During a banquet the night before the Gonzaga game, John Wooden had words of wisdom for the No. 4 Illini. The legendary coach advised the Illini to make every day their own masterpiece.

By all accounts, the Illini applied “The Wizard’s” quote and made their game the next day into a gem, beating Gonzaga 89-72. The nation is buzzing about the Wednesday night Illinois matchup against No. 1-ranked Wake Forest – so much so that Illini fans in Internet forums were afraid that the squad could wind up overlooking No. 24 Gonzaga, a team that has made its living off of surprising top-ranked teams.

During pre-game warm-ups, a usually loose Illini team seemed more business-like in its approach. After the win over Gonzaga, a game where the Illini went into halftime up 31 and led by as many as 38 before head coach Bruce Weber took out the starters, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few summed up the game quickly.

“We were thoroughly dominated in every phase of the game,” Few said. “And at times, it looked like we had no business being on the floor with that team.”

The Illini showed their hand early in the first half playing intense defense and doubling down on Gonzaga star Ronny Turiaf, resulting in 19 Zag turnovers and 29 points for the Illini.

One early Gonzaga turnover changed the tide of the game.

Dee Brown had broken away for an easy layup after a turnover when Zag guard Nathan Doudney intentionally fouled him and pushed him off the court during play. This ignited the Illini sparkplug, who was able to compose himself quickly enough to make his two free throws and lift his team’s energy level.

“He has improved his game so much since last year,” Weber said. “On a play where he penetrates and then kicks it out to someone for a three, he couldn’t do that last year.”

In the first half alone, Few ran through his entire defensive arsenal, man-to-man, match-up zone and straight zone. Nothing worked, and the hot-shooting Illini even admit they are now looking forward to seeing the zone, a defense which made them look juvenile in some games last season.

“When we see a zone now, our eyes light up,” Brown said.

The Illini’s three-headed monster of Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head combined for 57 points and 20 assists. Both Williams and Head finished with 20 to lead Illini scorers. But while Illinois’ quality guards were taking advantage of Gonzaga’s lack thereof, the Illini big men were shutting down the All-American candidate Turiaf. Turiaf, who was averaging 31 points per game coming in, finished with only 12.

“They have a great presence about them on the defensive side,” Turiaf said of the Illini. “Every time I touched the ball, I had two players on me and three looking right into my eyes.”

With around 5 minutes left in the game, random shouts came pouring down Conseco Fieldhouse. The shouts explained both the players’ and fans’ sentiments: “We want Wake.”

On Dec. 1, the Illini will play host to No. 1-ranked Wake Forest.

“Assembly Hall will be packed and rocking,” Williams said. “You have people you don’t even know asking you for tickets.”