Illinois

Keys to victory, players to watch, prediction for Xavier vs. Illinois in NCAA Tournament

Published

12 months ago

March 20, 2025

Press Room

Keys to victory, players to watch, prediction for Xavier vs. Illinois in NCAA Tournament

Xavier and Illinois last met in the Maui Invitational in 2019.

Xavier plays Illinois Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois is favored, but Xavier is playing in a familiar venue.
Xavier must slow down Illinois’ offense to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

Xavier is into the 64-team field of the NCAA Tournament after pulling out a thrilling 86-80 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the First Four Wednesday night in Dayton.

It’s a quick turnaround for Xavier, but the Musketeers will play in another familiar venue as they battle No. 6 Illinois Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Xavier had lost its first six games against Marquette at Fiserv Forum before a 59-57 upset of the then-No. 7 Golden Eagles Jan. 18. It will be a neutral site contest this time around when Xavier takes on an Illinois program that is very familiar with the pressures of the NCAA Tournament.

3 keys to a Xavier Musketeers’ win over Illinois Fighting Illini in NCAA Tournament 1st round

1. Xavier must slow down one of nation’s highest-scoring offenses

In the aforementioned Xavier upset of Marquette, the Musketeers turned one of their best defensive efforts to pull out their only Quad 1 win of the year.

Xavier held Marquette to just 37.1% shooting (8-for-29 from three-point range), kept the Golden Eagles off the free-throw line (3-for-7) and forced 13 turnovers.

It will be an even bigger test Friday as Xavier tries to punch its ticket to the second round. Illinois ranks No. 15 in KenPom in offensive efficiency. Illinois is No. 11 in scoring offense at 83.8 points per game and does a lot of damage near the rim as the No. 18 shooting team from two-point range.

Xavier always likes to play fast and that matches what Illinois likes to do as the No. 18 team in the country in adjusted tempo, per KenPom.

Can Xavier’s defense Friday be the unit that showed up in the second half against Texas and held the red-hot Longhorns to 33 points on 37.5% shooting?

2. Can Xavier force long misses?

Illinois loves shooting from the perimeter. The Fighting Illini attempt 46.9% of its field goals from beyond the arc, which is the 30th-highest rate in the country.

The problem? Illinois is the fifth-worst three-point shooting team in the NCAA Tournament (No. 316 in the nation). Xavier’s defense must be tough near the rim against a bigger lineup and force Illinois out of what it does best and into more attempts from the perimeter. Illinois connects from downtown at just a 31.1% clip, which was 17th in the 18-team Big 10.

Xavier’s defensive rebounding will be tested

In Tuesday’s pre-tournament press conferences in Dayton, Xavier sophomore Dailyn Swain said the Musketeers’ improvement on the glass helped propel the team down the stretch to an at-large bid.

The numbers back it up. Per BartTorvik.com, Xavier ranks No. 8 in the country in defensive rebounding since the Musketeers hit a “low point” in early January after giving up 20 offensive boards and 22 second-chance points in a home loss to St. John’s.

Xavier lost the rebounding battle to Texas, 33-28 and gave up nine offensive boards.

Illinois will certainly test Xavier on the glass, and it will be on the key matchups to watch. Illinois might be a bottom-half shooting team, but the Fighting Illini clean up their misses as they ranked No. 18 in the country and first in the Big 10 in offensive rebounding.

Xavier Musketeers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

Tip: Friday, 9:45 p.m. (E.T.), Fiserv Forum (17,385)

TV/Radio: CBS/Westwood One

Ratings: Xavier is No. 41 in KenPom and Illinois is No. 20. Xavier is No. 45 in the NCAA NET Rankings and Illinois is No. 17.

History: The two teams have split four all-time meetings with Xavier winning the last two. The Musketeers won, 65-59, at then-U.S. Bank Arena in Dec. 2006 and in the Maui Invitation in 2019.

Illinois Fighting Illini scouting report

Record: 21-12

Head coach: Brad Underwood (164-100 at Illinois, eighth season)

Offense: 83.8 ppg

Defense: 74.6 ppg

Overview: Brad Underwood has now taken Illinois to the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive seasons and broke through last year with a Sweet 16 appearance.

