The Champaign Room - All PostsA Fighting Illini community since 2012https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48193/tcr-fave.png2024-03-18T20:16:25-05:00http://www.thechampaignroom.com/rss/current/2024-03-18T20:16:25-05:002024-03-18T20:16:25-05:00Illinois elevates Thad Ward to assistant head coach
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<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 13 Purdue at Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1-G5FRoNiWLrIbv0SJtVMaqbeaQ=/0x2:3000x2002/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73216773/1052195810.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A promotion for the running backs coach. </p> <p id="rFvHji">Ahead of the start of spring practices on Tuesday, Illinois elevated Thad Ward to assistant head coach and running backs coach. </p>
<p id="0Mjfw0">Ward is in his fifth season in Champaign. He returned to the university last season after spending three years under Lovie Smith’s staff from 2016-18. </p>
<p id="B8pTij">“Thad has been impressive since the day he arrived in the building,” said head coach Bret Bielema in a statement. “Over the last year, I’ve seen him grow in many aspects. He will take on a larger role in the player development of our full roster, both on and off the field.”</p>
<p id="H9Fzog">Ward is likely best known for cultivating the “Littyville” mantra during his first go-around with the orange and blue. </p>
<aside id="qKm4kM"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Littyville is back, and it may be just what Illinois needs","url":"https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2023/1/31/23579084/littyville-is-back-and-it-may-be-just-what-illinois-needs-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-bielema"}]}'></div></aside>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/18/24105444/illinois-elevates-thad-ward-to-assistant-head-coach-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-bret-bielemaStephen Cohn2024-03-18T07:59:07-05:002024-03-18T07:59:07-05:00Illinois basketball is inevitable
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OK8uT8rabZ-KdGS6Ok044Vr6Xn8=/1x0:4357x2904/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214878/usa_today_22801645.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I’m in a glass case of emotion.</p> <p id="KL3lo8">Happy Monday, Illinois Land!</p>
<p id="WrjGQe">For the second time in four years, Your Fighting Illini are the Big Ten Tournament Champions, beating Wisconsin for the eighth-straight time overall on Sunday in Minneapolis, 93-87.</p>
<p id="T3OZVE">Much like the previous two victories at Target Center, the <em><strong>Illini came back from a double-digit deficit</strong></em> to beat a third sizzling-hot team in as many days.</p>
<p id="zClpFp">When a team that you passionately follow accomplishes something as difficult as what this Illinois just completed, emotions swirl in your brain. It is <em>often difficult for your mouth</em> to communicate what your brain is producing.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n78HC_DGd0STPHg1ooYalrPevHI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341995/usa_today_22801653.jpg">
<cite>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Cheers all around. Rah-rah-shish koom bah!</figcaption>
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<p id="I25KJl">I know from my training in neurology that the limbic system controls emotion in the brain. It seems like that particular system does not function properly when I consume Illinois athletics, particularly men’s basketball. </p>
<p id="3ioZzf">During the championship game against Wisconsin — with the previous wins over Ohio State and Nebraska in tow — I was as calm as I have ever been during a “big” Illinois game. It was almost like my limbic system kicked into gear for the first time in decades during such a contest.</p>
<h3 id="nimluu"><em><strong>It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t expected. It wasn’t natural.</strong></em></h3>
<p id="qYYh6O">Unlike the previous BTT Championship in 2021 with Ayo and Kofi, this particular set of victories did not <em><strong>FEEL</strong></em> like relief, it felt more like inevitability. </p>
<p id="lU8vuB">And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a weird thing to <em><strong>FEEL</strong></em> for a lifelong fan of this state university. Inevitability is always a negative emotion or foreboding of catastrophe just around the corner.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k_xFcixubp31FwFNrY-jzTljaLc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341997/usa_today_22801642.jpg">
<cite>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>......”BOOOOOM!!!!!” The living tribute to the Kofi slam lives on. This is one of my favorite things in Illinois lore. </figcaption>
