Saturday's game against Duke was, on paper, a great idea for Illinois. It was a rare opportunity to play in Madison Square Garden against the biggest brand in college basketball. Who could pass that up?

Seven different Blue Devils finished in double-digits as Duke impressed the Madison Square Garden crowd in a win over Illinois

On Saturday night, college basketball will be treated to something that was commonplace for decades but has become the exception to the rule over the past 15-or-so years: a marquee February nonconference game between two high-major programs.