CHAMPAIGN – There was a night in December when Stephen Bardo, like some of the rest of us, didn’t know what to think about Illini basketball.

Bardo makes a living as a college basketball broadcaster, calling it like he sees it, but he’s still a Flyin’ Illini guard and a graduate of the University of Illinois. He’s no apologist, so Bardo had a tough time choking down the huge deficit and loss to Miami, no matter the hard-charging rally.

A team with great expectations was stuck on the launching pad.

A little more than a month later, Illinois is one a roll as the hottest team in the Big Ten Conference. With road wins over Wisconsin and Purdue and the ability to defend the home court, Illinois is playing its best ball in a decade.

“It’s unusual to see a team like Illinois come together the way they have,’’ Bardo said. “When I take the analyst hat off and I think as a proud alum and former player, the taste in my mouth being down 27 at home to Miami . . . that one was hard to shake off. Since then, they stubbed their toe against Missouri, but after that, they’ve been trending up the whole time.

“Consider the fact they had Maryland beat. If they close out that game, they’re tied for first.’’

The coming out party came in the quick two-game swing with wins over the Badgers and rugged Rutgers earlier this month. But when No. 21 Illinois (14-5, 6-2) manhandled Purdue for the second time this season and ended the Boilers’ 15-game conference home-court winning streak with a dominant 79-62 win Tuesday, Illinois is a bonafide conference title contender.

“For sure, with the way they’re playing now,’’ Bardo said. “If they don’t have any injuries or anything crazy, I could see them at the top of the Big Ten.

“We are just eight weeks shy from Selection Sunday. A lot can do into it. The conference is brutal. Good teams can have three-game losing streaks. Right now, the Illini are poised as much as anyone else, including Michigan State, for the Big Ten title.’’

A pair of upstarts have Bardo’s attention along with the Spartans. Illinois and Rutgers have been found toward the bottom of the Big Ten standings in recent years, but they’re playing like two of the best this season.

In the mayhem of this Big Ten season, home teams are 43-9. Discarding Northwetern’s three home losses and two more by Nebraska, only Illinois and Wisconsin have won on the road. Like the Illini, the Badgers have two impressive road wins (Penn State and Ohio State).

“When you look at what Illinois has done, no one has beaten Purdue as soundly as Illinois has done twice,’’ Bardo said. “No one has gone in Mackey Arena and done that. Rutgers has a wonderful opportunity tonight. If they could get that win, that would set Illinois and Rutgers apart.’’

So Bardo was excited to see Rutgers’ chances against Iowa tonight in Iowa City. He already saw the Illini make a statement in the Wisconsin and Rutgers back-to-back.

“I thought they were for real when they beat Rutgers at home,’’ he said. “I knew that was going to be a tough game. They were able to find a way to win. Couple the Rutgers win with the Wisconsin victory on the road, that’s what caught my attention.

“The way they statistically dominated Purdue, that’s what caught my attention last night.’’

Perhaps that loss to Miami was the slap in the face, the wake-up call for a program with a bunch of youngsters serving as the stars. Sure, guard Trent Frazier is a junior, but Ayo Dosunmu and Giorgi Bezhanishvili are sophomores and Kofi Cockburn is a freshman, even if he’s a man among boys.

“This team had to come to grips with who they are,’’ Bardo said. “I tip my hat to Giorgi. There aren’t a lot of players that would accept a change in roles the way he did. For Trent Frazier, it took time to adjust to Kofi’s presence. He was really struggling. Sometimes when you have a loss and you have a players-only meeting, things get aired out. I’m not saying that happened, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Roles got established, and people accepted their roles.’’

Illinois won road games against Wisconsin and Purdue in the same season for the first time since 2004-05, when the Illini won the Big Ten and reached the national championship game. Illinois is off to its best Big Ten start since 2006, and the Illini’s five-game winning streak is the longest active in the Big Ten.

The key player in all of it is Ayo Dosunmu, who knows how to finish.

“He’s been the most consistent player all year,’’ Bardo said. “He’s developed himself into one of the best closers in the Big Ten. When I think you have a guy like that who is a perimeter player who can dominate, put it in his hands and close the game, that gives you a really big advantage.’’

For the moment, Illinois is No. 22 in the KenPom ratings with a string of Quad 1 opportunities upcoming, and there’s some concern among a portion of Illini fans about the roster moving forward next season. That’s no different for the Illini than any other team in the country, considering the transfer rate and players jumping to the pro leagues, Bardo said.

“That can be said for any team in college basketball with the fluid nature of the game,’’ Bardo said. “For various reasons, when you have an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.’’

Next year looks like this year for the Illini.

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