Illinois men’s basketball head coach Bruce Weber said Saturday’s game at Minnesota is the breaking point of the season.

With 11 games left for the Illini and three losses in the
conference, Weber said this is the time teams start to break away.

“I think for everybody, the whole league, you’re about midway here and you got all these teams jumbled up in the middle. Can you make a spurt and jump on to that front part of the pack?” Weber said.

Every team in the Big Ten has at least two losses, three are tied for first place, while three others are tied for sixth, as Illinois stands alone in fifth place. Illinois (15-5, 4-3 Big Ten) faces a Minnesota team it has already defeated in the first conference game of the season.

Despite the Illini’s double-overtime win over Minnesota (15-6, 3-5)on Dec. 27, the Gophers have won three out of their last four, including a win at then-No. 7 Indiana.

“(Minnesota) had a couple losses early in the season, one against us. … They’re playing well; they’ve got some guys that can do some things,” sophomore Meyers Leonard said. “So, it’s going to be a tough game, especially on the road, but I think if we execute and play hard and play as a team, we’ll be all right.”

With five days off since their last game, a loss to Wisconsin at home, the Illini took advantage of the bye week and put the effort in practice. Weber said the focus has been playing tougher and being more consistent.

“We got to play harder, we got to get the loose ball, we got to get the 50-50 balls,” Weber said. “You got to make your own breaks and I think that’s the biggest thing that’s got to happen.”
In its last game against Minnesota, Illinois had 21 turnovers and shot just 33 percent from 3-point range.

“I’m hoping we play better than the last time, I mean obviously they’re a good team, but I don’t think we should have gone to overtime with them,” junior Brandon Paul said. “We’ve got to come out and compete all 40 minutes.”

To play hard the whole game, Illinois may go to its bench more on Saturday. Weber said he plans to get freshmen Nnanna Egwu and Myke
Henry more playing time.

Sam Maniscalco, who has made a slow return from his ankle injury, may also receive more playing time. Weber said Maniscalco looks to have his rhythm back and had his two best practices of the season this past week.

However, Weber said it seems a lot of the guys have been banged up and receiving more ice treatments over the past couple games, necessitating mental toughness.

“You have to have the will to win,” Weber said. “I’m sure Draymond Green (of Michigan State) probably has ice bags, too, but he goes and makes plays and is determined to win. Those kind of efforts, determined efforts, make a difference between winning and losing.”

And if the Illini wants to get the win, Weber said they need to attack the Gophers from the start, take care of the ball and have consistent play for the whole game.

“We have to have great toughness when we go to Minnesota,” Weber said. “It’ll be one of our better ball games. I think Minnesota is very solid … it’s a huge game for us.”