Where Illinois Basketball Stands in Early Brackets

Where Illinois Basketball Stands in Early Brackets

Illinois Basketball will end the weekend with 6 games left on their regular season schedule. The 2023-2024 season seems to have passed in the blink of an eye. The Illinois-Kansas exhibition seems like it was last night. Through the ups and downs of the season, Illinois Basketball is looking to clinch their 5th straight NCAA tournament (counting the Covid cancelled one). Brad Underwood and his squad will get another bite at the apple of March Madness. Despite some questionable performances, Illinois has not had the stroke of luck fall its way.

In 2020, Illinois Basketball was peaking and looked dangerous. Their first NCAA tournament appearance was thrown right back in their face after the COVID-19 pandemic. Afterwards, Illinois just got caught by a bad matchup vs Loyola. Afterwards in 2022, their squad was plastered by injury and was tasked to beat a top 8 Kenpom team in the second round. Last year, Illinois faced a team that had three NBA draft picks in the first round.

Will luck finally strike?

CBSsports does a fantastic job covering college basketball. They previewed the 2024 March Madness slate with an early top 16 seeds. The 15th overall seed went to Illinois Basketball. Seth Davis then gave Illinois fans a bucket of hope. Davis stated that if the draw looks as currently projected, he could see Illinois Basketball making that so elusive Sweet 16 and more.

"If this pops up on Selection Sunday, I could easily see picking @IlliniMBB to go to the Final Four."

– @SethDavisHoops pic.twitter.com/UyBHc21DBD

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 17, 2024

Regardless, Illinois Basketball fans hope that this is the year that the monkey falls off Brad Underwood’s back. Despite all the success that Coach Underwood has had, that sweet 16 cloud looms over him like an omen of tension. If the March Madness gods can finally send over some luck to Champaign, the possibilities are certainly endless for this talented Squad

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