CHAMPAIGN – Giorgi Bezhanishvili is known for riding his bicycle across the massive University of Illinois campus. But when the cold wind blows, he parks the thing, sticking to the simplest form of moving through town.

He walks.

That provides a chance for Illini basketball fans a chance to catch up with him. These days, that’s a more enjoyable interaction.

“People show love,’’ Bezhanishvili said. “They want to take pictures. Some people just scream, Let’s go. It’s always love, great energy from the students and all the people.’’

As No. 19 Illinois climbed into the Top 25 and raced up the Big Ten Conference standings with a six-game winning streak, the Illini bandwagon became crowded. Suddenly, seats are harder to find. Fans who were lost in the decade through the regimes of Bruce Weber and John Groce and the first two years under Brad Underwood -- remember the school record with 21 losses in a single season last year – are jumping back on board.

The Illinois athletic department announced the game against Indiana is already sold out, and ticket sales are brisk for the other five remaining home games. The showdown against Maryland on Feb. 7 is already close to sold out with less than 500 seats left.

There’s a demand for tickets, especially the good ones, not seen here since perhaps the first year under Groce when he had Weber’s leftover talent and the opportunity to play into the NCAA Tournament.

Illini basketball is fun again. The secondary market is getting more active, and the Illini are noticing students and fans are getting excited. When Illinois hosts Minnesota Thursday night, expect a different kind of State Farm Center, because the Illini have been busy making new friends.

“It’s been really crazy,’’ said Illini guard Trent Frazier. “Everyone is bum-rushing us when they see us in public. Now everyone wants to be seen with us.’’

While a packed house is another piece to rebuilding the program, it’s also another challenge. While it’s great to have a strong home-court advantage, it’s also another hurdle for a young Illini team that’s not very experienced the level of admiration Illini teams received from, say, a decade ago.

Remember those years when the Illini sold out Assembly Hall in season tickets? What about the Orange Krush lined up to get inside hours before game time despite the freezing weather? This was the franchise for much of central Illinois for decades, the reason to skip wintering in Florida, and snagging a good ticket often meant knowing somebody and/or opening up the wallet.

These Illini haven’t reached those levels, but this is the most excitement seen since the renovation of The Hall and renaming it to State Farm Center. In the days of BTN and flat-screen TVs, this is the first big ticket rush for the Illini since Brandon Paul, an upset of top-ranked Indiana and the last NCAA berth in 2013.

“We have to stay focused, not pay attention to that,’’ Frazier said. “We have to stay the same thing.’’

Those empty seats and disappearing fans? That’s a thing of the past, and the Illini say there’s no hard feelings.

“I’m grateful,’’ said Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu, whose been busing closing out wins over the last two or three weeks. “I don’t look at it like that. I know what I can do. I put in a lot of work in the gym. I know that work will show. People show love. I will always cherish it. It can be taken away at any given time, like the situation with Kobe.

“I try to have that positive mindset at all times. I’m not trying to be negative. I always show them love. It’s basketball. It’s a gift from God.’’

And it’s no time to let up, Dosunmu said.

“We’ve not come this far to get this far,’’ he said. “We have so much more to accomplish, so many more things to look forward to. We want to keep getting better and better. That starts tomorrow with Minnesota.’’

Illinois’ winning streak is the longest currently in the Big Ten and the longest in conference play by the Illini in 15 years, when the Dee and Deron Show racked up 25 straight from 2004 through most of 2005. Illinois opened Big Ten with four home wins for the first time since 2009, when the Illini won their first six games at home.

Why is there a line at the ticket office? The Illini are tied with West Virginia for the largest turnaround this season among the six major conferences at plus 9.5.

Fifteen years ago today, the Illini roared past Minnesota for a 89-66 victory as the school celebrated 100 years of varsity basketball. The Illini wore Flyin’ Illini throwback uniforms. Life was so good.

These Illini haven’t reached that point yet, but wins on the road in Madison, Wis.; West Lafayette, Ind.; and Ann Arbor (Illini fans know all about her) created a buzz and made these home games more interesting by sliding the Illini into a first-place tie in the Big Ten. This will be the loudest The Farm has heard Illini fans.

Dust off those club seats. Stock the luxury suites.

“We have great fans,’’ Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “They show up. The more energy they provide and the louder the better. I’m a big noise guy. I love it. Loud moves people and excites people. If it’s not a sellout (against Minnesota), it will be very, very close to it.’’

The challenge is handling prosperity as much as stopping Daniel Oturu and Marcus Carr, Minnesota’s top two players and two of the best five in the Big Ten, Underwood said, because folks who were afraid to jump in with two feet before the last six games have been buying up the tickets.

Having fun yet?