The Illinois basketball team is about a month away from playing its first exhibition game.
It’s exciting to think that this time next month the Illini will play. It’s like it’s been years since we’ve seen this team on the field play against Houston. But, finally, Illinois fans get a chance to see the Orange and Blue go head-to-head.
While we wait for the start of the 2022-23 campaign, let’s take a look at the final schedule for the upcoming season. As of last Friday, each game officially has a time, date, and location.
Here are five key games for Illinois basketball’s 2022-23 season.
1. Illinois vs UCLA – Las Vegas, Nevada – Nov. 18 (Continental Tire main event)
There are always non-conference games that measure sticks for the Illinois basketball team. The first measuring stick game will be four games into the season against the UCLA Bruins.
The Big Ten’s potential future foe meets the Illini at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Continental Tire Main Event.
Last season, the Bruins spent most of the time in the top 10 nationally. The lowest they would drop would be at No. 17 in the country, but would ultimately end the 2021-22 campaign at No. 11.
UCLA would go 27-8 last season with wins over No. 4 Villanova, No. 3 Arizona, No. 16 USC and No. 18 USC. They would also enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed and move on. at the Sweet 16 to lose to No. 8 North Carolina.
That was quite the impressive run for the Bruins in 2021-22. Although the Bruins have lost some talent, they will likely be in the top 10 again, and having them on the program so early in the season will show the nation where Illinois is as a program.
Illinois has a few warm-up games ahead of UCLA, but if we can knock out the Bruins, we should be ranked somewhere in the top 25. Honestly, though, this game is a complete measuring stick. It will show our flaws and what we need to work on. It will be important.
The Illinois basketball team is about a month away from playing its first exhibition game.
It’s exciting to think that this time next month the Illini will play. It’s like it’s been years since we’ve seen this team on the field play against Houston. But, finally, Illinois fans get a chance to see the Orange and Blue go head-to-head.
While we wait for the start of the 2022-23 campaign, let’s take a look at the final schedule for the upcoming season. As of last Friday, each game officially has a time, date, and location.
Here are five key games for Illinois basketball’s 2022-23 season.
1. Illinois vs UCLA – Las Vegas, Nevada – Nov. 18 (Continental Tire main event)
There are always non-conference games that measure sticks for the Illinois basketball team. The first measuring stick game will be four games into the season against the UCLA Bruins.
The Big Ten’s potential future foe meets the Illini at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Continental Tire Main Event.
Last season, the Bruins spent most of the time in the top 10 nationally. The lowest they would drop would be at No. 17 in the country, but would ultimately end the 2021-22 campaign at No. 11.
UCLA would go 27-8 last season with wins over No. 4 Villanova, No. 3 Arizona, No. 16 USC and No. 18 USC. They would also enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed and move on. at the Sweet 16 to lose to No. 8 North Carolina.
That was quite the impressive run for the Bruins in 2021-22. Although the Bruins have lost some talent, they will likely be in the top 10 again, and having them on the program so early in the season will show the nation where Illinois is as a program.
Illinois has a few warm-up games ahead of UCLA, but if we can knock out the Bruins, we should be ranked somewhere in the top 25. Honestly, though, this game is a complete measuring stick. It will show our flaws and what we need to work on. It will be important.