Bruce Weber's Illini have a tall task staring them in the face on Tuesday night.    Trying to beat a Bo Ryan coached team in the pristine Kohl Center in Madison.

It just doesnt happen very often.  In fact...since Bo Ryan came on board to coach the Badgers nearly 9 years ago....the Badgers have gone 133-10 on their home court....and are 65-5 in Big Ten play in front of the "Grateful Red".

It is interesting to note that 2 of those 5 Big Ten losses have come at the hands of the Illini.  The 2004-05 Final 4 Illini ended a Badger 38-game homecourt winning streak nearly 5 years ago.  Dee Brown and James Augustine helped lead the Illini to another win the following year.

The other home losses for the Badgers have come at the hands of Bruce Weber protege..... Matt Painter of Purdue.  The other win at the Kohl Center for a Big Ten team belongs to  Tubby Smith and Minnesota.

The Badgers have another long homecourt winning streak going again heading into Tuesday night.....this time the streak is up to 18 straight. 

The Illini have matched their longest winning streak of the year at 4 straight wins....and are coming off of the emotional high of the ESPN Gameday experience and the huge win over #5 ranked Michigan State. 

Demetri McCamey is coming off of a Deron Williams- type performance against the Spartans (22 points/ 11 assists) and over the last 4 games has shown the type of leadership that Bruce Weber was looking for earlier this season.  He will need an equally impressive effort on Tuesday night. 

Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson and Tyler Griffey continue their daily improvement....and Mike Davis seems to have his shooting stroke back.  All hands will need to be on deck if the Illini are to pull the upset in Madison.

The overall series between the Illini and the Badgers is lopsided in the Illini's favor 107-74...with the Illini going 20-1 against the Badgers between 1979 and 1989.  But the Badgers have had the upper hand recently...... having won 6 of the last 7 against Illinois. 

Illinois has knocked off Wisconsin before in Madison.  Bruce Weber is asking this team  daily if they are "contenders" or "pretenders".  The Illini took a big step in the right direction with the emotional win over the Spartans. 

They can really grab everyone's attention with a win in a building where it is next to impossible to come out with a victor's smile. 

But they have done this before.

Talk to you Tuesday night on the Illini Sports Network from Madison.