The Illinois basketball program took on what was perhaps their most challenging matchup of the 2023-24 season against the UConn Huskies on Saturday. Illinois lost their Elite 8 battle 77-52. Nevertheless, Head Coach Brad Underwood provided positive insight after his team's historical March Madness run.
Underwood admitted that Illinois' crushing loss was not what the team expected, but he is grateful to have had the opportunity to guide them during their impressive year.
“Great season. Tough ending. But man, I'm so blessed. I'm truly blessed that I got to coach this group. Today wasn't what any of us expected. With that being said, I might be the most blessed person in college basketball today,” Underwood said, per CBS Sports.
Underwood helped lead the Fighting Illini to a 29-9 record in addition to the program's fourth-ever Big 10 Championship victory. Illinois clinched the No. 2 seed in the East region and got past its first two March Madness matchups.
However, their run came to a stop when they hit the wall of the UConn basketball squad. The Huskies played hounding defense and took Illinois' top contributors out of the game.
Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. averaged 28.3 points during Illinois' first three 2024 NCAA Tournament matchups. Yet, he finished Saturday night's game with just eight points. Senior forward Marcus Domask was the only Illini to score in the double digits. He ended the matchup with 17 points.
Moreover, UConn held Illinois to 25.4% from the field and amassed 10 blocks and five steals. One area the Illini surprisingly had the Huskies beat in was three-point percentage. UConn shot a lowly 17.6% compared to Illinois' 26.1 mark.
Brad Underwood's squad did what they could to stay afloat, but the Huskies shot out of a cannon after halftime, putting on a 30-0 run. Despite the loss, there are positives to look in the future.
What's next for the Illinois basketball program
The 2023-24 season will be a special one for Brad Underwood and his crew. Illinois ended nearly a 20-year drought when they advanced to the Sweet 16 with their 89-63 victory over the Duquesne Dukes. The last time the program got as far was in 2005 when they advanced to the national title game before losing to North Carolina.
Underwood said the 2023-24 squad was his “favorite group” to coach after they completed the incredible feat. His post-game comments on Saturday backed his statement up. Yet, his team may be in store for even more in 2024-25.
Illinois ranks 20th in the nation for its Class of 2024 recruiting efforts, per 247 Sports. If the Illini can hold on to some of its contributors from their Elite 8 run, they could have another impressive year in store.
Of course, things will not get easier in the Big 10. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are bringing in the fourth-best recruiting class in the country, while Missouri sits right behind them at fifth. Rest assured these teams will be hungry for an improved conference and NCAA Tournament showing in 2024-25.
All in all, bright things are ahead for the Illinois basketball program. They fought hard against the reigning NCAA champions and can use their experience to come back stronger in the future.
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