With the NCAA tournament on the horizon, Illinois basketball will find out when, where, and who we play on Sunday night.
Selection Sunday is always one of the biggest days of the year. The Illini had an up and down season, but we are a lock to go dancing. It is now a matter of where we are seeded, and more importantly, who will end up playing.
I already laid out which programs I want Illinois to avoid, but now let’s take a look at the teams I wouldn’t mind the Illini playing in the first two rounds.
Illinois basketball hopefully plays these teams in the 1st and 2nd round of the NCAA tournament
San Diego State Aztecs – 21-9 overall, 14-6 Mountain West
The Aztecs are a team that made some waves early on in the season. In November, they beat both Creighton and Houston. Those are definitely impressive wins.
Since that mark, San Diego State was a first round exit in the Mountain West tournament, and they finished 21-9 overall. Joe Lunardi currently has them in the No. 11 seed play-in game.
From beyond the three-point arc, San Diego State isn’t that scary either. They take 22.4 three-pointers per game and hit them at a clip of 32.8%, which ranks No. 180 and No. 228, respectively. I am looking for teams that don’t shoot well from deep, as that is one of Illinois’ weaknesses. San Diego State is a team I wouldn’t mind playing in the first round.
Texas A&M Aggies – 22-10 overall, 11-7 SEC
If Illinois were to advance on to the second round, there is a chance we could take on a team like Texas A&M. My hope is that the Aggies will be the team that awaits us.
Texas A&M had a solid season, going 11-7 in the SEC, but they are a good matchup for the Illini. Lunardi has the Aggies as the No. 4 seed, but if Illinois can move up to No. 5, this becomes a possibility.
The Aggies are in the bottom half of the country in both three-point attempts and three-point percentage. They have also struggled down the stretch, losing five out of their last seven games. This would be a great opportunity for Illinois to advance to another Sweet 16.
Boise State Broncos – 24-10 overall, 14-6 Mountain West
This might be a bit of a longshot, but playing Boise State in the first round would be fantastic. Right now, Lunardi has the Broncos as one of the first four out of the NCAA tournament. If the NCAA committee does put them in, they would likely be in a No. 11 seed play-in to maybe play the Illini.
Illinois needs to avoid good three-point shooting teams. Boise State takes 23.8 three-pointers per game, which ranks No. 124 in the country. They only hit at a clip of 31%, which ranks No. 319. They are diet Illinois.
The Broncos have been playing solid basketball, but they did drop two out of their final four games of the year. My hope is that if Illinois does get the No. 6 seed, we can take on a No. 11 like Boise State.