After an impressive season, Illinois (21-9, 11-7) is officially headed to the NCAA tournament. The Illini earned the No. 8 seed Sunday night in Birmingham Regional 3. For their first-round matchup, they will head to Austin, Texas, and face off against No. 9 seed Creighton (26-6) on Saturday.
Dancing partners
Despite a rocky finish to its season, Illinois earned a spot in the top half of the bracket. Its first game will be against Creighton. The Bluejays were the runners-up in the Big 12 tournament, losing to UConn (31-2).
Creighton was a tough win for opponents this season. The Bluejays average 72.1 points per game and shoot well from the floor. Two players average over 17 points per game. However, no other player averages double-digit points.
Also in its region, No. 1 seed Texas (31-3) would be next up should Illinois win. One of the best teams in the nation, Texas recently fell to No. 1 seed South Carolina (30-3) in the SEC tournament. Its first matchup will also be on Saturday against either No. 16 seeds High Point (21-11) or William & Mary (15-18).
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Season in review
After winning the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament last season, Illinois had three seniors return for one more year. Fifth-year guards Makira Cook and Genesis Bryant, as well as fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic, all returned for one more season together.
Expectations were high for the veteran-filled team after its first postseason championship. Things started well for the Illini. They started 10-2 and entered their conference slate full of confidence.
Fast forward a few weeks, and Illinois lost two of its best players for the season. Despite the tragic news, Illinois didn’t give up. Led by head coach Shauna Green, the Illini battled down the stretch. They won 10 of their 11 games after discovering they would be without Cook and sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan.
However, the team’s lack of depth caught up with it. Illinois dropped its last four games, including its first game in the Big Ten tournament. Tough opponents and a lack of rest led to the Illini’s sloppy finish.
Despite that skid, they earned a solid seed in the NCAA tournament. It is the highest they’ve been seeded under Green.
@ben_some16
