Let’s rewind back to mid-December, as the Illinois basketball team drops a home game to then-No. 23 Nebraska.

The Illini dropped to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten after that loss. At the time, it didn’t seem that Illinois was going to contend for one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament.

That loss changed everything, though. Since the disappointing close loss to the Cornhuskers, Illinois has gone on one of the best runs in program history. This run includes winning 11 games in a row. But moreover, the quality of wins matters more.

Illinois has had five games on the road in that 11-game stretch, all of which were, of course, victories. Three of those five games were against ranked opponents. No. 19 Iowa was the first game. Two out of the last three wins overall have really elevated Illinois from a quality NCAA tournament seed to now being in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.

Just a week ago, Illinois had an all-time performance from Keaton Wagler to knock off then-No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette. This victory enabled the Illini to crack the top 10 and put us in the national spotlight.

It was this Sunday that skyrocketed the Orange and Blue to another atmosphere. Going on the road in Lincoln and taking down No. 5 Nebraska was huge for the Illini. We now have two top-five wins in the past three games.

Coming into the weekend, Illinois was already solidly a two-seed by multiple NCAA tournament predictions. Nebraska was a projected No. 1 seed. With the win, the Illini are surely going to be slotted as a No. 1 in the updated NCAA tournament projection.

On top of those wins, Illinois’ schedule the rest of the way out is promising. We have nine games left, with the only ranked contests being on the road against No. 7 Michigan State and home against No. 3 Michigan. This is a schedule that Illinois can feast on.

The Illinois basketball NET Rankings only continue to get stronger after Sunday’s huge win

The NCAA tournament takes the NET Rankings into account when seeding programs. The better the record against Quad 1 teams, the better chance for a No. 1 seed come March.

After the win over Nebraska, Illinois now sits at 7-3 overall against Quad 1 programs. Only three other teams in college basketball have more Quad 1 wins – Michigan, Duke, and Arizona.

Beyond those three programs, Illinois can make the claim for a top seed: 11 wins in a row, and victories over two top-five programs. That is a resume that the Illini can hold up high when all the dust settles. There is still more work to do, though. Let’s finish this thing strong.

Illinois special teams coordinator Robby Discher is reportedly heading to Columbus.

CBS Sports reported Saturday that Discher will take over the same position for Ryan Day’s staff at Ohio State.

Discher’s career has taken him to Tulane, Georgia and Louisiana before Illinois, where he arrived in 2023.

Over the last two seasons, Illinois’ special teams unit ranked No. 16 and No. 30 in the nation by ESPN’s efficiency metric.

No word on who will take over on Bret Bielema’s staff, but it appears it’s the only coordinator spot he will have to fill this offseason, as Aaron Henry and Barry Lunney Jr. have stayed put so far.

The Illinois Department of Labor filed a complaint against Gino and Marty’s in which it says the now-shuttered restaurant owes its former employees more than $20,000 for unpaid or underpaid wages.

The complaint, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, names the restaurant’s management company, White Glove Service and Management LLC, and several individual owners and managers. The Fulton Market restaurant closed last summer after opening in 2022.

Between December 2023 and August 2025, at least nine employees weren’t paid their tips or gratuities, and others were paid at a rate below the minimum wage, according to the state labor agency, which says they’re owed more than $20,000 in unpaid wages. The agency said it is pursuing other damages that could be owed under state law.

“Illinois law is clear: workers must be paid fully, fairly and on time,” Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan said.