Illinois Advances to Final Four After Elite Eight Victory Over Iowa
The University of Illinois men's basketball team secured a 71-59 victory over the University of Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday, March 28, earning a spot in the Final Four for the first time since 2005. Illinois, a No. 3 seed, will now face No. 2 seed UConn in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4, in Indianapolis.
Elite Eight Showdown: Illinois vs. Iowa
The Elite Eight contest between Illinois and Iowa marked the 17th time two conference opponents have met in this round since seeding began in 1979. The rivalry between the Big Ten teams dates back to 1908.
Illinois, coached by Brad Underwood in his ninth year, was making its second Elite Eight appearance in three years and sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Iowa, a No. 9 seed, was led by first-year coach Ben McCollum, a four-time Division II national champion at Northwest Missouri State. McCollum's team had advanced further than the program had in over 30 years, including a victory over top-seeded Florida in the second round.
The two teams had previously met on January 11, with Illinois winning 75-69.
Game Summary: Illinois 71, Iowa 59
Battle on the Court
Illinois secured a 71-59 victory over Iowa in the South Region final. The game featured 12 lead changes, with Illinois not holding a lead in the first half but gaining its first advantage after halftime.
Key Performances
Illinois outrebounded Iowa 38-21. Freshman Keaton Wagler led Illinois scorers with 25 points and was named the MVP of the region. Andrej Stojakovic contributed 17 points for Illinois. David Mirkovic added 12 rebounds. Croatian twin brothers Tomislav Ivisic (7-foot-1) and Zvonimir Ivisic (7-foot-2) also contributed; Coach Brad Underwood had recruited players from Eastern Europe.
Iowa's scoring was led by Bennett Stirtz, who finished with 24 points. Stirtz had previously played for Coach McCollum at Northwest Missouri State and Drake. Isaia Howard and Sage Tate also contributed points for Iowa late in the game.
Game-Deciding Moments
Key sequences in the second half included an 8-0 run by Illinois, featuring four points from Tomislav Ivisic, which established a 58-51 lead with under five minutes remaining. Zvonimir Ivisic extended the lead to 60-52 with an alley-oop dunk approximately four minutes from the end. Although Sage Tate made four consecutive free throws for Iowa to reduce the deficit to four points with two minutes left, a layup from Stojakovic and two free throws from Wagler secured the victory for Illinois, bringing the score to 67-59.
Path to the Final Four
With this win, Illinois secured its sixth trip to the NCAA Final Four in program history. The team's last Final Four appearance was in 2005, where it lost in the national championship game. Illinois has not previously won a national title.
The Fighting Illini, with an overall record of 28-8, are scheduled to play the UConn Huskies in the Final Four.
Final Four Opponent: UConn Huskies
Illinois will compete against No. 2 seed UConn in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. UConn enters the game with an overall record of 33-5. UConn advanced to the Final Four by defeating Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight on March 28. In that game, UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. recorded 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots, three assists, and two steals.
Earlier in the season, UConn defeated Illinois 74-61 on November 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Final Four game between Illinois and UConn is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with a tip-off time of 6:09 p.m. ET (5:09 p.m. CT).
Championship Implications and Betting Odds
The winner of the Illinois-UConn Final Four game will advance to the NCAA Tournament national championship game, which is scheduled for Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT).
According to DraftKings Sportsbook data from Sunday evening, Illinois is a 1.5-point favorite against UConn, with the over/under for total points set at 139.5. Initial betting trends indicated 73% of placed bets were on UConn.