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<p id="wrJ3aq">Instead of apprehension and dismay, I sat with my wife in my basement viewing my self-installed video wall with calm and piece. It was only a matter of time before Illinois made one more play to bring a title back to Champaign.</p>
<p id="SctDCN">Here is TCR’s own <em><strong>Noah Cowell on the scene</strong></em> at Willard Airport as the team charter arrived home to a fiery throng of feverish Illinois fans. Check out the Ty Rodgers pic at the end. Priceless. </p>
<aside id="OxtqoL"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"“Fans greet Big Ten champion Illinois at Willard Airport” ","url":"https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/18/24104522/fans-greet-big-ten-champion-illinois-at-willard-airport-illini-shannon-underwood-domask-hawkins-ncaa"}]}'></div></aside><h2 id="oj3p9V"><strong>Let’s not just gloss over the fact that Illinois earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.</strong></h2>
<p id="hb3a0i">Making the NCAA Tournament in a power conference is not a major feat for a good team. If you’ve had a chance to glance at the bracket already, you’ll notice there are some average teams in the field, quite frankly.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YL4tkNbcSpRAoUwKYLV8LUg5-fk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25342014/usa_today_22801629.jpg">
<cite>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>“I went to the Dainja Zone!...” Ohio State didn’t survive said area on Friday. </figcaption>
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<p id="L7qvzw">Earning a No. 3 seed is an accomplishment in it of itself. Illinois finishes the first round of postseason play with a record of 26-8 (.765).</p>
<p id="jCqRXk">As I’ve mentioned at length before, the odds of Illinois losing the group of games they lost in the middle of the season are nearly astronomical. If you look at the schedule in totality, this team got beat three times: at Tennessee, at Purdue and Purdue at home.</p>
<p id="Ty097o">Even in two of those three games, the ending was in doubt until the last 5:00 of the contest.</p>
<p id="GSykxd"><em><strong>The only two games all season that you “knew” Illinois was going to lose</strong></em> after the final media timeout was at Purdue without the BTT Tournament MOP Terrence Shannon, Jr., and the non-conference powerhouse matchup in Knoxville against Tennessee.</p>
<p id="C0Zbpb">(End of list.)</p>
<p id="SR9oGi">Illinois has played 34 games, and they had a shot to win them all in the last 10% of the game 32 times. That seems like a lot of the time, because it is a lot of the time.</p>
<p id="mdMHMn">That’s 94.1% of the time.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6TOqKOoRt6HOtKpQdAu_Hy2sYQQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25342020/usa_today_22801624.jpg">
<cite>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>Illinois AD Josh Whitman and Coleman Hawkins embrace after Hawkins wins Big Ten Title No. 3 (we all know it’s No. 4).</figcaption>
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<p id="v4gMrh">After the Penn State Debacle in Happy Valley, this team regrouped and learned from the cascade of mistakes that lead to that collapse, blowing a 10-point lead in the final 150 seconds to a team that struggled to finish .500 on the season.</p>
<p id="EyPWPA">I bring this up to illustrate — and emphasize — the point that with five possessions going differently over the course of those 32 games, the record and seed drastically improves without anything else changing.</p>
<p id="PnAsxJ">Here are the particulars on the <strong>first round matchup against Morehead State</strong> on Thursday (2:10 p.m. CST) on TruTV.</p>
<aside id="FIdizv"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"“Illinois vs. Morehead State: Betting odds, spread, moneyline and more for 2024 NCAA Tournament” ","url":"https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24103115/illinois-morehead-odds-spread-favorite-underdog-2024-ncaa-tournament-draftkings-sportsbook-illini"}]}'></div></aside><h2 id="uipHSg"><strong>Remember the advice I have prior to the Big Ten Tournament? Let’s stick with that for the NCAA Tournament and not get distracted by “Region of Death” talk or worry about KenPom rankings for the other teams in the East with Illinois.</strong></h2>
<p id="z0xZh4">I get it. </p>
<p id="3oP0PX">We’re Illinois fans. <em><strong>We like to point fingers and complain</strong></em> about what injustice the committee has done to us. </p>
<p id="oyQ2mI">Historically, Illinois has gotten objectively bad draws in this tournament, particularly with Underwood at the helm. While that is a legitimate beef with the committee, let’s table that.</p>
<p id="Z9D1hW">For now.</p>
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aKnw5lC6-p-ouz2FR3o6YkbfLNQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25342028/usa_today_22801782.jpg">
