Let’s rewind back to mid-December, as the Illinois basketball team drops a home game to then-No. 23 Nebraska.
The Illini dropped to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten after that loss. At the time, it didn’t seem that Illinois was going to contend for one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament.
That loss changed everything, though. Since the disappointing close loss to the Cornhuskers, Illinois has gone on one of the best runs in program history. This run includes winning 11 games in a row. But moreover, the quality of wins matters more.
Illinois has had five games on the road in that 11-game stretch, all of which were, of course, victories. Three of those five games were against ranked opponents. No. 19 Iowa was the first game. Two out of the last three wins overall have really elevated Illinois from a quality NCAA tournament seed to now being in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
Just a week ago, Illinois had an all-time performance from Keaton Wagler to knock off then-No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette. This victory enabled the Illini to crack the top 10 and put us in the national spotlight.
It was this Sunday that skyrocketed the Orange and Blue to another atmosphere. Going on the road in Lincoln and taking down No. 5 Nebraska was huge for the Illini. We now have two top-five wins in the past three games.
Coming into the weekend, Illinois was already solidly a two-seed by multiple NCAA tournament predictions. Nebraska was a projected No. 1 seed. With the win, the Illini are surely going to be slotted as a No. 1 in the updated NCAA tournament projection.
On top of those wins, Illinois' schedule the rest of the way out is promising. We have nine games left, with the only ranked contests being on the road against No. 7 Michigan State and home against No. 3 Michigan. This is a schedule that Illinois can feast on.
The Illinois basketball NET Rankings only continue to get stronger after Sunday’s huge win
The NCAA tournament takes the NET Rankings into account when seeding programs. The better the record against Quad 1 teams, the better chance for a No. 1 seed come March.
After the win over Nebraska, Illinois now sits at 7-3 overall against Quad 1 programs. Only three other teams in college basketball have more Quad 1 wins – Michigan, Duke, and Arizona.
Beyond those three programs, Illinois can make the claim for a top seed: 11 wins in a row, and victories over two top-five programs. That is a resume that the Illini can hold up high when all the dust settles. There is still more work to do, though. Let’s finish this thing strong.