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Illinois Basketball: Possibilities if Illini win final four games

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 18, 2017; Iowa City, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) goes to the basket as Iowa Hawkeyes forward Nicholas Baer (51) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Illinois won 70-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; Iowa City, IA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Malcolm Hill (21) goes to the basket as Iowa Hawkeyes forward Nicholas Baer (51) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Illinois won 70-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois basketball team had a solid win over the weekend against the Iowa Hawkeyes. This win will help their Big Ten Tournament seeding.

If the season ended today, I believe, the Illini would be a No. 12 seed losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Indiana who is currently tied with Illinois record wise.

Illinois was a No. 12 seed in last season’s Big Ten Tournament and they beat No. 13 seed Minnesota 85-52. This season, if it ended right now, they would be playing No. 13 seed Ohio State. The Illini played the Buckeyes this season already and beat them 75-70 at home.

The season isn’t over for the Illini, though. There are still four more games this season and room to move up, or down, before the Big Ten Tournament begins.

Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball /

Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball

Let’s just have some fun and see where the Illini would be slotted if they win out and predict what the other teams around them would do as well.

So if Illinois wins out, they finish the season 19-12 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play. That is right on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and it would put them as the No. 7 seed when I break down the other Big Ten schedules.

Illinois would actually be in a tie with Michigan for the No. 6 spot, but the Wolverines have the tiebreaker for having a better record against the winner of the Big Ten. That means the Illini would be playing the No. 10 seed on Thursday.

In this case, the No. 10 seed would likely be Nebraska. I have the Cornhuskers finishing their season 1-3 in their last four games which would give them a 13-17 record overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten.

Illinois actually plays Nebraska here on February 26, so that might be a preview of the second round matchup.

If the Illini can win out and then beat Nebraska on the second day of the Big Ten Tournament that would get them to 20 wins on the season. I wouldn’t have even imagined that was a possibility a few weeks ago.

Now, they have a long ways to go to get to that point. They need to play consistent basketball, which is something they have failed to do this season. Illinois also needs to continue to get great bench production and more from Leron Black.

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While it is an extremely long shot, the Illini still could squeak their way into the postseason. They need to take it one game at a time and maybe we can see some meaningful March basketball for Illinois.

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