REPORT: Illinois to host non-conference game against Central Michigan in December

According to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, the Illinois Fighting Illini will play a non-conference game against the Central Michigan Chippewas on December 10. The contest will be played at the State Farm Center.

Illinois will host Central Michigan on December 10th, source told @CBSSports.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 3, 2016

Central Michigan went 17-16 (10-8) while placing second in the MAC's West Division (apparently some conferences do that for basketball?). The Chippewas were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament after an upset at the hands of Bowling Green. The program went on to play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round by Tennessee-Martin. Central Michigan finished the year at No. 156 in the KenPom rankings.

Looking ahead to next season, three of Central Michigan's 2015-16 starters have graduated so they'll be looking to replace quite a bit of production. Soon-to-be senior guard Braylon Rayson averaged 16.3 points per game last season, and be the team's leading returning scorer.

In addition to this game against Central Michigan, Illinois has also scheduled the following games/events as part of their 2016-17 non-conference schedule.

• NIT Season Tip-Off (Illinois, Florida State, Temple, West Virginia)
• Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Illinois vs. N.C. State)
• Illinois vs. VCU (neutral site game; Miami, FL)
• Chicago Legends doubleheader (Illinois vs. BYU)
• Braggin' Rights Game (Illinois vs. Missouri)