Good Morning, Illini Nation: Staying confident
Mar. 16—Which version of Illinois will show up this coming week in the NCAA tournament?
The Illini that got throttled by Duke? The Illini that bounced back with four straight wins? Or the Illini that were on track for another Blue Devils-esque beatdown before Maryland started pulling its starters EARLY in the second half of the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals?
It's a fair question. Consistency has been a real bugaboo for Illinois this season — even when the team is at full strength.
But the up-and-down nature of the season hasn't derailed the Illini's confidence.
"We've had two bad losses, but at the same time, we beat Michigan and Purdue," Illinois guard Kylan Boswell said. "For us, it's nothing to worry about. Like I said, we've got to watch the film, and then when we find out where we're going, we've just got to know it's win or go home. And we've got to have the right mentality when we go into March.
"I feel confident as always. I'll never not say that. Sometimes it's good though to get your butt handed to you right before you walk into March. I think (coach Brad Underwood) said that Iowa (a blowout win in the second round of the Big Ten tournament) was kind of a false reality. Maryland ... it was a shock to our central nervous system. You just can't come out there not ready to hoop at any point."
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Good Morning, Illini Nation: NCAA seeding implications
Mar. 14—Illinois' opportunity to improve its NCAA tournament seeding will continue today. Beating Iowa and adding another Quad II win to their résumé didn't do much for the Illini. They entered ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Good Morning, Illini Nation: Explaining two blowouts to the Terps
Mar. 15—Illinois now has a dozen losses after Friday night's 88-65 defeat in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Seven of those 12 losses have been by ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Departing Illini make an impression on NFL scouts
Mar. 14—CHAMPAIGN — If you think this year's Illinois Pro Day was big (eight participants), just wait until next year. All the players who said "no" to NFL for now — Gabe Jacas, Luke Altmyer, J.C. ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Illinois wins offensive showdown against Iowa to set up Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup with Maryland
INDIANAPOLIS — Illinois coach Brad Underwood and his players knew they might be in for an offensive showdown when they matched up with Iowa on Thursday night in the second round of the Big Ten ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Big Ten Tournament - Illinois vs. Maryland Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats
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Jakucionis' 3-pointer completes Illinois' rally for 88-80 win over No. 18 Purdue
Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to put Illinois ahead for good, and the Illini rallied past No. 18 Purdue 88-80ABC News - Mar. 8 -
Jakucionis’ 3-pointer completes Illinois’ rally for 88-80 win over No. 18 Purdue
Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to put Illinois ahead for good, and the Illini rallied past No. 18 Purdue 88-80 on Friday night.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 8 -
Kylan Boswell scores 24 points to help No. 24 Illinois beats Iowa 106-94 in Big Ten tourney
Kylan Boswell scored a career-high 24 points and four other Illinois players finished in double digits as the 24th-ranked Fighting Illini beat 15th-seeded Iowa 106-94 in a wild second-round Big Ten ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Kylan Boswell scores 24 points to help No. 24 Illinois beat Iowa 106-94 in Big Ten tourney
Tre White had 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Illinois (21-11) won its fourth straight. The Illini face No. 11 Maryland in Friday’s third quarterfinal ...Yahoo Sports - 2d
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