The Illinois basketball team is chugging along right now, sitting at 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten.
Heading into a ranked matchup in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes, the Illini are sitting in a great position for the NCAA tournament. Being ranked in the top 20 should get you a top-five seed in March, and right now, that is in line with where Joe Lunardi has the Orange and Blue.
In the most recent rendition of his yearly bracketology predictions, Lunardi has Illinois currently as a No. 4 seed for the NCAA tournament.
The first round would be in Philadelphia, so it isn’t a terrible location. The prediction right now is that we would be playing UNC Wilmington, who would be an automatic qualifier for winning the CAA. They are 16-2, which is a bit terrifying, but the Seahawks haven’t played anyone.
What intrigues me the most about the NCAA tournament prediction is what would be potentially waiting for the Illini if we got out of the first round.
Illinois basketball could have a national title rematch and a familiar face en route to the Elite 8
It has been a long time, and most people who are currently in college weren’t even born yet, but Illinois’ loss to North Carolina in the 2005 national championship game still stings. I am not going to lie, every time I see a score of 75-70 in any game, I cringe a bit.
Lunardi’s bracketology prediction would potentially have Illinois facing off against the Tar Heels in the second round. That would be an exciting matchup and one that I would like my chances of winning. The path to the Sweet 16 doesn’t seem too difficult.
The team waiting in the Sweet 16 would be interesting, though. Michigan is the No. 1 seed in that region of the bracket, and they would likely be the opponent Illinois has to get through to get to the Elite 8.
Man, wouldn’t that be a fun game? Illinois going up against a familiar team in Michigan, and the icing on the cake would be the hostility around Morez Johnson Jr. What a time to be alive.
This would be a great NCAA tournament to watch, and honestly, I would like Illinois’ chances. We have a good team this season, and there is no program that I don’t think we can beat.