CHAMPAIGN — Turns out Illinois didn’t even need to beat both Michigan and Ohio State this week to secure the No. 2 seed and a double bye in the Big Ten tournament.
The wins against the Wolverines and Buckeyes — both top 10 opponents, both on the road — was simply the cherry on top of a standout regular season. They also created just a touch of controversy. Illinois both finished a half game ahead of Michigan but also second to the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings.
The Illini made the argument they were Big Ten champions Saturday after beating Ohio State. That case only got stronger in the league’s unbalanced schedule (Michigan played just 17 games to Illinois’ 20) when the Wolverines lost Sunday at Michigan State.
“I definitely do,” senior guard Da’Monte Williams said about feeling like his the Illini were Big Ten champs. “We put in so much work for us to even be int his position.”
That work secured a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Illinois won’t play until Friday’s quarterfinals. The Illini will face the winner of second round matchup between No. 7 seed Rutgers and No. 10 seed Indiana. The Illini lost their only matchup against the Scarlet Knights in December in Piscataway, N.J., and swept the season series against the Hoosiers.
After last year’s Big Ten tournament cancellation, the Illini are primed to finally play. To finally make use of the same double bye they had a year ago. It’s the next step toward their ultimate goal.
“It feels great,” Illinois junior guard Ayo Dosunmu said. “This is exactly what I came back for — and more. I wanted to come back and cement my name with my teammates in Illinoi basketball history and college basketball history. We have a lot more to accomplish, but we’re going to soak all this in. Winning isn’t guaranteed. … To be here for three years and to also be on the other side of the stick where after (a regular season finale) three years ago we were worried about how we’d get back to our city because our record wasn’t that good. To be able to be in this position now is great. We just want more.”
Illinois enters the Big Ten tournament with a surplus of confidence. An easy place to be after winning 11 of 12 games to end the regular season. Six of those wins came on the road. The final three were all away from Champaign and against ranked opponents.
“We’re in a good place,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “I think you want to go in confident. You don’t want to go in doubting yourself. You want some assurance in your roles that everybody’s got. … It doesn’t mean you’re exempt from losing and gong home. You’ve got to go do your job.”
It might be some time before Illinois actually goes home once it hits Indianapolis for the Big Ten tournament. The Illini’s stay in the state of Indiana could be a lengthy one.
The Big Ten tournament will roll right into the NCAA tournament, which is in a single, centralized location this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Games will be played in four different venues in Indianapolis along with Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., and Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
Underwood is ready to stay in the Hoosier State for the long haul.
“I hope it’s a hell of a lot of fun,” the Illini coach said. “I just hope I’ve got enough socks and underwear and there’s a damn good dry cleaner in Indianapolis. I hope we’re there for a long time. It’s going to be fun. Looking forward to it.”
Big Ten tournament schedule
Wednesday, March 10 (First Round)
Game 1 (No. 12 Northwestern vs. No. 13 Minnesota) – 5:30 p.m. (BTN)
Game 2 (No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 14 Nebraska) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (BTN)
Thursday, March 11 (Second Round)
Game 3 (No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Michigan State) – 10:30 a.m. (BTN)
Game 4 (No. 5 Ohio State vs. Game 1 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 3 (BTN)
Game 5 (No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Indiana) – 5:30 p.m. (BTN)
Game 6 (No. 6 Wisconsin vs. Game 2 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)
Friday, March 12 (Quarterfinals)
Game 7 (No. 1 Michigan vs. Game 3 winner) – 10:30 a.m. (BTN)
Game 8 (No. 4 Purdue vs. Game 4 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)
Game 9 (No. 2 Illinois vs. Game 5 winner) – 5:30 p.m. (BTN)
Game 10 (No. 3 Iowa vs. Game 6 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)
Saturday, March 13 (Semifinals)
Game 11 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – Noon (CBS)
Game 12 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (CBS)
Sunday, March 14 (Championship)
Game 13 (Game 11 vs. Game 12 winner) – 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
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