<cite>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
<figcaption>BU and TSJ in the tunnel after the victory over Wisconsin. </figcaption>
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<p id="Rmvh0U">On a more positive note, Illinois is due some bracket luck at some point, as well. </p>
<p id="wwzFOG">UCONN is the No. 1 overall seed, and is placed in the East. Iowa State is arguably a No. 1 seed, their non-conference strength of schedule notwithstanding. Iowa State is the No. 2 seed in the East.</p>
<p id="zND7yS">Auburn — winners of the SEC Tournament — is the No. 4 seed in the East. It’s not an easy bracket, for sure. None of them are. By comparison one region may seem weaker, but that’s on paper. </p>
<p id="hiHqCt"><strong>Here’s the only facts that we know about the upcoming NCAA Tournament</strong>, as they pertain to Illinois basketball.</p>
<ul>
<li id="tpr9JM">
<strong>Fact No. 1:</strong> No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State on Thursday at 2:10 p.m.CST (TruTV)</li>
<li id="pE3nmk">
<strong>Fact No. 2: </strong>The winner of this game will play the winner of the following game. </li>
<li id="zJAjUv">
<strong>Fact No. 3:</strong> No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne. </li>
<li id="FwYW93">
<strong>Fact No. 4:</strong> The winner of that game will be in the Sweet 16</li>
</ul>
<p id="Abo8dD">(End of List)</p>
<p id="BYusTs">If we concentrate on the proper set of facts, all of us will improve our enjoyment of the Big Dance this year. </p>
<p id="NRmRr2"><em><strong>I’ll add one more fact, after the fact</strong></em>. See what I did there?</p>
<p id="OGcNtO">Illinois is objectively the best team of these four teams. If Illinois does not go to the Sweet 16 (or beyond) the only accountable party practices at Ubben. Plain and simple.</p>
<p id="muavMV">As a reminder, you don’t have to beat all 67 teams to win a National Championship. You have to win three different four-team tournaments. </p>
<p id="3g8D8w">Keep it simple.</p>
<p id="ar97x2">Please take The Scientific Poll.</p>
<div id="DxzHnB"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12282387"></div></div>
<p id="zKw5Eh">This is one championship down. This is all on the table. This is why we watch.</p>
<p id="ILVfuA"><strong>This is why we love no other.</strong> Championships at Illinois hit different. They just do.</p>
<p id="VkXMVj">We’ve been waiting two decades for a second weekend. Beat Morehead State and beat the next team and the wait will be over. It’s just that simple.</p>
<p id="j9y0ul">It seems inevitable to me. Now, <em><strong>THAT’s</strong></em> a weird feeling...</p>
<p id="ywxm6k">This is Illinois basketball.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/18/24104671/illinois-basketball-is-inevitable-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-brad-underwood-terrence-shannonBrandt.Dolce2024-03-18T07:24:16-05:002024-03-18T07:24:16-05:00Enjoy the high, Illini fans
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 17 Big Ten Tournament -Illinois vs Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oPacTJ5-yW01A8gNpR_OpYyUob4=/0x1:6654x4437/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214821/2084806959.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It’s okay to revel in the joy of an amazing weekend.</p> <p id="ekQ0iJ">Good morning, Illini fans.</p>
<p id="8XoPPF">If you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’d like to talk directly to you about what you just witnessed in Minneapolis over the weekend.</p>
<p id="iDrUei">For those of you who went to Catholic high schools in Chicago, think about your Kairos retreat. It was an extraordinary, emotionally breaking, and subsequently euphoric high. If you were fortunate enough to go, it changed your life for better and for always.</p>
<p id="g1j91u">Back in the day, we used to call that special long-standing rush of joy and passion “Kairotic.”</p>
<p id="ydsN3u">At a recent reunion, my student tour guide told me that now they refer to it as “Kai High.”</p>
<p id="Cs5jE9">I suppose the feeling you’re experiencing now can be called “I-High.”</p>
<p id="yKRoTS">I hope you haven’t come down yet.</p>
<p id="1Texue">It’s not yet time to obsess about expectations.</p>
<p id="RU362N">It’s not yet time to kvetch about the past few tournament runs.</p>
<p id="GuTvlq">Pump the brakes? Slam the gas? Nah, just enjoy the ride.</p>
<p id="IIpcoy">And this team has absolutely given the fanbase a season to enjoy.</p>
<p id="sBteZg">The Penn State game was a stark low point. It rightfully introduced deeper levels of doubt and angst. There were questions about this team and if it was really able to respond to adversity.</p>
