Illinois
Monumental wins put Illinois basketball in NCAA tournament driver’s seat
Let’s rewind back to mid-December, as the Illinois basketball team drops a home game to then-No. 23 Nebraska.
The Illini dropped to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten after that loss. At the time, it didn’t seem that Illinois was going to contend for one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament.
That loss changed everything, though. Since the disappointing close loss to the Cornhuskers, Illinois has gone on one of the best runs in program history. This run includes winning 11 games in a row. But moreover, the quality of wins matters more.
Illinois has had five games on the road in that 11-game stretch, all of which were, of course, victories. Three of those five games were against ranked opponents. No. 19 Iowa was the first game. Two out of the last three wins overall have really elevated Illinois from a quality NCAA tournament seed to now being in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
Just a week ago, Illinois had an all-time performance from Keaton Wagler to knock off then-No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette. This victory enabled the Illini to crack the top 10 and put us in the national spotlight.
It was this Sunday that skyrocketed the Orange and Blue to another atmosphere. Going on the road in Lincoln and taking down No. 5 Nebraska was huge for the Illini. We now have two top-five wins in the past three games.
Coming into the weekend, Illinois was already solidly a two-seed by multiple NCAA tournament predictions. Nebraska was a projected No. 1 seed. With the win, the Illini are surely going to be slotted as a No. 1 in the updated NCAA tournament projection.
On top of those wins, Illinois’ schedule the rest of the way out is promising. We have nine games left, with the only ranked contests being on the road against No. 7 Michigan State and home against No. 3 Michigan. This is a schedule that Illinois can feast on.
The Illinois basketball NET Rankings only continue to get stronger after Sunday’s huge win
The NCAA tournament takes the NET Rankings into account when seeding programs. The better the record against Quad 1 teams, the better chance for a No. 1 seed come March.
After the win over Nebraska, Illinois now sits at 7-3 overall against Quad 1 programs. Only three other teams in college basketball have more Quad 1 wins – Michigan, Duke, and Arizona.
Beyond those three programs, Illinois can make the claim for a top seed: 11 wins in a row, and victories over two top-five programs. That is a resume that the Illini can hold up high when all the dust settles. There is still more work to do, though. Let’s finish this thing strong.
Illinois
Captured: Men’s Wrestling team falls to Illinois 44-3 Captured: Men’s wrestling loses to Illinois
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No. 11 Illinois dealt Northwestern a 44-3 loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats (3-9, 1-7 Big Ten) were down to only three healthy starters, but were able to celebrate redshirt freshman Giosue Hickman’s first career win. The team will return at the Big Ten tournament on March 7.
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What our Post expert thinks about Indiana vs. Illinois
Illinois has lost back-to-back overtime games against ranked Big Ten so they will welcome a team like Indiana into their building for an opportunity for a get-right game.
The Hoosiers are 3-5 on the road and 1-4 against AP top-25 teams this season. The Fighting Illini are 12-2 at home with a 5-4 record against AP ranked teams.
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
TAZEWELL COUNTY (25News Now) – Authorities are reporting westbound I-74 between Bloomington and Peoria is open after police chased a semi-trailer in the area Saturday evening.
Woodford County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dennis Tipsword said the chase started on southbound I-55 in Livingston County, and it continued westbound on 74 in McLean, Woodford, and Tazewell counties towards Peoria.
Tipsword said police used spike strips to the stop the semi about three miles west of Goodfield.
One person is in custody, but it’s not known yet why police were chasing the semi.
Tipsword said westbound 74 is open, but he urged drivers to be cautious driving in the area.
25News has reached out to Illinois State Police for more details.
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