0) Nebraska, and then a rematch against Wisconsin in Madison. It would be highly impressive if the Gophers can even manage a 2-2 record in this upcoming stretch. 0-4 is entirely in play.

Of course, all Minnesota can do is focus on one game at a time. The only thing that matters right now is trying to find a way to pull off a major upset against Illinois on Saturday as 15.5-point underdogs.

It's going to be a challenge. Illinois has won six in a row since dropping a thriller against Nebraska over a month ago. Brad Underwood's team ranks fifth in the country in Kenpom's metrics, with the third-best offensive rating in the nation and the 19th-best defense. Illinois hasn't shot the three super well, but they have a lot of players capable of making them. They're outstanding in the paint, on the offensive glass, and at the free throw line. They also don't turn the ball over much.

The Illini are led in scoring by true freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who nearly committed to the Gophers back when Ben Johnson was the coach. He's averaging 16 points per game and shooting 41 percent from long range. Four other players average in double digits for Underwood's team. Senior Kylan Boswell is an experienced, physical guard. Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic is a dynamic 6'7" wing. An excellent frontcourt features freshman David Mirkovic, 7-foot brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, and senior Ben Humrichous. Illinois goes eight deep with bench three-point sniper Jake Davis.

This is going to be an awfully tough one for the Gophers, who will need to shoot it well on the road to have a shot at keeping up with an elite Illinois offense. It's an 11 a.m. CT game on BTN.

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