If MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo had to choose, there’s no doubt he would single out the last choice in reference to the Spartans’ 9 p.m. matchup tonight against Illinois at Breslin Center.

“This is not a 2-6 basketball team,” Izzo said at his Monday press conference of the Illinois team (10-11 overall, 2-6 Big Ten). “This is a way better team than their record (shows).”

Izzo said if you take away the Fighting Illini’s injuries, suspensions and poor free-throw shooting, this team could be near the top of the conference.

But what Izzo said he isn’t concerned about is his squad’s mentality towards Weber’s program — as the No. 8 Spartans (18-2, 6-1) hold a deep respect for Illinois and its accomplishments in recent years.

“They aren’t just going to come in here and roll over,” senior guard Drew Neitzel said. “They’re going to fight, so we’re going to have to take care of business.”

Something the Spartans will see for the first time in a while is an extremely strong force in the post — in Illinois’ Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle, who average a combined 23 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.

It’s good news for junior center Idong Ibok and redshirt freshman Tom Herzog, who Izzo said would definitely go in to bump the big guys around a bit, along with junior center Goran Suton, senior center Drew Naymick and junior forward Marquise Gray.

“I feel like we have a good chance in that matchup,” Gray said. “Nothing will be given — so the big guys will have to work for it.”

The Spartans rank first in Big Ten rebounding at 39.5 per game while Illinois is right on the team’s tail — ranked third with 37.9.

With the game shifting to more of a big-man battle royal, freshman guard Kalin Lucas realizes what the Green and White need to do to exploit the Fighting Illini’s weaknesses.

“They got big men — and when (we) get rebounds, we got to push the ball up the court,” Lucas said. “I think we can run ‘em. That’s one of (our) emphases.”

If MSU defeats Illinois, extending its record to 19-2 overall, it will be the best start in 109 years of Spartans’ basketball.

But Neitzel isn’t concerned about that right now.

“I don’t know anything about that,” he said. “I’m not that superstitious.”