Illinois basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 early preview

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Brad Underwood talks with Trent Frazier #1 and Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini in the game against the Old Dominion Monarchs at State Farm Center on December 14, 2019 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

3 of 5

Trent Frazier #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

Memorable Moments

Illinois puts the Big Ten on notice by toppling Michigan

Early in the season, the Michigan Wolverines were all the rage after Juwan Howard‘s team toppled North Carolina and Gonzaga to win the Battle 4 Atlantis. Illinois had gotten off to a fine start but had yet to make a significant statement in the non-conference schedule, but that changed in mid-December when the Illini upset the then fifth-ranked Wolverines. Kofi Cockburn was a difference-maker in that contest, racking up 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

Illinois topples Minnesota for a seventh straight win

The rest of the Big Ten took notice of Illinois in January when the Illini ripped off seven straight wins to move into a first-place tie in the conference. The last game in that streak was a workman-like 59-51 victory over Minnesota, a team that was not going to make the field but possessed far more talent than their record indicated. It was an ugly win for Illinois, which shot just 33 percent from the floor, but they did just enough to emerge victoriously.

Illinois drops four straight

That seven-game winning streak was followed by a four-game skid, dropping the Illini from 8-2 in Big Ten play to 8-6. Three of the four losses were by single digits, with the worst being a one-point home defeat to Michigan State when Xavier Tillman dunked in the game-winner at the buzzer. That tailspin seemed to put Illinois’ tournament hopes on thin ice.

Illinois finishes hot by winning five of their last six

The mark of a good team is how well they respond to adversity, and Illinois showed off their character by winning five of their final six regular-season games. The turnaround began with a six-point win at Penn State, which was ranked in the top 10 at the time, and ended with a home win over no. 18 Iowa on Senior Day. That late-season surge helped Illinois secure a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, which they unfortunately never got to take advantage of.