Rutgers plays host to Illinois in Big Ten men's basketball action, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Piscataway, N.J.

The Scarlet Knights have two of the nation's top prospects in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, and they seemed destined to contend for the Big Ten. Well, things haven't really gone to plan for Rutgers so far this year as they came into Wednesday night's game against #23 Illinois at 11-11 overall and 4-7 in Big Ten play.

Kicking off their week on the East Coast, the Illini are set to take on Rutgers (11-11, 4-7 Big Ten), which has lost three of its past four and may again be without the services of freshman guard Dylan Harper (ankle sprain).

Illinois' Freshman Duo Will Riley and Morez Johnson Jr. were keys in the win over the Buckeyes. Riley came off the bench to score a team high 24 points and Johnson Jr. posted his third double-double of the year with 14 points and a season high 15 rebounds.

With the win, Rutgers is now 12-11 overall on the season and 5-7 in Big Ten play. They will look to start a winning streak on Sunday as they hit the road to take on Maryland, who is playing well right now. That one won't be easy, and they will once again need big games from Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.