UConn vs. Illinois bold predictions for March Madness Final Four clash

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March Madness enters its final week for what’s been a wild 2026 tournament. UConn basketball delivered the most thrilling moment thanks to Braylon Mullins’ three with 0.3 left to beat Duke on Sunday. But Illinois basketball enters the Final Four red-hot too.

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The latter may have the most losses among the remaining teams at eight. Yet the Illini are the slight favorite entering Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. FanDuel Sportsbook plugs Illinois as the 2.5-point favorite to win as of Thursday.

The Huskies and Illini set the tone for a highly-anticipated round of four. Both teams have fanbases who are envisioning a championship parade. Illinois, however, wants to finally experience hoisting the National Championship crown for the first time in school history.

Looking ahead, both teams look evenly matched. Leading into the bold predictions for this heavyweight showdown.

Illinois will bottle Tarris Reed Jr.

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Reed delivered two points in 15 minutes during the last time these teams faced each other in November. He dealt with an ankle sprain during that time.

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But Illinois didn’t have Tomislav Ivisic fully healthy during that time either due to his knee bone bruise.

Ivisic brings the advantage here against Reed but for another reason: He’s not the only Ivisic.

Twin brother Zvonimir enters the picture too. Both seven-footers pride themselves on protecting the rim and cleaning the glass. One entering more healthier than ever gives Illinois the edge.

The duo disrupts inside point opportunities for opponents. Both Croatian siblings bring a combined six blocked shots in tow to Indy. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood can rest knowing he doesn’t need to rely on one defender to slow down UConn’s top big. Underwood has a two-headed monster he can unleash on the 6-foot-11…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uconn-vs-illinois-bold-predictions-233230006.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-02 23:32:00

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