The Illinois basketball team was dominant in their first game of the NCAA tournament, defeating former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery and the Penn Quakers.
It was a one-sided affair for a majority of the contest on Thursday night, with the Illini leading for about 90% of the entire game. Illinois put on a clinic offensively at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, led by freshman David Mirkovic's 29 points and 17 rebounds in 28 minutes of work.
But on Saturday, Illinois will have a new test in front of them, as they get set to take on the No. 11 seed VCU Rams in the Round of 32. It will be the second time in history these two programs square off against each other, with Illinois winning the first bout on December 3, 2016, by a score of 64-46.
This game comes just 48 hours after VCU pulled off one of the most miraculous upsets in tournament history, taking down the No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels 82-78. It was a game for the ages between these two teams, with the Rams erasing a 19-point deficit to eventually win in overtime.
VCU's grit and tenacity were on full display in this game, and they pushed themselves to the brink against a blue blood. This game was what March is all about, and it has us asking if they can do it again against a much tougher Illinois squad.
VCU is one of those teams that's built for March and should not be overlooked by Illinois
If you are a basketball purist or a nerd for the numbers, you probably could spout off a multitude of different reasons why Illinois is going to win this game. Whether it's the fact that the Illini are No. 1 in the country in offensive efficiency, or that they're No. 17 in points per game, there are facts and figures to back up your argument.
But even with all of those numbers at our disposal, the one thing that is always hard to ignore in March is a team's grit. It's a program's ability to stay in the fight when the going gets tough, and end strong even when the outcome seems bleak.
That is exactly what VCU did this past Thursday in an absolute classic of a matchup against the Tar Heels. They never gave up, they made their adjustments at the half, and they created a moment for themselves behind sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr's 34 points in 40 minutes of play.
Granted, the Illini have a great roster of their own. They are leaps and bounds better than North Carolina right now, especially with their star freshman Caleb Wilson sidelined with a broken right thumb. But regardless of that, I have see them blow multiple double-digit leads this season, including a 15-point lead in the Big Ten Tournament against Wisconsin.
If Brad Underwood has this team running on all cylinders, they will be fine. They should blow through this game rather easily. But if they let off the gas at any point, then this VCU team has the power to make them pay. They have two guards in Hill and freshman Nyk Lewis, who can create shots and create momentum out of nowhere.
Fans can disagree all they want and say that grit is not something to worry about, but that is the beauty of March; anything can happen.