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?

Here's what to know about Duke basketball's neutral-site, non-conference game against Illinois, Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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.