At this point in the proceedings, every game matters one way or the other for the Illinois basketball program.
On Saturday, the Illini laid an egg, losing our third game in the last five contests in overtime to UCLA. This was a disappointing loss because, like the other two overtime defeats, we had a chance to win the game.
With the loss, I would have assumed Illinois was dropping to the No. 3 seed line in the NCAA tournament bracket projections. That doesn’t seem to be the case, though.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN released his updated bracket prediction, and Illinois is still hanging on by a thread. He has us with the last No. 2 seed.
Illinois is projected to head out to the West Region, with the top seed being No. 1 Arizona. We would then have to go through the likes of No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 Michigan State to get to the Final 4.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 22, 2026
I would love it if this ended up being where Illinois landed for the NCAA tournament. Out of all the top 16 teams to play, I would choose Michigan State and Gonzaga among the top programs I want to play.
While Illinois basketball is still hanging on to a No. 2 seed, we have given life to another Big Ten program
Saturday was a brutal loss for the Illini, but it was a life raft for the Bruins. UCLA was the definition of a bubble team heading into that matchup.
Coming into the game, the Bruins were listed as one of the first four in. Those teams can get left out, though. UCLA needed a key win, and they got it against Illinois.
With the victory, UCLA now moves into the last four byes. They would likely be projected as a No. 10 or 11 seed. Let me tell you, that is going to be a terrifying team for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the second round.
At the end of the day, I do have something to say to UCLA. You’re welcome.