PISCATWAY, N.J. – No. 24 Rutgers men's basketball is back on the road for another tough matchup at Illinois. The game airs on FS1, with Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo on the call.
 
THE SERIES

Rutgers and Illinois have met 14 times. RU has won just four times. However, Rutgers has won three of the past five games in the series, with those all being in Piscataway.
 
The last meeting came as RU downed No. 12 Illinois, capping a streak of four consecutive wins over ranked opponents. Cliff Omoruyi had a double-double in that game with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
 
RU is looking for its first win at the State Farm Center. The last trip to Champaign resulted in a resounding 86-51 win for the Illini.
 
WITH A WIN

A victory at Illinois would represent:
- An 11-4 mark in the past 15 games
- Ninth Big Ten win, the second most league wins of any team
- The first ever win at the State Farm Center would be the ninth different road venue that RU was won at in the Big Ten. RU also has not won at Michigan, Michigan State or Ohio State since joining the league. 
 
Over the past two seasons, RU is 5-10 on the road in Big Ten play and has eight Big Ten road wins in the past three seasons. Prior to that, RU won just five Big Ten road games in the first five seasons as a league member.
 
ABOUT RUTGERS

Rutgers has been propelled by an outstanding defense. The Scarlet Knights are 16-1 when holding its opponent to 65 or fewer points and 8-0 when doing so in Big Ten games. Rutgers is 0-6 when allowing more than 65 points in Big Ten games this year. In conference games, RU is holding foes to 62.7 points per game.
 
Oskar Palmquist over the past three games has played 39 minutes and scored 21 points (8-of-13 and 6-of-9 from three-point).  He had just six points in 27 minutes prior to that.
 
RUTGERS LAST TIME OUT

Facing No. 18 Indiana at Assembly Hall, No. 24 RU battled to the end in a 66-60 loss, the first loss to Indiana in the past seven matchups. RU battled back from a 14-point deficit to tie but were outlasted by the Hoosiers.
 
ABOUT ILLINOIS

Illinois comes into the matchup at 16-7, 7-5 in the Big Ten. They are 7-2 in their past nine games and haven't played since last weekend with a postponement of their midweek game against Minnesota. The Illini are fourth nationally in blocks (5.9 bpg) and are second in the Big Ten in rebounds and third in the league in three-pointers.
 
Terrance Shannon Jr. was named a Top-10 candidate for the Jerry West Award. He ranks seventh in Big Ten in scoring at 17.0 ppg and is one of only two power conference players averaging at least 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal on the season. Baylor transfer and former All-Big 12 selection Matthew Mayer is at 11.9 points per game.
 
MILESTONE WATCH

Cliff Omoruyi enters the game with 103 carer blocks. He is one away from tying and two away from passing JR Inman for 10^th all-time at RU.
 
Cam Spencer has 57 steals on the season. On RU's single-season list, he is one away from 9^th, two away from eighth and five from sixth.