A non-conference game in February doesn't happen very often in college basketball. However, Duke and Illinois may have started a new tradition.

Saturday's Illinois-Duke matchup in New York City was meant to be a priming of the pump, a get-ready non-conference interlude that would allow both teams to get a feel for an NCAA Tournament environment and competition.

The final Saturday of February is here and the stakes are high for college basketball teams as they battle for their NCAA Tournament positions, jockey for conference title hopes and try and climb their way up the projected seeding prjections for March Madness.