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Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) controls the ball during the first half against the VCU Rams in a second-round game of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois vs. Houston opening odds give fans every right to think an upset is coming

Sam Fariss

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Mar 22, 2026

Brad Underwood's fiery postgame interview will have Illinois fans dreaming

Sam Fariss

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Mar 22, 2026

Andrej Stojakovic reminds Illinois how unselfish he is with amazing postgame message

Sam Fariss

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Mar 22, 2026

Illinois basketball sends VCU head coach home to a potentially unhappy household

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 22, 2026

Illinois forward Cearah Parchment (30), guard Aaliyah Guyton (1), and forward Berry Wallace (23) celebrate defeating Colorado in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026.

NCAA tournament success has Illinois basketball way ahead of schedule

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 22, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) scores near VCU Rams forward Michael Belle (8) March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Illinois basketball is more equipped to handle Houston in NCAA tournament this time

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 22, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood

Bad draw or not, Brad Underwood’s season is not a success yet

Josh Yourish

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Mar 22, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood watches as his team plays March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against VCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

5 interesting Brad Underwood quotes from the Illinois basketball presser vs VCU

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 21, 2026

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings (0) defends against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Another Illinois basketball player enters legendary status in NCAA tournament

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 21, 2026

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

5 incredible observations from the Illinois basketball win over VCU

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 21, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) passes to forward David Mirkovic (0) near VCU Rams guard Tyrell Ward (15) during the first half of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois would have breezed past VCU with or without Nyk Lewis in the lineup

Sam Fariss

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Mar 21, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) passes the ball Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

A golden opportunity awaits Illinois basketball in the NCAA tournament

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 21, 2026

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts to a play against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

3 keys for Illinois basketball to avoid the upset against VCU

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 21, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) reacts after making a shot Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Illinois Fighting Illini won 105-70.

One incalculable stat Illinois basketball has to deal with against VCU

Kellen Sherman

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Mar 21, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) shoots the ball Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers.

Thursday confirmed the Illini are on a clear crash course in the South Region

Sam Fariss

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Mar 20, 2026

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood instructs his team against the Penn Quakers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois vs. VCU betting line doesn't mean Brad Underwood can take it easy

Sam Fariss

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Mar 20, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44)

Illinois should be completely immune to the UNC problems VCU exploited in its upset win

Josh Yourish

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Mar 20, 2026

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Brad Underwood made it clear what's on his mind after Illinois throttled Penn

Sam Fariss

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Mar 20, 2026

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) dribbles the ball against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first-round game of the NCAA Tournament.

Brad Underwood got an emphatic answer from Illinois's biggest March Madness question mark

Sam Fariss

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Mar 20, 2026

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Illinois basketball vs VCU how to watch, series history, and players to watch

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 20, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) is defended by Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Illinois has impeccable timing, as everything is coming together for an NCAA tournament run

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 20, 2026

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) dribbles the ball against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

David Mirkovic rewrites Illinois record book in an epic NCAA tournament performance

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 19, 2026

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) celebrates after scoring Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

5 huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over Penn

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 19, 2026

Penn Quakers guard Michael Zanoni (7) and Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) defend Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first-round game.

David Mirkovic gives Brad Underwood exactly what he had been asking for vs. Penn

Sam Fariss

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Mar 19, 2026

Feb 15, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois needs to take advantage of the NCAA tournament gift from North Carolina

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 19, 2026

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood chats with Penn Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Mid-major NCAA tournament upsets should have Illinois basketball on high alert

Rees Woodcock

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Mar 19, 2026

Penn Quakers forward TJ Power (12)

Final Penn injury report vs. Illinois fuels uncertainty about Quakers' upset chances

Josh Yourish

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Mar 19, 2026

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) talks during a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Final odds and predictions for No. 3 Illinois vs. Penn in NCAA Tournament first round

Sam Fariss

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Mar 19, 2026

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