Iowa hadn't played in more than a week. For Illinois, the layoff had been even longer because of COVID-19 issues. So there was no guarantee the two Big Ten powers would put on a show Friday night when they met for the first time in a season in which both have legitimate aspirations tied to a trip to the Final Four.
But they did put on a show.
The Hawkeyes and Illini went back and forth for 40 minutes, traded big punches and performed well despite the long layoffs. Ultimately, Illinois won 80-75, even though it recorded 14 fewer field goal attempts than Iowa, thanks to the fact that Brad Underwood's team shot 50.0% from the field, including 42.1% from 3-point range, while taking advantage of the Hawkeyes' unreliable defense and Luka Garza's foul trouble.
"Great win against a great team," Underwood said. "That was a heck of a college basketball game."
Ayo Dosunmu led all scorers with 25 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-5 guard is now averaging a career-high 21.9 points, a career-high 6.1 rebounds, and a career-high 4.8 assists in 34.5 minutes per game. He's also shooting a career-high 41.8% from 3-point range on 3.4 attempts per contest.
The five-point victory improved Illinois to 8-5 inside the first two quadrants with zero additional losses. As a result, the Illini moved up from No. 17 to No 11 in Saturday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, which pushed Texas Tech, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas and Florida State down one spot each, no fault of their own. Illinois' next scheduled game is Tuesday at Indiana. Iowa's next scheduled game is Tuesday against Michigan State.
Itching for more college hoops analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast where we take you beyond the hardwood with insider information and instant reactions.
Saturday's Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gonzaga's perfect record includes double-digit victories over Iowa, Virginia and Kansas. The Zags have won their seven West Coast Conference games by an average of 25.9 points. | -- | 27-8 |
| 2 |  | Baylor's perfect record is highlighted by victories over Kansas, Texas Tech and Illinois. The Bears have won 13 of their 15 games by double-digits. | -- | 24-11 |
| 3 |  | Villanova is 2-0 with wins over Seton Hall and Providence since returning from a COVID-19 pause. The Wildcats will take an eight-game winning streak into Thursday's game at UConn. | -- | 18-16 |
| 4 |  | Michigan is 8-1 in the first two quadrants with double-digit wins over Minnesota, Wisconsin and Purdue. The Wolverines' lone loss came at Minnesota. | -- | 8-24 |
| 5 |  | Houston is 5-1 in the first two quadrants with a double-digit victory over Texas Tech. The Cougars will take a seven-game winning streak into Sunday's game with SMU. | -- | 32-5 |
| 6 |  | Texas was missing three of its top eight players, and coach Shaka Smart, in Tuesday's loss to Oklahoma because of COVID-19 issues. The Longhorns are 6-3 in the first two quadrants with all three losses coming in the first quadrant. | -- | 21-13 |
| 7 |  | West Virginia added a third Quadrant 1 win Monday via a final-minute victory over Texas Tech. All four of the Mountaineers' losses have come in the first quadrant. | 1 | 9-23 |
| 8 |  | Alabama's 10-game winning streak is highlighted by double-digit wins over Florida, Arkansas, LSU and Kentucky. The Crimson Tide is alone atop the SEC standings with a three-game lead in the loss column. | 1 | 25-12 |
| 9 |  | Virginia's seven-game winning streak is highlighted by double-digit wins over Syracuse and Clemson. The Cavaliers are alone atop the ACC standings with a one-game lead in the loss column over Florida State. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 10 |  | Ohio State is 5-1 in its past six games with victories over Wisconsin and Illinois. The Buckeyes will take a two-game winning streak into Sunday's game with Michigan State. | 1 | 22-14 |
| 11 |  | Illinois beat Iowa on Friday to improve to 8-5 inside the first two quadrants. Four of the Illini's five losses are considered Quadrant 1 defeats. | 6 | 29-9 |
| 12 |  | Iowa's loss at Illinois on Friday dropped the Hawkeyes to 6-4 in the first two quadrants. They'll take a two-game losing streak into Tuesday's game with Michigan State. | 5 | 19-15 |
| 13 |  | Texas Tech's resume is highlighted by a road win at Texas. Three of the Red Raiders' five losses are to teams ahead of them in the Top 25 And 1. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 14 |  | Missouri's body of work is highlighted by five Quadrant 1 wins - among them victories over Illinois, Tennessee and Oregon. The only team with more Quadrant 1 wins is Gonzaga. | 1 | 8-24 |
| 15 |  | Wisconsin is 8-4 in the first two quadrants with zero additional losses. The Badgers' resume is highlighted by victories over Minnesota, Louisville, and Loyola Chicago. | 1 | 22-14 |
| 16 |  | Kansas is 6-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Jayhawks are 5-4 in the Big 12 heading into Saturday's game at Tennessee. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 17 |  | Florida State's five-game winning streak includes victories over Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina. The Seminoles are 2-1 in Quadrant 1 opportunities. | 1 | 17-16 |
| 18 |  | Creighton's 3-1 record in Quadrant 1 opportunities is highlighted by wins over Seton Hall and UConn. The Bluejays will take a two-game winning streak into Saturday's game at DePaul. | -- | 25-10 |
| 19 |  | Tennessee has two Quadrant 1 victories -- specifically wins over Missouri and Colorado. All three of the Vols' losses have come inside the first quadrant. | -- | 27-9 |
| 20 |  | Oklahoma's four-game winning streak includes victories over Texas and Kansas. All four of the Sooners' losses have come inside the first quadrant. | -- | 20-12 |
| 21 |  | Minnesota is 4-4 in Quadrant 1 opportunities (with one loss outside of the first quadrant) after Saturday's loss to Maryland. The Golden Gophers are 1-3 in their past four games. | -- | 19-15 |
| 22 |  | UCLA's seven-game winning streak was snapped Saturday at Stanford. The Bruins remain atop the Pac-12 standings with an 8-1 league record. | -- | 16-17 |
| 23 |  | Clemson is 6-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of the first quadrant. The Tigers' resume is highlighted by victories over Alabama, Florida State, Purdue and Louisville. | -- | 24-12 |
| 24 |  | Purdue's body of work includes three Quadrant 1 wins - among them victories over Ohio State and Indiana. Five of the Boilermakers' six losses are inside the first quadrant. | -- | 34-5 |
| 25 |  | Louisville's 5-3 record in the first two quadrants includes victories over Duke, Virginia Tech, Pitt and Kentucky. Three of the Cardinals' four losses have come inside the first quadrant. | -- | 8-24 |
| 26 |  | North Carolina is 6-1 in its past seven games with victories over Syracuse, NC State and Pitt. The Tar Heels will take a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at Clemson. | -- | 29-8 |
