The ninth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini will square off against eighth-seeded Iowa in first round action of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  The winner of that game will take on top-seed Michigan State on Friday.  Illinois lost eight of its last nine games to finish the regular season at 17-and-14 overall and 6-and-12 in the Big Ten.  They suffered a 70-56 setback to then-15th-ranked Wisconsin on Sunday.  The Illini beat Iowa in the two team's lone meeting this season.