We are now under five weeks from Selection Sunday, but where does the Illinois basketball team currently stand in the latest bracketology?
Since my last bracketology update, the Illini have won three games and improved their winning streak to four in a row. The Orange and Blue were able to knock off then-No. 7 Iowa 80-75 at the State Farm Center, hold off Indiana in overtime at Assembly Hall, and handily defeat then-No. 19 Wisconsin at home.
Let’s take a look at where the Illini currently stand in a few bracketologists’ projections after picking up three more victories.
Fox Sports insider Michael DeCourcy’s Bracketology: February 8, 2021
When looking at DeCourcy’s January 18 projection, he had the Orange and Blue tumbling from a No. 3 seed to a No. 5 seed, matched up against No. 12 seed Belmont.
In DeCourcy’s updated February 8 projection, the Fox Sports insider has Illinois skyrocketing up to a No. 2 seed in the South Region. DeCourcy has the Illini matched up against No. 15 seed Cleveland State.
The Vikings currently hold a 14-5 record and are leading the Horizon Conference. This is a Cleveland State squad that will absolutely put up a fight, as they only lost to then-No. 22 Ohio State by six points in Columbus during their December 13 matchup. Since this loss, the Vikings have won 14-of-16, including a nine-game win streak.
If victorious, the Illini would advance to play the winner of No. 7 seed Louisville vs No. 10 seed Stanford in the Round of 32.
The Illini would possibly get a shot at revenge against the nation’s No. 2 ranked team, Baylor, as the Bears hold the No. 1 seed in the South Region of DeCourcy’s bracket.
ESPN insider Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: February 9, 2021
In the last Lunardi projection I analyzed, the ESPN analyst had Illinois as a No. 4 seed facing-off against No. 13 seed Belmont.
Lunardi’s new projection is identical to DeCourcy’s, as he also has the Orange and Blue climbing up to a No. 2 seed, matched up against No. 15 seed Cleveland State. With a win over the Vikings, the Illini would play the winner of No. 7 seed Louisville vs. No. 10 seed LSU in the Round of 32.
If they are able to advance to the Sweet 16, the Illini would potentially get a shot at revenge versus rival Missouri, who is the No. 3 seed in the region.
In Lunardi’s updated bracket, the Illini, again, would likely have to get past Baylor in order to advance to the Final Four, as the Bears hold the No. 1 seed in the region.
CBS Sports insider Jerry Palm’s Bracketology: February 8, 2021
Palm’s last bracketology projection was the least promising out of all analysts. The CBS Sports insider had the Illini as No. 6 seed in the “Bankers Life 2” Region of his bracket, matched up against No. 11 seed Stanford.
The trend continues in Palm’s new projection. The CBS Sports insider, again, has Illinois as a No. 2 seed, facing off against the No. 15 seed Cleveland State Vikings.
If victorious, the Orange and Blue would have a date with the winner of No. 7 seed USC vs No. 10 seed Drake in the Round of 32.
Like DeCourcy and Lunardi’s projections, Baylor is the No. 1 seed in the Illini’s region, meaning the Orange and Blue would likely need to knock off the Bears in order to advance to the Final Four.
USA Today Bracketology: February 9, 2021
In the first bracket projection USA Today has published, the major news outlet has Illinois projected as a No. 2 seed.
The Illini are matched up against No. 15 seed Sam Houston State in the South Region of the tournament, where Baylor, again, is the No. 1 seed.
The Bearkats currently hold a 14-6 record and are first in the Southland Conference. If victorious over the Bearkats, the Illini would go on to play the winner of No. 7 seed Colorado vs. No. 10 seed Colorado State.
The Illini still have plenty of time to continue to add some solid wins to make their case to be a No. 1 seed. The Orange and Blue have seven conference games remaining, along with the Big Ten tournament. The road to March Madness will continue this Friday in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Illini visit the 4-10 Nebraska Cornhuskers.