CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – For the fifth consecutive season, Illinois men’s basketball secured a No. 6 seed in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini will face off against No. 11 seed Xavier or Texas in the Round of 64, scheduled for Friday in Milwaukee. If Illinois wins, they will then face the winner of the No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 14 seed Troy game in their bracket pod for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Midwest region is led by No. 1 seed Houston, with No. 2 seed Tennessee also in the mix.
Illinois (21-12, 12-8 Big Ten) won six different conference games by 20+ points. However, the Illini also suffered the largest loss in program history to Duke and a 23-point defeat to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The team finished the regular season strong, winning three straight games, including victories over ranked opponents Michigan and Purdue.
Freshman star Kasparas Jakucionis remains the Illini’s leading scorer while Will Riley has averaged 16.3 points per game over his last 13 contests.
Sunday’s selection marks the 35th NCAA Tournament appearance in Illinois program history and the third time the Illini have received a No. 6 seed.