The Illinois basketball team is expected to be selected to play in the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years. Where do the Orange and Blue currently sit in the experts’ latest bracket projections?
The Illini played five games since my recent bracketology update, winning four of them. Those four victories came against Nebraska twice, Northwestern, and Minnesota.
The Orange and Blue dropped a road game to Michigan State in East Lansing on Tuesday, which snapped their seven-game winning streak. Not only did the Illini lose this game, but they lost their star player, Ayo Dosunmu, who is out indefinitely after breaking his nose versus the Spartans.
Let’s take a look at where Illinois is currently seeded after playing five more games.
Fox Sports insider Michael DeCourcy’s Bracketology: February 26, 2021
When analyzing DeCourcy’s February 8 projection, he had the Illini rising up from a No. 5 seed to a No. 2 seed in the South Region. Illinois would be matched up against Cleveland State.
In DeCourcy’s updated February 26 projection, the Fox Sports college basketball analyst still has the Illini as a No. 2 seed in “Region 2,” battling against No. 15 Siena.
The Saints are currently first in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and hold a regular season record of 10-3. They are a dangerous team, especially on the defensive end, as they hold opponents to an average of 62.4 points per contest, which ranks No. 20 in the nation.
If able to avoid the first-round upset, Illinois would go on to play the winner of the matchup between No. 7 Colorado and No. 10 LSU in the Round of 32.
In this bracket, the Illini are in the same region as the nation’s No. 2 ranked team, Baylor, who Illinois lost to by a score of 82-69 in their December matchup.
ESPN insider Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: February 26, 2021
In Lunardi’s February 8 bracket projection, like DeCourcy, he had Illinois as a No. 2 seed facing off against Cleveland State in Baylor’s region.
Lunardi’s updated projection is still very similar to DeCourcy’s, as the Illini are also still a No. 2 seed and are set to face off against No. 15 Siena.
With a win over the Saints, the Illini would advance to play the winner of No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 VCU.
The Fighting Illini are still projected to play in Region 2, which is the same region Baylor plays in.
CBS Sports insider Jerry Palm’s Bracketology: February 26, 2021
In Palm’s February 8 bracketology projection, the CBS Sports analyst had Illinois as a No. 2 seed facing off against No. 15 Cleveland State in the Bankers Life 2 Region.
In his updated February 26 projection, Palm has the Orange and Blue as a No. 2 seed in the Hinkle 2 Region of the bracket. The Illini are set to battle against No. 15 James Madison University in this projection.
The Dukes currently sit atop the Colonial Atlantic Conference with a season record of 13-6. This is a team that can score the ball, as the Dukes are averaging 78.5 points per contest, which ranks No. 42 in the nation. This game would not be a walk in the park for the Illini.
If victorious, however, Illinois would advance to play the winner of No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 San Diego State in the Round of 32.
Like the previous bracket projections, the Illini would likely need to get past Baylor in order to advance to the Final Four.
Illinois has many opportunities to make their case to be a No. 1 seed with three very tough games remaining, along with the Big Ten Tournament. Their final three games are all on the road against ranked opponents, as they are set to visit No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 3 Michigan, and then No. 4 Ohio State for the season finale.
The Orange and Blue will possibly be playing their final three road games shorthanded as Dosunmu does not have a set timetable to return.