A month ago, Lou Henson set a goal for Illinois as it ventured into the Big 10 season: Win nine, lose nine and beat Pittsburgh in the only remaining non-conference game.
Henson saw that as a prescription for an NCAA tournament bid. But now that the Illini have dashed out of the blocks, isn’t Henson ready to revise his expectations?
His answer is a resounding no.
“Our goal now is to go 9-9 and get to the playoffs,” he said.
For the Illini to achieve that record, they’d have to stumble home 4-7. Illinois is alone in third place in the Big 10 at 5-2 after its 86-76 victory over Ohio State here Saturday.
But Illinois’ record is all the more impressive because three wins have come on the rugged Big 10 road. Its next three games are in the friendly, if quiet, confines of Champaign’s Assembly Hall.
The Illni play host to Iowa Thursday night, Northwestern on Saturday and Michigan State Feb. 10. Pitt visits on Feb. 13. A sweep of the league games would put the Illini in firm control of third place and all but clinch the school’s first tourney bid in three seasons.
Henson, every bit the cautious coach, refuses to look that far ahead. He’s proud of his team’s improvement and work ethic, but he’s well aware the Illini dropped three straight games at the end of the non-league schedule four weeks ago. He knows a similar skid might be lurking just around the corner.
“It’s unbelievable what can happen to you in this league,” he said, noting the Buckeyes have dropped five straight after winning their first two Big 10 games. “You had better play well or you’re going to lose three in a row.”
The Illini beat a young Ohio State team whose best days are still ahead. Illinois watched a 13-point second-half lead evaporate in the heat of St. John’s Arena, but they refused to fall behind.
The big bucket came not from the usual sources, Andy Kaufmann and Deon Thomas, but from freshman guard Richard Keene. His fallaway three-pointer from the top of the key with three minutes to go rescued Illinois.
Keene scored 13 points, and Robert Bennett added 10 on a slew of put-back baskets down the stretch. That’s 23 points that Kaufmann and Thomas didn’t have to score.
“Every single player is playing with confidence right now,” Kaufmann said. “When you feel like you’ve got a good team, you’re going to play like that.”