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 17 Big Ten Tournament -Illinois vs Wisconsin" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HwzkqiQeAIIl13bUs_wUsCdwHdk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341983/2084806182.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="uNkNqK">But that’s why Coach Underwood built the roster the way he did. He stacked the roster with players like Marcus Domask and Quincy Guerrier. These are young men who have been there and seen everything. </p>
<p id="Ot4MNC">They have the institutional memory and basketball IQ to know the right plays and the talent to make those plays.</p>
<p id="wfYKTq">This Illinois team has its superstar. It has its versatile big man who is a high-end passer and a multi-positional defender.</p>
<p id="ZGSJyN">But over one glorious weekend in Minnesota in which Terrence Shannon had possibly the greatest two-day run in Big Ten Tournament history, the Illini gave their fanbase (and every coach in the field of 68) a reminder of what else they have.</p>
<ul><li id="PD8DcX">
<strong>A gifted center</strong> with a Natty whose two-way prowess emerged in his hometown.</li></ul>
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 17 Big Ten Tournament -Illinois vs Wisconsin" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8ncIe1_Z2-TJU071BCoyutddg4w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341984/2084806961.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite>
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<ul>
<li id="yLLN5H">
<strong>A Hoosier sniper </strong>with a quarterback’s brain and the toughness to grab four offensive rebounds in the same game he banged home four threes.</li>
<li id="O9dm9z">
<strong>A precocious true freshman guard </strong>with backcourt intensity on defense unseen in Champaign since Andres Feliz</li>
</ul>
<p id="96v8NC">After the Ohio State game, quite a few fans gave credence to the notion that the Illini won that game because of “luck.” The notion that this team barely won and should have lost carried the day in some circles.</p>
<p id="EKNs5V">It looked more like this team repeatedly found new ways to play winning basketball. They discovered different methods to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.</p>
<p id="jLuiPh"><strong>Three double-digit deficits.</strong></p>
<p id="bQbx90"><strong>Three comeback wins.</strong></p>
<p id="4aUNcE"><strong>One all-time record.</strong></p>
<p id="zeiSOk"><strong>One net cut down.</strong></p>
<p id="JIqL5y">See you all in Omaha.</p>
<p id="L5kjzV"></p>
<p id="wgpE8L"></p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/18/24104672/enjoy-the-high-illini-fans-illinois-fighting-ncaa-big-ten-brad-underwood-terrence-shannonPleasAHoneywood2024-03-18T00:04:09-05:002024-03-18T00:04:09-05:00Fans greet Big Ten champion Illinois at Willard Airport
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<figcaption>Marcus Domask greets hundreds of Illini fans at Willard Airport in Savoy, IL, following a Big Ten Championship-clinching win over Wisconsin. | Noah Cowell - TCR</figcaption>
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<p>Illini Nation showed out for its Everyday Guys.</p> <p id="lVIO9B">As if Championship and Selection Sunday couldn’t get any sweeter.</p>
<p id="v1AlCT">After defeating Wisconsin, 93-87, to win the Big Ten championship and receiving a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Illinois returned back home later that night.</p>
<aside id="Cmw854"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"TSJ caps legendary weekend with Big Ten Tournament title ","url":"https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24104148/tsj-caps-legendary-weekend-with-big-ten-tournament-title-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten"}]}'></div></aside><p id="HWMuHy">Brad Underwood and his guys may have done their fare share of celebrating in Minneapolis, but the party was not over in Champaign just yet.</p>
<p id="aluveZ">Hundreds of Illini fans were waiting eagerly right outside of Willard Airport to welcome their Big Ten champions back home — letting chants of “I-L-L...I-N-I!” ring out through the cold spring air.</p>
<div id="51KYjz">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The B1G Champions have landed back in Champaign.<br><br>And <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illini?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illini</a> fans were here waiting for them. <a href="https://t.co/trnUsaiLjx">pic.twitter.com/trnUsaiLjx</a></p>— Noah Cowell (@cowell_noah) <a href="https://twitter.com/cowell_noah/status/1769545645986103477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="Ein8Lg">When the team emerged, the crowd — excited to meet the coaches and players who had just etched their names into the Illinois history books — erupted.</p>
<p id="iKor1U">Underwood, Coleman Hawkins, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask were among the Illini who were swarmed upon leaving the airport. </p>
