Shaun Pruitt’s mind started churning following Sunday’s 70-37 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats, during which the Illini overpowered an athletically deprived, small and offensively challenged team.

The big man, playing for the first time following Tuesday’s suspension, slapped the team’s dreams of competing for the Big Ten crown into the forefront of minds, citing the Illini’s domination as one reason to look out for them the rest of the season. In other words: It’s OK to pay attention from here on out.

“I think winning the Big Ten Tournament is our ultimate goal,” Pruitt said. “It’s not looking as great as it should be to the NCAA committee (right now).

“We’ve shown we can lose to anybody. But we can beat anybody.”

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber, who refused to call sitting Pruitt against Ohio State a “suspension,” echoed the sentiments of the big man.

“Who knows when you get to the Big Ten Tournament,” Weber said. “Maybe you’re the team that gets hot.”

Guard Trent Meacham caught fire and powered the Illini through a 27-8 run to start the second half, aided by the return of Pruitt. Meacham, who finished with 18 points in the game, sent a shock through the Illinois offense and dropped the bottom feeders of the Big Ten with a solid shooting display from long range. The team’s starting shooting guard followed his own three-pointer with 17 minutes left in the second half with a steal on the defensive end and a quick jumper that extended the Illinois lead to 16. He was 4-of-7 from the three and 7-of-10 overall in the game.

“It always helps when you knock down a few and get them to spread out,” Meacham said. “We got some easy buckets … (but) I think the key is to be aggressive.”

From there, all Northwestern could do was watch.

“We lost sight of Meacham a few times there,” Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody said. “The games I’ve seen, they defend pretty well and on the offense they do the right things.”

Freshman guard Demetri McCamey followed Meacham’s mini run with a three of his own, as the whole Illini guard rotation seemed to click, and Chester Frazier added a long bomb to put the Illini out of harm’s way for good. It was the Illini’s first victory in three games and starts a string of three home games in the next four. The Illini play at Michigan State on Wednesday night followed by home games against Purdue and Indiana.

The Illini’s defense, holding Northwestern to a season-low 37 points, continued its strong play. The Wildcats’ previous low had been 50 points against Wisconsin.

“I think we’re the best 9-10 team in the country,” Weber said. “We’re capable of playing with people, now we have to beat them consistently.

“We’ve got some huge games at home down the stretch.”

Pruitt’s return to action for the Illini got under way in the first half after the team’s leading scorer subbed in with 14:02 left. Freshman center Mike Tisdale started in his place.

Pruitt outmatched and bullied the Wildcats inside and capped a 12-0 run for the Illini seven minutes into the half with an easy layup over the Northwestern defense. Pruitt finished with nine points and three rebounds for the Illini in 17 minutes.

Tisdale added six points and three boards.

On consecutive trips up the floor in the first half, McCamey and Frazier found Rodney Alexander in midair for dunks over Northwestern big men. Alexander, coming off a career-high 20 point game against Ohio State, was received by chants of “Rodney” from the crowd after identical athletic plays gave the Illini an 18-5 lead.

The Wildcats finished the first half on a 13-7 run, led by the play of Chicago native Sterling Williams and Michael Thompson.

“We’re playing well on defense, making shots, lobbing them up to Rodney, and he’s catching them,” Meacham said. “We didn’t let up and that was key.”

To save the Illini season, Weber said the team needs to play well on every level, especially on the road, to have give the season life.

“We’ve got to find a way to get a victory on the road maybe when we’re not supposed to,” Weber said. “It’s not going to be easy.”