Then there were four! UConn, Illinois, Arizona, and Michigan all head to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend. A trip to the National Championship game is on the line. Let’s zero in on the first of the two games, and preview this Illinois Illini vs UConn Huskies game and make our Final Four pick.
Tipoff for No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn is scheduled for 6:09 PM. It’ll air on TBS/HBO Max. Ian Eagle will be joined by Grant Hill and Bill Raferty on the call, with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines.
No. 3 Illinois
Illinois stood tall in a tough Big Ten Conference. Playing in such a tough conference no doubt conditioned and prepared them for the NCAA Tournament. The Illini have cruised through the tournament to this point. Penn was no contest in the First Round, and VCU just couldn’t hang in the Second Round. They left no doubt over the last two rounds, bullying their way to a Final Four berth for the first time since 2005. The Illini took down No. 2-seeded Houston before demolishing Big Ten foe Iowa in the Elite Eight.
No. 2 UConn
The Huskies finished second place in the Big East regular season, and then got stomped by St John’s in the Big East Tournament. When it came to the NCAA Tournament, they also cruised through their first two matchups. Furman kept it respectable, and they blew the doors off UCLA. The last two rounds were much tougher for the Huskies. They jumped up on Michigan State in the first half, but it was a close game down to the bitter end, with the Huskies pulling it off. Then in the Elite Eight, UConn was down 19 to the No. 1 overall-seeded Duke Blue Devils. Then, after climbing back into the game, the magic of March struck with just .4 seconds left in the game. Freshman Braylon Mullins launched a deep three, swoosh! UConn was headed to the Final Four. UConn is no stranger to the Final Four; this is their third trip in the last four years under head coach Dan Hurley.
No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn
These teams played in November, with UConn winning 75-61. They won by the same grit that they used to beat Duke. Out-rebounding, out-hustling, tough defense. This Illinois team has found their rhythm, and it is going to be tough to beat. Clearly, you can’t ever count this Huskies team out. But the Illini have the size. They’ve been doing the dirty work on the boards, they’ve been putting teams away, and leaving them away. UConn showed the ability to come back, but also the ability to go down 19. It’ll come down to lockdown defense and out-powering the Huskies. Give me the Illini to win this one comfortably and exact revenge for their earlier season loss.
Pick: Illinois -1.5
