Northwestern hopes to recharge in visit to surging No. 5 Illinois

Surging Illinois enters Wednesday's visit from in-state rival Northwestern with a No. 5 ranking, an 11-game win streak and plenty of confidence.

The Fighting Illini (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten) vaulted into a tie atop the conference with No. 2 Michigan after rallying to win at then-No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday. It was Illinois' second victory against a top five foe in the past nine days, adding to an 88-82 win over then-No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24.

"I think we showed that we are a really good team...