The Sweet 16 got Thursday evening underway, as one of the two late-night games saw the Illinois Fighting Illini visit Houston, Texas, to take on the Houston Cougars, with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
The Illini (27-9) pulled off the unexpected with a 65-55 win against the Cougars (30-7) in a game spearheaded by a 17-0 second-half run after clinging to a 24-22 halftime lead. The victory marks the Illini’s second Elite Eight berth in three seasons under coach Brad Underwood, as they defeated Iowa State in 2024 before falling one game short of a Final Four trip to the eventual national champion, UConn.
Illinois was led by double-double outings from the duo of forward David Mirkovic (14 points, 10 rebounds) and guard Keaton Wagler (13 points, 12 rebounds) as the lead eventually grew to as many as 18 points.
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Underwood, whose team was 4-5 in its last nine games entering the NCAA Tournament, now finds itself one win away from a Final Four berth for the first time in 21 seasons. Illinois will have to beat the Iowa Hawkeyes (24-12) to do so, however, as the Hawkeyes eliminated the Nebraska Cornhuskers (28-7) 77-71 earlier in the evening.
Tip is set for 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday night at Toyota Center, the second meeting this season between the two long-time rivals.
In a tweet from Big Ten Network, it marks the first time since 2014 that at least three Big Ten teams clinched a spot in the Elite Eight. The number can increase to five should Michigan State and Michigan beat the Huskies and Alabama Crimson Tide, respectively, on Friday night.
Underwood’s quote about having to beat the Houston Cougars in Houston in a de facto home game aged well. declaring that the environment simply did not matter when it came to completing the task at hand.
“I couldn’t care less [about where we play],” Underwood told reporters Wednesday. “I’m an old JUCO ball coach. I drove on 16 passenger vans. I drove from Dodge City, Kansas, to Mesa, Arizona, for a basketball game… If you had told me back then that I’m getting to coach basketball in the Sweet 16 and play Houston – I would sign up for it, I would crawl to get there.””
Following the win, Underwood had yet another classic moment. In his own unique way, a precursor to a Saturday night boxing match was used. It’s likely the only fitting way to describe a team comprised of veterans and raw young talent.
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“You want to throw the first punch… You don’t want to take a chance of getting knocked out if they throw the first one – so let’s throw the first one,” Underwood said during his scrum.
We’ll see if the Illini can keep their momentum rolling. But with some big brand-name teams seeing seasons come to an end, a chance to go to Indianapolis and contend for a national title in under 10 days appears alive and well.
Only time will tell.
