The Illinois Fighting Illini are in the Sweet 16 and it is just as exciting as it sounds.
However, now, the Illini have a massive uphill battle ahead of them: playing against the No. 2-seed Houston Cougars, and much to the chagrin of Illinois fans, the South Region of this year's bracket is scheduled to play the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in none other than... Houston.
The cherry on top? Illinois and Houston aren't scheduled to tip off until after 9 p.m. CT as the final game on the first day of Sweet 16 play.
Illinois's late tip-off vs. Houston presents another challenge
While the Sweet 16 games aren't played at the Cougars' home arena, the Fertitta Center, they are set to take place just eight minutes down the road, in the Houston Rockets' home at the Toyota Center.
Yes, you read that correctly, the Fighting Illini have to face the Cougars less than 10 minutes away from their home court.
Beyond the home-court advantage that Houston gets, the Illini now have to deal with the extremely late tip-off time, which, even if Illinois pulls off the upset, affects the next round by reducing the amount of time between the end of the Sweet 16 matchup and the Elite Eight game.
Yes, obviously, the Cougars also have to deal with the late tip-off time as well, but both before and after the game, they get to use their home facilities for preparation and recovery.
It's brutal for the team, and it might be even more brutal for the fans, who don't get the team-sponsored charter flight to Houston but still have to travel to support their program.
The odds are against the Illini, but not too heavily despite all of this. Houston is only favored by 3.5 points over Illinois, a spread that grew slightly when the tip-off time was set for 9:05 p.m.
In a more hopeful and optimistic vein, the Illini and head coach Brad Underwood haven't let any of this affect their mindsets for the upcoming game. They all have one thing in mind: winning this game and moving on to the next to eventually secure the National Championship.
Also read: Brad Underwood's fiery postgame interview will have Illinois fans dreaming
The No. 3-seed Fighting Illini and the No. 2-seed Cougars are scheduled to tip off at 9:05 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 26, and the game will be broadcast on TBS and truTV.