Illinois will get previous Iowa State, advances to Elite Eight in NCAA match

BOSTON — The Illinois males’s basketball crew is so skilled that a lot of its gamers would not get carded at a neighborhood dive bar. They’re bodily sufficient that their entrance line seems to be prefer it could possibly be auditioning for linebacker spots on the NFL mix.

The Illini stability that age and edge with an offense that may hum like a jazz band, with prospers of deft passes and cuts which have shaped certainly one of nation’s most effective and efficient items.

That concord manifested itself in a first-half burst on Thursday night time and a closing kick that allowed No. 3 Illinois to outlast No. 2 Iowa State 72-69 within the spherical of 16 within the NCAA match on Saturday night time.

Illinois solved the nation’s most effective protection Saturday, leaping out with abandon within the opening minutes to construct a 13-point lead and by no means relinquishing the result in high Iowa State, which minimize the result in two thrice within the closing 10 minutes. Illinois scored the sport’s first eight factors and by no means flinched, enduring star Terrence Shannon Jr.’s second-half foul bother and flummoxing Iowa State’s offense.

The spot within the Elite Eight continues Illinois’ deepest NCAA match run since 2005, when the Illini misplaced within the nationwide title recreation. And the Illini teased with sufficient potential in opposition to the Cyclones that they left followers at TD Backyard questioning if they may show a worthy foil to defending nationwide champion UConn after they meet Saturday night time with a spot within the Last 4 on the road.

“We did not come right here to win one recreation,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood mentioned. “We got here right here to win two.”

UConn blasted No. 5 San Diego State 82-52 earlier Thursday to reaffirm the Huskies’ standing because the nation’s greatest crew and the match’s No. 1 general seed. UConn, which has misplaced only one recreation since late December, will face Illinois for the primary time since 1994.

There have been bursts in Thursday night time’s recreation the place Illinois regarded like a worthy foil. Junior ahead Luke Goode mentioned the Illini will take a “why not us” mindset into the sport as he mentioned the veteran Illini “have seen all of it.”

“I’ve extra of a respect for them,” mentioned Illinois ahead Coleman Hawkins. “I feel it is a greater stage of respect. I feel they have been taking part in nice all yr. I feel they’re well-coached, and so they do what they do.”

The linchpin of any Illinois upset bid on Saturday will likely be Shannon, the star guard who completed with 29 factors in Thursday’s win. That included sitting for greater than 5 minutes within the second half after choosing up his fourth foul with 11:17 remaining. He is averaging 28.3 factors per recreation within the NCAA match and has scored greater than 25 in seven straight video games.

Shannon hit a essential 3-pointer to spice up the Illinois result in 5 with almost 5 minutes to go.

“He is as aggressive an offensive participant as there may be within the nation, and he’s taking part in at such a excessive stage,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger mentioned. “You may’t let a man like that get the alternatives that we allowed for him early the place he received his confidence going.”

Illinois and Iowa State entered the sport because the elite groups on reverse ends: Iowa State’s protection ranked No. 1 in adjusted defensive effectivity, and Illinois introduced the nation’s No. 2 offense.

However it was Illinois’ protection — not a defining trait — that ended up sealing the sport, as Shannon took a steal the size of the court docket and dunked the ball with 24 seconds remaining to offer Illinois a six-point lead.

Iowa State performed valiantly within the second half to return again, however its efforts had been undone by some self-inflicted wounds, because the Cyclones shot 13-for-28 on layups and dunks.

Illinois overcame its personal hints at self-destruction, flopping on the free throw line. Underwood joked the Illini missed “102 free throws” — in actuality they had been 15-of-29.

All 4 of Illinois’ main scorers are over 22 years outdated, and the collective roster is No. 11 within the nation in KenPom.com’s expertise metric. (Solely Creighton is greater amongst groups left within the match.)

“We have performed a number of faculty basketball,” mentioned Illinois guard Marcus Domask, a 23-year-old graduate scholar. “I’ve performed a number of groups which might be purported to beat us, if you happen to say they’re purported to beat us.”

Otzelberger identified that each one of Illinois’ starters are 6-foot-6 or taller, giving them an imposing crew that set a bodily tone within the opening minutes in opposition to the Cyclones.

“They’re undoubtedly an older, skilled, veteran group with some larger our bodies, and so they had been the extra bodily crew for a big a part of the sport,” he mentioned.

All that measurement and expertise go away the Illini respectful of UConn, however undaunted.

“That is what you put together for,” Goode mentioned. “It is tremendous thrilling to have the chance to go play the No. 1 crew within the nation within the Elite Eight. You may’t ask for something higher, actually. It is a blessing for all of us to have that chance.”