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Illinois Basketball: 5 teams the Illini need to play in the NCAA tournament

By Rees Woodcock

Michigan guard Eli Brooks (55) makes a layup against Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) and center Kofi Cockburn (21) during the first half Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
Michigan guard Eli Brooks (55) makes a layup against Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) and center Kofi Cockburn (21) during the first half Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – MARCH 02: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates a second half basket with teammates while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on March 02, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – MARCH 02: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates a second half basket with teammates while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on March 02, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

4. Michigan Wolverines

I think this one might be the most obvious of them all. Out of all the teams that will make the NCAA tournament, Michigan has to be up there as the most hated by Illini fans right now.

Michigan has a great team, don’t get me wrong. They finished the regular season 19-3 overall and 14-3 in the Big Ten. They were able to steamroll most of the competition as well. But I have some issues with the Wolverines right now.

I know this has been rehashed about 1,000 times already, but I am going to do it one more time. Illinois won the Big Ten regular season title by a half-game. They were a half-game ahead of Michigan, but the Wolverines were awarded the regular season title because of their conference winning percentage. Despite playing three fewer Big Ten games, the conference awarded Michigan the crown.

On top of Michigan getting the Big Ten regular season crown despite not actually having a better record than Illinois, the Illini also beat down the Wolverines in the regular season. In the lone matchup, Michigan fell to Illinois by a score of 76-53. It was a massacre.

So, both teams are going to enter the NCAA tournament as most likely a No. 1 seed. I want to face off against Michigan because I want to prove to the world, once again, that Illinois is the better team. But I also would like to play Michigan because that means we, at least, made the Final Four.

This postseason is going to be fun to watch, and it would be so sweet to take down Michigan once again.

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