CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - New York, New York! Illinois Men's Basketball returns to Madison Square Garden for the third time in four years against #UConn.

Illinois pulled away in the second half to secure an 87-73 win over Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Monday. Guard Andrej Stojaković again led the Fighting Illini with 24 points in 31 minutes. The Illini made 50% of its field goals and scored 44 points in the paint against the Vaqueros. UConn is coming off a 72-49 home win over Bryant and is 5-1 on the year, with the lone loss coming to #2 Arizona on Nov. 19.

Illinois is facing UConn for the first time since the 2024 NCAA Elite 8, when the Huskies won 77-52, en route to a second straight national championship. The Illini are 5-14 in games against opponents ranked in the top five, according to

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