Star freshman Alijah Arenas, playing while sick, managed just eight points in 18 minutes as USC (18-8, 7-8 Big Ten) collapsed in front of their home crowd. The loss marked the first time USC has given up more than 100 points since 2019, dealing a blow to their NCAA tournament hopes.
Illinois (22-5, 13-3) dominated throughout, with Jacob Cofie leading USC with 14 points and Ezra Ausar adding 11. No other Trojan reached double digits as USC's tournament bubble status now hangs in the balance with five regular season games remaining.