Over four months of basketball has led to Friday’s matchup against No. 11 seed Xavier (22-11). However, none of it matters anymore when the ball is tipped in Milwaukee and one of the most entertaining single-elimination tournaments in the world begins.
No. 6 seed Illinois (21-12) received a favorable position on Selection Sunday. After an inconsistent final two months of the season, it not only earned a No. 6 seed, but also gets to play close to home. Milwaukee is less than a four-hour drive from Champaign and even closer to Chicago. This could pose an advantage for the Illini, as it did their opponent in the First Four.
Know the foe
Similar to the Illini, the Musketeers endured a rough middle patch of the season and were not expected to make the tournament until the very end. They were 9-7 at one point, then 14-10 with seven regular-season contests left. The Musketeers were victorious in all seven, including a fantastic 22-point win over the No. 9-seeded Creighton Bluejays (25-10), which helped them in a battle among bubble teams.
Despite having won eight of its last nine games, Xavier is still believed to be one of the worst teams in the tournament. But, just like Illinois, the regular season no longer matters. Every team has its seed, with one prove-it game at a time where anything can happen.
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Seven of the Musketeers’ eight regular players are upperclassmen, giving them plenty more experience than the Illini. This veteran poise was evident in the second half of their comeback victory over No. 11 seed Texas (19-16) in Xavier’s tournament opener.
Graduate student forward Zach Freemantle leads Xavier. He leads the team in points (17.2), rebounds (7) and blocks (0.8). Able to stretch the floor at 6-foot-9, Freemantle is Xavier’s counter to Illinois sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić on both sides of the ball and is one of a few players to watch in navy.
While Xavier doesn’t have much NCAA tournament experience, its veteran lineup consists of multiple guys with extensive National Invitation Tournament experience. Freemantle and junior guard Ryan Conwell are the top two players on the roster and have each played in an NIT championship game in the last two seasons. It isn’t quite the level of competition of the Big Dance, but they didn’t seem to lack anything in their game against the Longhorns.
Graduate student guard Dante Maddox Jr. will be another name to watch. The transfer from Chicago Heights, Illinois, was considering joining the Illini last offseason. He ultimately landed with the Musketeers, but he was a difference maker with 10 points in their first game and could have some extra motivation against his home-state program.
Recent tournament action
Despite some rough memories lately that ended Illinois’ potential tournament runs, head coach Brad Underwood has been solid in the tournament. His team has made five consecutive tournaments now, for the first time since the program made eight straight from 2000-2007.
The program has won at least one game in three of the first four tournaments during this stretch, including last year during Illinois’ Elite Eight run. Each opening-round victory was against a lower seed, which is what Illinois faces Friday.
It is also Underwood’s fifth consecutive year with a new seed. Illinois hasn’t been a No. 6 since 1997 when it beat USC in the Round of 64 before falling to to Chattanooga. The Illini hope to last longer than the 1997 team did this year, and it starts Friday at 8:45 p.m.
@benfader7
