Might as well just get this out of the way now. Today's game is an important one for Illinois. Beat Penn State — get a little redemption against the Nittany Lions — and the Illini will get a first round bye in the Big Ten tournament. Lose and it's another Wednesday start.
From a purely basketball standpoint, the potential Wednesday matchups (Nebraska and Northwestern) are better for Illinois. The Illini can be fairly confident about their chances in those games.
But perception matters. Another year in what's essentially a play-in game isn't ideal — particularly after that four-game winning streak in February where the fan base started feeling better about the direction of the program — probably wouldn't sit well.