<div id="dttuRW">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brad Underwood: A man of the people. <a href="https://t.co/ZgaITyBCh8">pic.twitter.com/ZgaITyBCh8</a></p>— Noah Cowell (@cowell_noah) <a href="https://twitter.com/cowell_noah/status/1769546188842308009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="Ao5f3r">They took pictures and offered autographs to countless fans, giving them memories they will likely never forget.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">One year as an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illini?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illini</a>.<br><br>One year as a B1G Champion. <a href="https://t.co/uU5JwgZDMV">pic.twitter.com/uU5JwgZDMV</a></p>— Noah Cowell (@cowell_noah) <a href="https://twitter.com/cowell_noah/status/1769552325587145103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="sJOx9M">Some Illinois fans may remember when Illini Nation greeted the ‘05 team at the airport with a standing ovation after its National Championship loss.</p>
<p id="6Xomln">Sunday’s big win marks the program’s third conference championship (two tournaments and one regular season) in the last four years. </p>
<p id="x0hSys">But for fans to return in this celebratory fashion again this season, the Illini will have to do something they have not since that ‘05 season: make a Sweet 16.</p>
<p id="pgwbjd">But for now, guys like Ty Rodgers are clearly just enjoying that championship feeling.</p>
<div id="lYM6Ox">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Caption this. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illini?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illini</a> <a href="https://t.co/CgqTkSfyQJ">pic.twitter.com/CgqTkSfyQJ</a></p>— Noah Cowell (@cowell_noah) <a href="https://twitter.com/cowell_noah/status/1769553105195012474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a>
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<p id="U90hUA">With how bright his future is, a Sweet 16 certainly seems within reach. He may need bigger shades to handle a future greater than that, though.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/18/24104522/fans-greet-big-ten-champion-illinois-at-willard-airport-illini-shannon-underwood-domask-hawkins-ncaaNoah-Cowell2024-03-17T22:54:17-05:002024-03-17T22:54:17-05:00Illinois seeded for inaugural WBIT, will host Missouri State
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T4zUr5edK_Xc1sEcsQQtOhNEKDE=/0x0:8011x5341/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214413/DJP_0124.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>TCR // David Pollak</figcaption>
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<p>The Illini’s oldest have the opportunity to extend their senior seasons.</p> <p id="88Fbb0">Selection Sunday? Championship Sunday? Shannon Sunday? Whatever you want to call it, it was a good one for both of Illinois’ basketball programs. </p>
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</div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ow5K0r4df/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Illinois Women's Basketball (@illiniwbb)</a></p>
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<p id="o7JBXr">The women’s team has been invited to play in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT), and its opening-round matchup against Missouri State will be at State Farm Center. </p>
<p id="bf0Kns">They are a No. 4 seed in the same corner of the bracket as the No. 1 overall seed James Madison, meaning they were the last team to be seeded — the committee picks the top 16 teams of its 32-team field. An official release from the NCAA stated that, “The remaining 16 teams were placed into the bracket by the WBIT Committee as close to their area of natural interest as possible.”</p>
<p id="aPNEa1">Terrence Shannon Jr. led the men’s program to its second Big Ten Championship in four years in an inspired weekend that saw him win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Minutes after the last bits of confetti hit the floor and the Target Center’s nets were adorned on Underwood’s second trophy as the Illinois head coach, they were revealed to be the third seed in the East Region, and will be taking on the Morehead State Eagles in Omaha on Thursday.</p>
<aside id="r82U8e"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"TSJ caps legendary weekend with Big Ten Tournament title ","url":"https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24104148/tsj-caps-legendary-weekend-with-big-ten-tournament-title-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten"}]}'></div></aside><p id="RWW3bC">After finishing 14-15 (8-10 Big Ten), it’s safe to say that Shauna Green and the Illinois women’s basketball team did not expect to hear its name called when women’s selection Sunday rolled around. The field of 68 did include a few teams that Illinois beat this season, including Indiana (4 seed), Nebraska (6 seed) and Michigan (9 seed).</p>
