Fans of the Illinois Fighting Illini show their thanks to the men's basketball squad after seeing their season come to an end after losing to the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
Illinois enjoyed a remarkable tournament run, beating the likes of Penn, VCU, Houston, and Iowa to get to the national semifinals. However, their momentum stopped after falling 71-62 to the Huskies.
Fans didn't take long to react to the result on social media, appreciating the success Illinois achieved with the tournament run. Here are some of their reactions.
“One if the most fun offenses to watch in recent memory. Definitely wore out the “exciting whites” meme,” one fan said.
“What a fight all tournament long 👏🔥Illinois left everything on the floor—nothing but respect 🤝🏀,” another remarked.
“Bunch of DOGS. Wish nothing but the best for Keaton & Boswell. We onto next season, was a lot of fun 🧡💙,” one commented.
“Thank you for an amazing season. Won’t forget this squad! 🔶🔷🔶🔷,” one replied.
“Hell yeah, they were!!! WE RUNNING IT BACK 🔶🔷 Ready for November now!” a fan said.
How Illinois played against UConn
Illinois fans will hope for the program to build on the success next season. After falling to UConn in the Final Four, they can anticipate higher expectations for next season.
Two players scored in double-digits for Illinois in the loss. Keaton Wagler led the team with a stat line of 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists. He shot 7-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. Tomislav Ivisic came next with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Andrej Stojakovic provided nine points and eight rebounds.
Illinois ended the campaign with a 28-9 overall record, having gone 15-5 in its Big Ten matchups. They secured an At-Large bid to March Madness as one of the best squads in the country, enjoying one of their best runs in program history since the mid-2000s.
