Illinois is an elite defensive team. That can take them far.

After a three-week stretch of buy games and an extended holiday break, the Illini finally got tested again.

Unlike against Marquette, they passed this one with flying colors. The building formerly known as “The RAC” has become a bit of a house of horrors for opposing Big Ten teams in recent years — including Illinois (0-3 in its last three coming in) — but this year’s Illini squad had no trouble at all on Saturday.

So, how were the Illini able to handle Rutgers so easily? It starts on the defensive end, where this group is proving to be a force.

Illinois held Rutgers to a sparkling 0.829 points per possession mark. The beginning of each half set the tone for the contest. The Scarlet Knights scored:

• 4 points in the game’s first 8 minutes
• 6 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half

Both stretches coincided with extended Illinois scoring runs that ensured the result of the game was never truly in doubt from the opening tip.

The biggest reason for the…