<p id="0uU6Zi">About an hour after the field of 68 was released, the WBIT’s field of 32 was also announced. </p>
<p id="dVclWI">The full bracket for the inaugural WBIT can be viewed <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2024-03-17/inaugural-2024-wbit-pairings-released?amp">here</a>.</p>
<p id="geXGUc">The Fighting Illini, led in scoring by a group of four seniors, will be in an interesting position when they play at home, just over two weeks removed from their Senior Night.</p>
<p id="xNRHSL">The Illini will host the first-round match against Missouri State. TCR understands that a win against the Bears and a loss from 1-seed James Madison would mean State Farm Center would host a second-round match against Stony Brook. If JMU wins, the Illini would have to travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia.</p>
<p id="bC9xnL">An Illinois press release stated that, “Illinois is not guaranteed to host the second round.”</p>
<p id="cxWBXh">The Illini finished the season as the highest-ranked team with more losses than wins in the <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d1/ncaa-womens-basketball-net-rankings">NET Rankings</a> at 49. The next sub-500 team on the list was Oklahoma State at 58. </p>
<p id="alNU0N">The team’s seniors are Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, Kendall Bostic, Aicha Ndour, Jada Peebles and Camille Hobby, the last two of whom do not have the option to return to Champaign next season. Peebles suffered a season-ending Achilles injury earlier in the season. They will look to end what’s been a disappointing season with a strong showing in the postseason, something that was not fathomable a few months ago. </p>
<p id="NtGHrh">The last time that the women’s team competed in an invitational postseason tournament was in the WNIT in the 2012-13 season. They reached the Elite 8, which tied their best result from the competition four years prior.</p>
<p id="BdtFbl">It’s not quite The Big Dance, but the Illini will have a chance to show out at the little dance in Shauna Green’s second year at the wheel.</p>
<p id="Y3bnnV">The exact time for tipoff on Thursday against the Missouri State Bears will be announced at a later date, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.</p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24104521/illinois-fighting-illini-womens-basketball-ncaa-wbit-missouri-state-champaign-state-farm-centerZenoJo2024-03-17T17:50:33-05:002024-03-17T17:50:33-05:00Illinois vs. Morehead State: Betting odds, spread, moneyline and more for 2024 NCAA Tournament
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship-Wisconsin vs Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3ep2I0O_zGNCoVXniL0S1y7FDxY=/0x0:3256x2171/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213961/usa_today_22801108.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Big favorites. </p> <p id="f2rXAT">Illinois, the 2024 Big Ten Tournament champions, are going dancing — and they’re big favorites for their opening round game on Thursday. </p>
<p id="6SPfwN">The Illini are heading to Omaha where they will face No. 14 Morehead State (of the Ohio Valley). <a href="https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/5pdi?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgate[%E2%80%A6]Vox%26wpcrid%3DCBB&pcid=166791&pscn=CBB&pcrn=Inartcile&psn=Vox">According to DraftKings’</a> opening line on Sunday night, the Illini are 13.5-point favorites. <strong>(</strong><em><strong>Odds/lines are subject to change. T&Cs apply. See </strong></em><a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox"><em><strong>draftkings.com/sportsbook</strong></em></a><em><strong> for details.)</strong></em></p>
<p id="N0kJy8">Other betting info: </p>
<ul>
<li id="wgYxpv">DraftKings’ over/under is 148.5. </li>
<li id="qrlrkR">DraftKings’ Moneyline: Illinois -1000, Morehead State +650 </li>
</ul>
<p id="tNUdId">The Illini and Eagles will tip it off in the tournament’s early session, at 2:10 p.m. on Thursday. The game will air on TruTV.</p>
<p id="Bob1BB">But for now, we know Illinois is dancing for the fourth year in a row.</p>
<p id="ra5Xgo">ILL. </p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24103115/illinois-morehead-odds-spread-favorite-underdog-2024-ncaa-tournament-draftkings-sportsbook-illiniStephen Cohn2024-03-17T17:44:37-05:002024-03-17T17:44:37-05:00Illinois landed the final knockout punch in Minneapolis
<figure>
<img alt="Wisconsin v Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uDy3-vv-iDSrfpyjPUqXrqJLLUw=/0x0:4763x3175/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213941/2092315128.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Illini are Big Ten Tournament Champs. But it wasn’t easy.</p> <blockquote>
<p id="Ll9DGG"><em>“In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade</em></p>
<p id="0EIM95"><em>And he carries the reminders </em></p>
<p id="k0fdRL"><em>Of every glove that laid him down</em></p>
