The Illini core know that it’s possible, they have done it before. To escape the log-jam atop the Big Ten Conference, Illinois figures it will have to run the table, a daunting feat for Bruce’s new crew. But the trophy from the not-so-distant past proves hope is not in vain.

Illinois looked much-improved Sunday afternoon, much different then the mediocre showings from weeks past. Illinois finished off Indiana 70-58, but in doing so woke up some of the beliefs that a third consecutive Big Ten title is on its way to Champaign. Two years ago, Illinois was facing an uphill battle in Weber’s first year. The relatively inexperienced team grew up along the way and rewarded Illinois with its first outright Big Ten Title in eons.

“Paint the Hall Orange” woke up the electricity that had once fueled the Illinois program prior to a home loss to Penn State.

“The loss at home to Penn State hurt us,” head coach Bruce Weber said. “First off we would be in first place, and the feeling would be a lot different. But maybe that loss helped us, they’re listening a lot better.”

Not only is the team listening a lot better, but it looks hungrier. For a couple games it lost its tenacity, but after watching film and probably feeling a tad bit ashamed, the squad is back with fire. Not only do I want a copy of the Randle-over-Killingsworth poster, but Dee Brown slapping the floor with five minutes to go underlined the theory that the Illini will not be outworked again.

“That’s why we have four losses,” Brown said. “For four games we didn’t fight, we didn’t play Illinois basketball with intensity.”

If you figure that the home fluke to the Nittany Lions counts, Illinois is right where it could ask to be. If you offered Weber in December the chance to put his squad at 8-4 and heading into the final two weeks of the conference controlling his own destiny, he would have taken it. Especially when the prospect of maybe starting to peak becomes a factor.

All you have to do is watch the two games against Indiana. The current Hoosiers are not the same team from earlier in the season – they hit their stride in January forgetting that it’s actually March Madness.

The difference in Indiana is mainly confidence, but the difference in Illinois’ X’s and O’s game is extreme. Since the two-point loss in Bloomington, the Illini have learned a couple things.

They have started to run the motion without playing bumper cars.

They have started to get great production out of their bench.

And they are starting to put pressure on the opposing defense by using dribble penetration and getting the ball inside.

The good news for the Illini and bad news for the rest of the conference’s top half is that while Illinois is good enough to easily beat a good team like Indiana it still looks like it has room for growth. Mike Davis said that from a different standpoint, his Hoosiers’ 12-point loss could have easily been a 25-point loss. That’s the difference between where Illinois is now and where it could possibly be.

The Illini sport two All-American caliber seniors and a horde of budding stars – firepower is not an issue. In order to continue improving, Illinois’ mental toughness will be challenged.

“We keep taking steps to being really good,” Weber said. “Today if we hit a couple threes or have a few less turnovers; we blow them out and say, ‘Hey we’re pretty good.'”

Once again Illinois is facing an uphill battle to attain its goals, but it’s a short trip to the trophy case to be reminded of the feeling and than an even shorter trip into the gym to work on getting it done.

Ian Gold is a senior in Communications. He can be reached [email protected].