With its streaky shooting, Illinois was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team throughout the year. The Fighting Illini spent 10 weeks in the AP poll, but dropped seven of 11 between Jan. 19-Feb. 22 before a three-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Illinois raced past Iowa in the opening round of the Big 10 Tournament before getting trounced by Maryland, 88-65, in the quarterfinals March 14.

Projected starting lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Kylan Boswell (G, 6’2″, 11.9 ppg)

Kasparas Jakucionis (G, 6’6″, 15 ppg)

Tre White (G, 6’7″, 10.7 ppg)

Will Riley (F, 6’8″, 12.5 ppg)

Tomislav Ivisic (C, 7’1″, 12.5 ppg)

Xavier Musketeers scouting report

Record: 22-11

Head coach: Sean Miller (185-86 at Xavier, eighth season)

Offense: 78.3 ppg

Defense: 71.2 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Dayvion McKnight (G, 6’0″, 9.5 ppg)

Ryan Conwell (G, 6’4″, 16.7 ppg)

Marcus Foster (G, 6’5″, 8 ppg)

Dailyn Swain (G/F, 6’8″, 10.5 ppg)

Zach Freemantle (F, 6’9″, 17.2 ppg)

Players to watch

Xavier’s biggest concern against a tall Illinois lineup is sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic. The 7-footer from Croatia is averaging 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and could impact several shot attempts against a Xavier offense that gets its shots blocked at one of the nation’s highest rates.

Xavier’s offense got its biggest bump from Marcus Foster at UD Arena as the veteran guard went 8-for-9 from the field and knocked down four 3-pointers for a season-high 22 points. Foster hadn’t scored in double figures since Feb. 15. Illinois ranks No. 143 defensive against 3-pointers and is top 20 defending inside the arc.

Xavier also got 22 points off the bench against Texas thanks to the hot shooting of Dante Maddox Jr. and Jerome Hunter.

Hunter, the only player around for the Sweet 16 run since Freemantle was hurt, hit multiple three-pointers for the first time in the calendar year.

Xavier vs. Illinois pick and score prediction

Xavier’s defense got a wakeup call after giving up 89 points against Marquette in a Big East Tournament loss. Xavier won’t have the home-court advantage it had at UD Arena, but the Musketeers use another all-in defensive effort to upset the Fighting Illini.

Xavier’s offense should get quality looks against an Illinois defense that was 14th in the Big 10 in scoring (74.6 points per game) and the Musketeers are equipped to win in a track meet.

Five teams that started in the First Four have advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. There’s reason to believe Xavier could follow that trend.

Final score prediction: Xavier 81, Illinois 77

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Illinois

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

Published

2 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A long-standing mural honoring Robert E. Smith on the side of a building at Campbell and Walnut has been covered up, prompting community backlash against the building’s new owner.

David Pere, owner of FMTM LLC, purchased the building in downtown Springfield and said he intended it to reflect his business, which focuses on helping veterans with financial strategies and goals. Covering the mural was part of that plan.

Pere said he was out of town in Tennessee when painting began and learned about the community reaction through messages on his phone.

“I’m like, I was in Tennessee running an event. I didn’t even know he’d started painting until I got a bunch of really nasty messages on my phone,” Pere said. “And I go, oh, look, that’s our building getting painted. I guess he started.”

Pere said he did not anticipate the response. “You know, we didn’t. I didn’t know how much of an impact this was going to make,” he said.

Jesse Tyler, co-owner of SGFCO, said he wanted the mural to stay and expressed concern about the lack of safeguards for publicly recognized works of art.

“To paint over that is to say, like, could be interpreted as saying that his work is no longer relevant or that his story is no longer relevant. I don’t think that’s true,” Tyler said. “Robert’s artwork needs to be part of downtown for as long as we can maintain that memory and maintain that legacy.”

Tyler said the community had hoped protections would be in place for the mural. “Maybe we didn’t have those protections that we hope there would be, that maybe the sort of legacy and awareness of Robert’s work that we hope there would be wasn’t there,” he said.

