After its third worst shooting performance of the season in a 55-49 loss to Northwestern, the Penn State men's basketball team can probably think of a few teams it would rather play this week than No. 16 Illinois (19-7, 8-5).

However, the Nittany Lions (7-17, 3-10 Big Ten) will have to bounce back deal with the highest ranked team in the conference at their home court, Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill., tonight at 8.

The Fighting Illini have not quite lived up to their No. 3 preseason ranking, but they are starting to get their season back together. After a three-game winless stretch in which they were pummeled by Indiana 88-57, the Illini have reeled off four straight victories including three road wins.

"I believe that our team is playing better," Illinois men's basketball coach Bill Self said. "We're playing with a lot more confidence. We had a good week last week. Hopefully we've drawn some confidence by winning away from home. Certainly you have to do that to have a good year in our league."

The Illini's home dominance hasn't subsided much. They are 11-1 this season, and 36-2 in the past three seasons at Assembly Hall.

"They've done an outstanding job of protecting their home court," Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said. "In the past that's been one of the tougher places to play."

The Illini suffered early in season largely because of injuries to forwards Lucas Johnson and Damir Krupalija and a performance by point guard Frank Williams that has not met up to expectations.

Williams is averaging 16.7 points per game thus far and 4.0 assists, but his overall play has fallen short of his Big Ten Player of the Year performance last season. He has started to come around, scoring 22 points last Tuesday in a 63-61 win at Michigan State. However, Self knows that if Williams had performed to his capability all season, the Illini would've come closer to the lofty expectations they were faced with.

"I'm not being critical of anybody on our team," Self said on the Big Ten teleconference last week. "Because ultimately the responsibility falls on me, but Frank obviously hasn't had the type of year he had last year. It's been well stated that we kind of go as Frank goes. I think when Frank plays more to his capability you'll see us play much better as a unit."

The Illini also have a few other players that are on and off, most notably forward Brian Cook, who is notorious for looking like an NBA prospect one game and shaky the next. He is coming off a 23-point, 15-rebound showing in a 75-65 win over Seton Hall Saturday. He is averaging 12.8 points per game this season.

The Lions will once again have to show resolve after a loss. They have three regular season games left to fight through before the Big Ten tournament. Though the Lions have done well in handling the losses, they want to make it known that they are not passively accepting defeat.

"We've been so close so many times," sophomore guard Sharif Chambliss said. "We need to work that much harder, and cut down on the little things to make the overall picture better. After a game everyone's down, but they know what they need to do, and that it was a learning experience. It's not accepting."