<p id="vp3Ofx"><em>And cut him ‘til he cried out</em></p>
<p id="6lGdeM"><em>In his anger and his shame</em></p>
<p id="m3Vy5c"><em>I am leaving, I am leaving</em></p>
<p id="OQWYVP"><em>But the fighter still remains”</em></p>
<p id="yeLZMm"><em>Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p id="aP5YEn">This tournament has been a fight for the Fighting Illini. They were tested in each of the three games they won in three glorious nights in Minneapolis. Their 93-87 victory sealed their first conference tournament title since Loco Dos was the star.</p>
<p id="95Lpue">Fight is also the best word to describe the game against Wisconsin. Both teams spent the early rounds trying to find the range to land their jab. Both were able to land glancing blows, but no knockdown or knockout shots.</p>
<h3 id="Tj2Lkk"><strong>This was a heavyweight brawl. Two teams who have had their struggles this year fought their way through the gauntlet in the Twin Cities.</strong></h3>
<p id="xJbFmH">As the first half came to a close, Terrence Shannon Jr. landed an impactful shot: a pull-up three that gave the Illini a halftime lead.</p>
<p id="vkNCYa">The back-and-forth first half left no clues as to who would be left standing at bout’s end.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Wisconsin v Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RT_s3ZA1r1TUGti28C1Nd9xoU8s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341328/2092333018.jpg">
<cite>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="ZrLqa5">At 41-40, the first half was as close as it sounds. Neither team was able to hit more than a glancing blow, neither team took enough punishment to be staggered.</p>
<p id="k0ynPU">But Wisconsin was able to slow down the tempo. Illinois (barely) beat Wisconsin at their pace in their style in the first half.</p>
<p id="xNJjMc">Shannon and Domask had efficient starts. And neither (nor Ty Rodgers) allowed AJ Storr to have a devastating first half, “limiting” the all-tournament selection to 5-12 shooting.</p>
<p id="QmNove">Wisconsin reached its biggest lead of 61-51 just under five minutes into the half. It had been the most impactful uppercut thus far. The Illini took it on the chin. An average fighter would have been staggered.</p>
<p id="Qv0DC4">But that was simply the story of this fight starting to write itself. The Illini had been there two nights in a row: a conference rival wearing deep red against the nominal home team. That team achieved a double-digit lead. </p>
<p id="kkLtZg">Nothing to fear, right? Everything would straighten itself out, right?</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Wisconsin v Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mKV5L1i6sOyW3nDeXBHzPm5P_CE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341318/2092333015.jpg">
<cite>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<h2 id="ZrPkOI"><strong>Yes, that’s exactly what happened.</strong></h2>
<p id="7ahUPe">The Illini hit five of their next six, held the Badgers without a field goal for three minutes, and went from a ten-point deficit to a two-point lead.</p>
<p id="wzEnrY">Marcus Domask showed out, knocking down open shots like an assassin against his home state school. The momentum in the building was changing. The ocean of red was eerily quiet.</p>
<p id="lQGzG1">Until they weren’t.</p>
<p id="6O3eOX">Wisconsin brought the game back even as the game endured ties and lead changes throughout the second half. Wisconsin had more counterpunches than Nebraska. They had a stronger chin than Ohio State.</p>
<p id="R9TaAI">At the under-5 timeout, both teams went back to their corners. Both were a bit worse for wear. </p>
<p id="xVU0lM">A Max Klesmit three-point shot (his fourth of the game) brought the game back even. But the Illini’s purveyor of haymakers Terrence Shannon answered back with a trey of his own.</p>
<h2 id="ZtcBNW"><strong>It can’t be understated how epic Shannon was over the last two days of the Big Ten Tournament. His performance at the Target Center resembled that of a man who makes his basketball home here: Anthony Edwards.</strong></h2>
<p id="EsnQd1">The Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament Terrence Shannon was dominant downhill and lethal from the perimeter. He had the biggest scoring game in tournament history and followed it up with one point shy of the record he broke. </p>
<p id="Tm9Xjp">Marcus Domask had elite efficiency against the Badgers, scoring 26 on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He had a special performance in Minneapolis. He recovered from poor shooting against Ohio State and played a catalytic role in the final two victories of the tournament.</p>
<p id="gfUGzC">For now, the Illini have won three of the nine games needed for this to be the most epic college basketball season in Illini history. But they are a mere two wins away from the mythic second weekend.</p>
