The Illini will go for their seventh straight win Saturday at Champaign's State Farm Center in a matchup with a gritty Minnesota squad

Against Northwestern, Davis was once again a sparkplug for Illinois. He gave the program six points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes of action. This includes going 2-of-3 from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point range.

The Wildcats have Nick Martinelli, one of the best scoring players in the Big Ten and the nation. Illinois worked hard to deny him opportunities close to the basket. Jayden Reid provided scoring for NU. But, with 1:58 left, Tomislav Ivisic hit his second 3-pointer in a row to put Illinois up 10.

Northwestern entered the Welsh-Ryan Arena searching for its first Big Ten win at 0-6, facing a No. 13 Illinois team built on size, strength, and efficiency. The

It was a nightmare start for the Hawkeyes. The Fighting Illini led by as many as 18 points in the first half. It was ugly on both ends of the floor for the Hawkeyes. The sluggish start put Iowa in a huge early hole and forced them to play catch-up. Iowa never held the lead.

Underwood arrived at Illinois as a coach who built his reputation on havoc-style defense. His journey in Champaign to this point shows a full evolution of on-court style and creative recruiting solutions that suddenly feels like a prerequisite for any coach who hopes to have staying power in this era of college hoops.

The Illini closed out non-conference play in style, heading into the heart of Big Ten play on a high note – and social media was buzzing over it