As of typing this article, the women’s Illinois basketball program is just hours away from taking on one of the top teams in the country.
The Illini are currently in Iowa to take on the No. 9-ranked Hawkeyes on Thursday night. This is a tilt between two programs that are both looking to move up in the NCAA tournament projections.
Iowa is comfortably a No. 2 seed, and they have a shot to continue to rise in the final weeks of the season. Getting a No. 1 seed would be huge for their team.
Illinois isn’t going to be able to get that high in the seedings, but for the Orange and Blue, a rare NCAA tournament accomplishment for the program still could be on the horizon.
As of right now, Illinois is projected to be a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament. The first round matchup would be against No. 9 Syracuse. Win that game, and the prize is a date with No. 1 UConn.
Hard pass.
Illinois is in a unique position, though. While we only have two games left of the 2025-26 campaign, those two contests are at No. 9 Iowa and home against No. 22 Minnesota.
A loss to either program doesn’t do much for seeding. Illinois would likely stay in that No. 8 vs No. 9 game. But here is where things could change drastically. One win in the final two games would change everything.
Both of Illinois’ final two games are against Quad 1 opponents. Minnesota is No. 8 in the NET Rankings, and Iowa isn’t too far behind at No. 10. That means one win in the final two contests would drastically improve our standing when it comes to March Madness.
So, the goal in the next four days is to go 1-1. That is all I am asking. What does that get Illinois? A bump up in the NCAA tournament projection.
It doesn’t seem like a huge deal, a one-spot jump. But let me tell you, going from a No. 8 seed and potentially playing No. 1 UConn in the second round, to a No. 7 seed and going up against anyone but the Huskies sounds like an intriguing proposition.
The move up to a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament would be hugely impactful to the Illinois basketball program
On top of avoiding the matchup against UConn, which is a juggernaut most seasons but is especially good this year, Illinois would also do something we haven’t seen in quite some time.
Shauna Green getting Illinois to the NCAA tournament back in 2023 was something special, and it was the first time we had been to the Big Dance since 2003. Well, a bump up to a No. 7 seed would give the Illini their best seed in the NCAA tournament since 2000.
That is right. It has been 27 seasons since Illinois donned a No. 7 seed or better in the NCAA tournament. We were the No. 6 seed in that postseason. Only five times in the 46-year history of the program has Illinois been a top-seven seed in the NCAA tournament as well.
This program is special, and they continue to prove that each season. Let’s finish, at worst, 1-1 in the final two games and avoid UConn at all costs.