Feb. 15--After a victory that was as emotional as it was exhausting, Illinois coach John Groce compared his team's efforts to that of Seabiscuit's valiant match-race upset of War Admiral in 1938.
"It was his heart," Groce said Thursday after beating Michigan in overtime. "We played with a lot of heart."
He was emphasizing the importance of desire over skill, and it's clear Illinois is the dark horse against the front-running Badgers.
Illinois (17-8, 7-5 Big Ten) has gained speed the last two weeks, winning four straight games and welcoming back leading scorer Rayvonte Rice from injury and suspension.
But they have not faced a team as dominant as the No. 5 Badgers (22-2, 10-1), who hold a three-game lead in the conference. The Illini have won three times in the last nine trips to Wisconsin, which is actually a positive record for a team that protects home court like the Badgers, but they haven't won there since 2010.
Like they did in their victory over Michigan, a sellout at home, Groce said the players need to play with the right blend of emotion and focus.
"You have to find that balance," he said. "You want to be aggressive and attack. You want to play with emotion but not play emotional. We certainly don't need hero ball. We need team ball."
The Badgers have not lost since Jan. 11 at Rutgers without the services of star forward Frank Kaminsky.
The Illini haven't faced anyone like him. The 7-footer and Wooden Award finalist averages 18.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in Big Ten play with a league-best nine double-doubles.
Guarding him, Groce said, is "really difficult. He's a mismatch nightmare. He can dribble, pass and shoot. He can score on all three levels of the court. He plays to win. He affects the defensive end with his length and size."
There's no denying Illinois is peaking. A victory at Wisconsin could all but assure them to bounce off the NCAA tournament bubble and into the sure-thing category of contention.
The Illini's four-game winning streak is their longest in conference play since winning five straight in 2013, Groce's first season when they made the tournament.
Illinois players cautiously say they can feel themselves building toward that.
"We do have a main goal and a main cause," senior center Nnanna Egwu said. "We put ourselves in a really good position. But at the end of the day, we have to look at it like we have six more games left."
But with each victory, they add to the chances of a longer season.
sryan@tribpub.com
