It's March! Let the Madness begin

The month of March starts off with a bang as Illinois hosts Michigan State (3 pm, CBS). It's senior day at Assembly Hall, which is a good sign for the Illini: they've won nine straight senior day games.

This is the game I've been waiting for: #1 vs. #2 in the Big Ten; #9 vs. #20 in the nation. This game will go a long way toward determining Big Ten tournament and NCAA tournament seeding, and will help fans get a better sense of how good Illinois really is. This won't be their first big game: they lost to Clemson by two in December, defeated Missouri by 16 a few weeks later, and lost a tough one at Michigan State in mid-January. They've also played well against Purdue, sweeping the season series.

According to ESPN.com, the Illini enter this match-up with the nation's second-ranked defense, allowing just 55.7 points per game. It's unlikely that Illinois can launch themselves to the regular season conference title, as the Spartans need just one win in their last three games to secure that honor, but Illinois is battling Purdue for second place, and would love to win their last two (@ Penn State, Thursday at 8) to maintain confidence heading into the conference tourney.

Should be a good one! Go Illini!