Playing one of the best teams in the country on the national stage didn’t turn out very well for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Duke Blue Devils had seven players score in double figures as they waltz past Illinois 110-67 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

With only three games left in what can only be described as a disappointing regular season, Illinois (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) has to relearn how to walk before it can run. For now, forget the NCAA Tournament. These Illini need to beat Iowa (15-12, 6-10) on Tuesday in Champaign (8 p.m. CT, on FS1). Everything else is window dressing.