The City of Springfield posted online, acknowledging the artwork held deep meaning for many residents. Because the building is privately owned, however, Pere is within his rights to make changes to its exterior.

Pere said he hopes to help relocate the mural to a more permanent location. “We want to help migrate that mural to a wall where it could be more permanent,” he said. “I’d love to help them find a space for it. I’d love to help. I’d love to see the city get involved to the point where that space could be a permanent space where it’s actually maintained because it is obvious now that it is very important to the city of Springfield.”

Pere is already working with an artist on a new mural for the side of the building, intended to represent veterans. That mural is expected to begin going up at the end of the month.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

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Illinois

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Published

14 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Millions across the United States who woke up early Tuesday were treated to a “blood moon,” the only total lunar eclipse occurring in North America in 2026, according to NASA.

Illinois residents who missed it will be waiting some time for the next total lunar eclipse to shine above the U.S. — several years, in fact. But a partial lunar eclipse is coming sooner.

When is the next total lunar eclipse in Illinois?

After March 3, Illinois’ next visible total lunar eclipse won’t happen again until June 2029, writes Time and Date. There is a partial lunar eclipse coming sooner, however.

Others are reading: Free Full Moon Queso at Qdoba. How to get in Illinois

When is the next lunar eclipse?

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Illinois on Aug. 27-28, shining over the Americas, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, according to NASA.

Provided you’re willing to stay up late to see it, the partial lunar eclipse will be at its maximum around 11:12 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, in Illinois.

Until then, here’s what people in parts of the U.S. were seeing Tuesday morning.

See photos of the March 3 total lunar eclipse

Calendar of upcoming eclipses

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse will be visible to roughly 980 million people on Aug. 12, 2026, writes Time and Date.

A total solar eclipse will occur over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, NASA reports.

Need help finding stars, planets and constellations? Try these free astronomy apps

The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.

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Illinois

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (First Alert 4) – Right now, in Illinois, Missouri and most of the country, drivers must be at or over 0.08 to get a DUI. A proposal in the Illinois Statehouse would lower that threshold.

“Make it as safe as you possibly can out there,” said John Sapolis.

Collinsville resident John Sapolis said while lowering Illinois’ DUI threshold would not affect him, as he rarely drinks, he likes the idea of getting drinkers off the road.

“It’s bad enough out there driving around with people who are not drinking,” said Sapolis.

If a bill passes in the Illinois House of Representatives, the blood alcohol limit would be lowered, meaning fewer drinks could put somebody over the line for a DUI.

Two Chicago-area lawmakers propose lowering the threshold from 0.08 to 0.05.

“Your body still is not in a proper state to really be behind the wheel,” said Erin Doherty, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Doherty said even at 0.05, drivers are less coordinated and cannot track moving objects as well as when they are sober.

Utah is the only state in the country to have the 0.05 limit, and Doherty said one in five drivers there changed their behavior.

“There are so many other options before getting behind the wheel,” said Doherty.

Sara Floyd used to live in Utah and now calls Collinsville home.

“The Midwest people like to have a few beers while they watch their Little League games

“In Utah, you can barely get alcohol at a gas station,” said Floyd.

She said the culture in Utah is very different and thinks there should be some wiggle room for drivers.

“If one person had a beer within an hour period and then drove, they shouldn’t get a DUI for one drink,” said Floyd.

Doherty said they do not recommend driving even after a single drink.

“You really should not get behind the wheel when you’re any kind of impaired, one drink, five drinks, whatever that looks like, just don’t drive,” said Doherty.

While each body processes alcohol differently, according to the National Library of Medicine, in a two-hour period it takes a 170-pound man three to four drinks to reach 0.05, and it takes a 137-pound woman two to three drinks to reach the same state.

April Sage said she does not think this law would work, saying instead it would help more if the state added more public transit.

“I could have three beers and get a ride home safely,” said Sage.

First Alert 4 reached out to a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation to see if they had any comments on this bill. The spokesperson said they are not going to comment because it is pending legislation.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, fatal crashes involving one driver who had been drinking increased 4% from 2019 to 2022, despite multiple studies showing fewer Americans are drinking.

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