Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini victory over Iowa
By Collin Allen
4. The dog days are over
The Illinois Fighting Illini will see their name on Selection Sunday for the first time since March of 2013. Since their last tournament appearance, the Orange and Blue have had five losing records in the Big Ten Conference. Illinois would also finish three of those losing conference records with a losing record overall.
Throughout those eight years, Illini fans had to witness a coach firing and a plethora of player de-commitments and transfers.
Things finally fell into place last season, with the Fighting Illini finishing the season with an overall record of 21-10 and a conference record of 13-7. The Orange and Blue were set to make the tournament for the first time in seven years and fans had every reason to be optimistic.
COVID-19 hit and wiped that all away.
Fast forward to today, Illinois will be playing in its first Big Ten Tournament Championship since losing to Wisconsin in 2008 and will likely be selected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. All the players are healthy, hungry, motivated, and confident, so Illini fans have every reason to be optimistic.
Next. 4 observations from the Illini win over Rutgers. dark
The dog days are over and a Big Ten Championship could be won today, as the Fighting Illini will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship at 3:30 EST.