After a very impressive regular season, No. 4 Illinois men’s gymnastics’ postseason journey now begins. Traveling to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Championships, the Illini will compete as a team on Friday with individual competitions following on Saturday.

Originally picked to finish last in the Big Ten in preseason polling, Illinois’ 2023 season was the definition of “exceeding expectations.” Earning an overall record of 10-4 and a 2-2 mark in conference play, the Illini accomplished this despite an absolute gauntlet of a schedule. In just 14 matchups, Illinois managed to compete against eight of the top 10 programs in the country, with Illinois itself and No. 9 Navy being the only two missing. In those eight meetings, Illinois split the crowd for four wins and four losses.

Of the five Big Ten schools with men’s gymnastics teams, Illinois was second only to No. 3 Michigan by the end of the regular season. The Illini competed against Michigan twice this season, once at the Windy City Invitational and once in conference play. Although Illinois walked away on top of the entire Windy City Invitational, that success could not be replicated later in the season when Michigan walked away with a 411.25-405.55 victory in the season finale.

Despite ending a season on a loss to perhaps Illinois’ biggest threat in the Big Ten Championships, there was a lot to like about the Illini’ s performance. Senior Connor McCool broke a career-high on the floor with 14.9 points, while graduate student Michael Fletcher earned a career-high 14.30 points on parallel bars and Illinois as a whole put up an incredibly respectable 405.55 points.

Ultimately finishing as last place in the Big Ten, No. 7 Ohio State may present more of a threat to the Illini than what meets the eye. Boasting a similar story as the Wolverines, Ohio State fell to the Illini at the Windy City Invitational before rallying for a win over them later on in the season. Admittedly, there was a much tighter margin of victory for the Buckeyes, 401.00-399.20, but as the hosts of the competition and one of just two Big Ten squads to come out on top of the Illini this season, Ohio State is a team Illinois will have to be prepared for.

As for the Illini, they have more than proven more than capable of showing up when it matters the most. Marquee wins such as their nearly 13-point victory over No. 10 Cal (399.40-386.250) and 16.3 routing of No. 5 Nebraska (411.550-395.250) are prime examples of this. Illinois has capitalized on poor performance from its opponents all season long, having not lost a single competition where the opponent scored less than 400.00 points. If any other Big Ten school wants any hope at placing over Illinois, they will have to bring their top game, or the Illini will soar right by them.

Beginning at 7 p.m. this Friday and being broadcast on Big Ten Network, Illinois will look to further solidify an exceptional season with a strong outing in the Big Ten Championships.

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