While the brief history between the Fighting Illini and the UConn Huskies doesn't lean in Illinois's favor, this has been a season of rewriting the record books and defying expectations.
Over nearly 90 years since the Illini and Huskies first shared a court, the two teams have met just five times, and UConn has (somewhat unsurprisingly) dominated the series over the last couple of decades.
Illinois men's basketball vs. UConn series history
- Overall record: 4-1, UConn
- First-ever meeting: Dec. 21, 1938 - Illinois, 49-23
- Most recent meeting: Nov. 28, 2025 - UConn, 74-61
Illinois won the first meeting between the two, and hasn't been able to secure a victory against UConn since, including falling to the Huskies in this regular season.
Two years ago, the two met in the Elite Eight, where UConn handed Illinois a 77-52 loss, preventing head coach Brad Underwood from achieving his goal to make it to the Final Four for a couple more seasons.
In the early 1990s, the Fighting Illini and the Huskies had two meetings (1992, 1994), and UConn walked away with both wins by just 19 combined points.
So, no, Illinois doesn't have a great history against UConn, and Underwood has yet to defeat the Huskies since he took over the program in Champaign. However, the Illini have already upset the Houston Cougars and have undeniably earned their place in the Final Four.
While UConn and head coach Dan Hurley pose a formidable opponent, the Fighting Illini cannot let the past affect the present, and cannot let Illinois's rough history against the Huskies affect their mindset going into the semifinal matchup.
In fact, even the Vegas oddsmakers are apparently ignoring the past and came out with the opening odds favoring Illinois over UConn.
On Saturday, April 4, the No. 3-seed Illini and the No. 2-seed Huskies are scheduled to tip off at 5:09 p.m. CT, and the game will be aired on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max.