Life on the NCAA Tournament bubble is never easy. This season, the Illini, who know all too well that their resume has some holes, could talk for hours on the subject. But it hasn’t always been that way. It’s been nearly a decade since Illinois hasn’t finished the regular season as one of the conference’s top teams.

The result: all of Illini Nation sitting on the edge of their chairs listening to the likes of Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps debate whether Illinois is in or out. I can’t say I know the answer as to whether Illinois will make its eighth-straight appearance in the Big Dance, but I do know Bruce Weber says he would like to spend a “few days” in Chicago. The city will play tournament host for the last time until at least 2013. After covering this team since September, I would like to think that the loss at Iowa on Saturday has left a sour taste in their mouths. Weber questioned the team’s emotion in Iowa City, and for the Illini to stay in Chicago for a few days, that’s what they are going to have to rely on.

They will have to put aside the feelings of nervousness and find a balance between playing not to lose and being careless. The team wore T-shirts over the weekend that spoke to the idea of “turning up the heat.” And after the season they have been through, now is the perfect time. They have weathered the injuries, the early season suspension to Rich McBride and the Jamar Smith/Brian Carlwell car crash that left the team stunned. It’s been a bumpy ride, but a win against Penn State on Thursday and against Indiana on Friday would ease feelings of frustration.

Today’s special section previews the Big Ten Tournament and the Daily Illini sports staff has worked to give you the most comprehensive coverage possible – including a look at the way Illinois is feeling heading into Thursday’s match-up with Penn State, how the rest of the field looks and what our writers think.

With the emotion that the season has brought, we’ve included some of the most telling photos that have been captured, the ones that go past the on-court action and focus on what the past seven months have been like. This season hasn’t been typical of Illinois basketball, but as Brian Randle says: “It’s a new season. It’s one and done, but this is everyone’s chance to get the automatic bid and really seal the deal in the record and the resume.”

Enjoy the special section.