<p id="8KtAzB">Yes, this team got punched. They got punched a lot over the past three days in Minneapolis. But they took the best that the toughest teams in the conference had to offer and remained the conquerors.</p>
<p id="If9NbX">Terrence Shannon Jr. just completed one of the most dominant runs of any Illini player in the storied history of the program. He is the kind of player capable of a Carmelo Anthony-esque romp through March. And he will have a little help from his friends as the number 3-seed Illini head to Eastern Nebraska to face the Ohio Valley Conference’s Morehead State.</p>
<p id="TUX2hD">The postseason is upon us. The Illini are going in with better than a puncher’s chance. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Wisconsin v Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0XLTe-n4j1Lg0AbTfPxzTup7dRk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25341365/2092309345.jpg">
<cite>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="abt7Na"><strong>Coach Underwood emphatically declared: “I’m here to try to win a national championship. Illinois is that kind of program.”</strong></p>
<p id="5nVqdl">Those were Coach Underwood’s words after the game. He spoke to this victory being a program win, not just a team win. </p>
<p id="0cBal3">The Illini survived what Coach Underwood called “the best league in the country.” </p>
<p id="QZuNOo">Time will tell if the Illini can outlast the rest of the country in the biggest fight of the season.</p>
<p id="ANk35w"></p>
<p id="Abcfda"></p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24104301/illinois-landed-the-final-knockout-punch-in-minneapolis-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-underwoodPleasAHoneywood2024-03-17T17:06:01-05:002024-03-17T17:06:01-05:00Illinois earns No. 3 seed in 2024 NCAA Tournament
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-jaYIdwTxtgl7e2JIgZYSn3jiFQ=/0x0:7877x5251/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73213749/DJP_2360_Enhanced_NR.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>TCR // David Pollak</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Big Ten champs are going dancing. </p> <p id="otJPBM">For the fourth year in a row, the Illinois Fighting Illini are going dancing. </p>
<p id="F8vHET">Illinois heard its name called during Sunday night’s selection show, just minutes after claiming its second Big Ten title in four seasons. </p>
<p id="Q998RJ">The Illini (26-8, 14-6 Big Ten) were named a No. 3 seed in the East Region. Brad Underwood’s team will face the Morehead State Eagles of the Ohio Valley Conference on Thursday in Omaha. </p>
<div id="Vrr8Kd">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let’s Dance, Omaha! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illini?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illini</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HTTO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HTTO</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryDayGuys?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryDayGuys</a> <a href="https://t.co/edSVPdmvv6">pic.twitter.com/edSVPdmvv6</a></p>— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/IlliniMBB/status/1769486352251326903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="egIzh6">Defending champion UCONN is the No. 1 seed in the region, and Big 12 champion Iowa State is No. 2, fresh off a dominant win over Houston on Saturday. </p>
<p id="qWwj7J">It’s been another banner year for Illinois, fresh off a Round of 64 exit to Arkansas in 2023. The retooled Illini brought back two of its star seniors (Terrence Shannon Jr. & Coleman Hawkins), added several impactful grad transfers (Quincy Guerrier & Marcus Domask), and had a host of role players have their moments in the spotlight (Dain Dainja, Luke Goode and Ty Rodgers, most notably). </p>
<p id="OLhir1">This year was not easy by any means, even if the 26-8 record would appear to show otherwise. Shannon Jr. faced a month-long suspension from late December to early January after being charged with rape in Kansas; Shannon’s legal team later appealed the indefinite suspension and had it lifted. </p>
<p id="nTmm2l">Ever since, he’s been one of the nation’s best players, teaming with Domask to dominate on offense all season, one where the Illini never lost back-to-back games. </p>
<p id="mps2tZ">Illinois also only trailed by double-digits five times this season — two of those instances came Friday and Saturday, both comeback wins in the Big Ten Tournament. </p>
<p id="bQxTfv">We’ll have much more in the coming days on the Illini’s opponents in the NCAA field, as the orange and blue chase their first appearance in the tournament’s second weekend in two decades. </p>
<p id="G2SHXI">Stay tuned! </p>
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2024/3/17/24103575/illinois-earns-no-3-seed-in-2024-ncaa-tournament-fighting-illini-ncaa-big-ten-brad-underwoodStephen Cohn