Unbeaten Illinois heads into a difficult stretch

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois, No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week, heads into perhaps the most challenging section of its schedule Thursday when 23rd-ranked Iowa visits Assembly Hall.

It's the first of a four-game stretch for the undefeated Illini that includes trips to No. 24 Wisconsin and No. 19 Michigan State over the next two weeks. A home game against Minnesota on Jan. 29 is between those games.

"The next three weeks is a big stretch if we're going to really compete for a Big Ten title," Illini coach Bruce Weber said Tuesday. "Right now, take care of the one in front of us. That's how I've got to approach it with them and not look too far ahead."

Illinois players insist they don't look down the schedule. Deron Williams said Tuesday he didn't know three Top 25 opponents were ahead until a reporter asked about it.

"We've got Iowa next," he said. "We worry about that. After that, it's Wisconsin."

That philosophy has worked well so far. Illinois' 18-0 start is the best in school history and the Illini have won a school-record eight straight Big Ten road games.

They have held the lead for 93 percent of the minutes played this season and are first in the Big Ten in assists, turnover margin, field-goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.

"This is the best team in the league and somebody's got to prove it differently," said Iowa coach Steve Alford. "It's the team that everybody's shooting to get to."

The Hawkeyes (13-3, 1-2) lost their first two Big Ten games, to Michigan and Ohio State, before defeating Minnesota last weekend. Handing Illinois its first loss of the season may be critical to their chances for a Big Ten title.

"It's a huge game for Iowa," Weber said. "(After) losing to Michigan at home, they're trying to get one back. And we're No. 1, they're trying to build a resume for the NCAA Tournament."

Winning in Champaign will take an all-out effort on both ends of the court, Alford said.

"You look at a lot of teams and you can find weaknesses here or there," he said. "With Illinois, it's very different. They're very gifted talent-wise and they really guard you."

But Weber said Iowa's three guards -- Pierre Pierce, Jeff Horner and Adam Haluska -- match up well with Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown and will present a difficult test.

"They depend on their guards just as much as we do," Head said. "They're going to come out and give us their best shot and we know that. And we're going to go out and meet that challenge."

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