The Illinois Fighting Illini needed a big win in the worst way, and they got it on Sunday with a 93-73 victory over 15th-ranked Michigan.
Underwood was in hot water after their recent stretch of games, one of which was a program-worst loss to Duke, 110-67. That game, played at Madison Square Garden, saw Illinois unprepared and outmatched, shooting just 7.7% from beyond the arc.
After that awful performance, Illinois traveled to face Iowa. Against the Hawkeyes, the Illini fared much better, shooting 50.8% from the field and 31.3% from three. Illinois also managed to commit only five turnovers throughout the game, which helped them build a lead on their way to a 20-point victory.
The win Illinois secured at Iowa might have gotten them rolling. The unranked Illini came into Ann Arbor for their next game, and 15th-ranked Michigan was ready for a tough battle. The Wolverines hoped to keep pace with Michigan State atop the Big Ten and believed they had the advantage being at home.
Illinois said, “Not so fast,” as they played an excellent game.
The Illini led 31-30 at halftime and then turned it up in the second half. The Fighting Illini had balanced scoring, with four of five starters reaching double figures. Junior guard Tre White led the team with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Not far behind him were Kylan Boswell and Kasparas Jakucionis, who each scored 17.
Illinois scored a shocking 62 points in the second half to close out an emphatic win. Michigan didn’t even have a chance with how Illinois was playing. Brad Underwood may have delivered the right message to his team, and it may have saved his job as well. There were grave concerns after the Duke loss, but since then, they have turned things around just in time for the tournament.
The Fighting Illini are currently projected to be in the six-to-eight range in terms of seeds, with Illinois most likely receiving a seven seed and facing a ten seed in the first round. Things were very different in Champaign about a month ago. College basketball insider Andy Katz had actually projected them to be a four seed, and there wouldn’t have been any argument against that at the time.
The issues became apparent when they suffered that loss to Duke just a couple of games ago.
That Fighting Illini team didn’t even look like a tournament team, let alone a four seed in March. Recently though they’ve turned things around and are getting back on the right track. The Big Ten Tournament will showcase whether they are for real or not. Michigan State is currently the team to beat.
Illinois has been an up-and-down team this year. The Big Ten Tournament will be interesting for an Illini team eager to prove itself. The conference has always been tough, and this year is no different. Can they make a run, or will they fade away as they have at times this year?
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
