5 crushing observations from the Illinois basketball loss to UConn

5. This is the last time we will see this Illinois squad

Man, what a ride it has been. Illinois went from being a disorganized team that had no chemistry at the end of last season to making a big NCAA tournament run to the Elite 8 in 2023-24.

This team will live in Illinois history for their Elite 8 run. We got to see some special basketball leading up to the game against UConn, but the thought of how much change is about to occur really set in in the waning moments of the game on Saturday.

Every Illinois player fought against UConn, but they are the better team and showed that in the Elite 8. Sadly, this is the last time we see most of the Illinois lineup.

The Illini wouldn’t have made it to the Elite 8 without the talented experience we had in the starting lineup. Illinois had four starters who were at least four-year seniors, and three of them were five-year players. Coleman Hawkins already said he is gone, and Quincy Guerrier, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Marcus Domask will try their hand at the next level too.

That is four out of the five starters not coming back in 2023-24. Ty Rodgers is the lone starter returning, and I am excited about his potential.

On the bench, Illinois also has five-year player Justin Harmon likely departing the program. That means we are losing five out of the top seven players in minutes from this past season.

Every Illini fan should remember this squad because they took us to heights we haven’t seen in nearly two decades. They were a special unit, and this was the last time we saw these guys play together.