The season has come to a close for the Illinois basketball program, as UConn is the one moving on.
It was a close battle throughout much of the contest, but like in the first matchup between the two teams, it always felt like the Illini were one step behind.
Illinois didn’t let this game get out of hand. It was only a couple of possession game down the stretch, and if the ball had rolled in our favor, we could have stayed in Indianapolis for the title game. Sadly, that didn’t happen, as UConn took us down, 71-62.
Here are five sad observations from the Illinois basketball loss to UConn in the Final Four
1. Relying on freshmen finally bit Illinois in the butt
It has been a fun ride all season long, as Illinois came out of nowhere with players no one had heard of. Throughout the season, two freshmen put the team on their backs.
Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic were leaders of this program. They were in their first year of college basketball, but they took the reins and never let go.
Mirkovic dazzled in the first couple of rounds of the NCAA tournament, and Wagler was his solid self, leading Illinois’ backcourt. But the freshmen duo finally reared its ugly head.
When you run into an experienced team like UConn, they expose younger teams. That is what happened on Saturday night. The Huskies licked their chops, and they showed why trusting two freshmen in the NCAA tournament is dangerous.
I loved what Wagler and Mirkovic did for the Illini this season, but it was bound to happen. When you rely too much on freshmen, it can bite you in the butt.
2. UConn’s defense was suffocating all night long
Illinois has played some great teams this season. There hasn’t been a better defensive unit than UConn.
The Huskies' game plan against the Illini was flawless. They did the usual rough Wagler up thing. This worked well, although he still finished with 20 points. His 7-of-16 shooting from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range wasn’t great, though.
UConn was great with switching and timely double teams. They were prepared for everything Illinois was doing.
Kylan Boswell was held to one of the quietest nights of his season. He finished with six points on 1-of-6 from the field in 24 minutes. The UConn perimeter defense was also great, as Illinois shot 6-of-26 from deep.
It is a depressing loss, but I was extremely impressed with the tenacity of the UConn defense. They came out and punched us in the face, and that continued throughout the game.
3. It is hard to win games with that type of 3-point disparity
Basketball is very much a perimeter game nowadays. Illinois and UConn showed that, as the first few minutes of the game had only three-point attempts.
Coming into the Final Four, I was pegging the three-point arc as one of the main keys for whoever was going to win the game.
Illinois actually attempted fewer three-pointers than UConn, which was a shock. We attempted more on average throughout the season, but the Huskies came out firing and couldn’t miss.
For the game, Illinois was just 6-of-26, 23%, from three-point range. UConn was 12-of-33, 36%, from three-point range. No one is going to beat a team that makes six more three-pointers. That is too much of an ask.
4. Illinois played too much me-ball and not enough we-ball
This Illinois basketball team is just a solid assist program. We average 14.5 assists per game this season, which ranked No. 116 in the country.
Saturday night was against our norm, though. Illinois came out and didn’t pass the ball a lot. We played a lot of isolation basketball, and that killed the program.
Illinois finished the game against UConn with three assists. No, that isn’t a typo. We had three assists for the entire game.
For those counting at home, that is the fewest assists Illinois has had in a game all season long. You would think we would slop into more assists than that, but the style of play was what did us in.
Illinois didn’t have enough movement on offense. We would either jack up a three-pointer or bulldog into the lane. We weren’t running a ton of offense, and UConn exposed us.
No matter who you are playing, you have to have more than three assists. Playing me-ball killed Illinois against the Huskies.
5. I can’t be prouder of this Illinois squad
At the end of the day, this loss in the Final Four was painful. Illinois had an opportunity to get to the national championship, and we squandered it away.
With that being said, I am so proud of this team. You can’t be mad at this season whatsoever. Illinois wasn’t supposed to be a Final Four team. We had so much turnover in the offseason, and no one knew who the heck we were getting to fill the roster.
The fact that Underwood and his coaching staff pieced together a Final Four run is pretty incredible.
Illinois isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, either. Underwood proved this past offseason that he can build a contender regardless of the situation.
I strongly feel that we will be back in contention once again in the 2027 NCAA tournament. Maybe, just maybe, that will be our year.