Illinois lost to Rutgers on Wednesday night 70-59, so the Illini have now lost two of their last three games and dropped to 16th in the top 25 and 1 on CBS Sports Updated Thursday morning.
Now can we focus on Rutgers?
Yes, this slot is usually reserved for teams in the top 25 and 1. No, the Crimson Knights didn’t break into the top 25 and 1. But Rutgers, ranked or not, turns out to be one of the most exciting stories in college basketball. . Steve Pikiell’s team is headed for a big show for the 2022 NCAA Championship after starting the season 3-3 with no good wins and losses against UMass and Lafayette.
Rutgers now has six wins in the first quarter. that’s great. But the Scarlet Knights also suffered three losses outside of the first two quarters, including a loss in the fourth quarter. That’s too bad.
And all this is strange.
Literally no school in the country with at least three losses outside the first two quarters has more than three wins in the first quarter, except Rutgers. And once again, Rutgers has six Win room 1.
It’s the craziest autobiography in sports.
I’ll wait for the great Jerry Palm to reflect on whether the four-game winning streak, which included wins over Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Illinois, was enough to push Rutgers to Right side of the bubble Before, the Scarlet Knights would probably be called a large-scale team. But if they’re not there yet, they’re clearly getting closer. And now Sunday’s trip to Purdue is much bigger than anyone expected just two weeks ago.
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Top 25 and 1 ranking
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College basketball standings: Rutgers defends NCAA overall championship bid after beating Illinois