College Basketball Experts React to Illinois’ Elite Eight Win Over Iowa

Just over two weeks ago, Illinois walked off the United Center floor with heads hung low. After the Illini fell to Wisconsin in overtime of the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament – their fifth loss in nine games – they were set to enter the NCAA Tournament without one iota of momentum.

Has that less-than-desirable final month of the regular season (plus one league tournament game) mattered through two weekends of the Big Dance? Not in the slightest. After cruising past Penn in the Round of 64 with a 105-70 victory, Illinois followed that up with a 76-55 triumph over VCU in the Round of 32. Then the Illini met a monster in the form of Houston head-on – and found a way through.

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Illinois defeats Iowa to reach Final Four for first time since 2005

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) cuts the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

But after taking care of the Cougars in the Sweet 16 – a contest Brad Underwood’s unit was in charge of wire-to-wire – Illinois met border-state rival Iowa, the No. 9 seed in the South Region. And after perhaps slightly overlooking the Hawkeyes, the Illini found themselves a hole.

Slowly but surely, though, the Illini clawed their way out, and then eventually buried Iowa in its own patch in the dirt (albeit not until quite late in the outing). Despite a season-worst effort from beyond the arc – both by percentage (17.6 percent) and volume (three made), Illinois wound up with a 71-59 win – mostly behind a dominant showing on the boards and superb defense in the second frame.

With the Illini officially off to the Final Four for the first time since 2005, Illini Nation naturally had a sensational reaction. But the pundits – often harder to impress – were equally wowed by Saturday night’s end. Here’s what they had to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/college-basketball-experts-react-illinois-044254185.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-29 04:42:00

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