The Illini

[BUSongwriter]

With last night's loss to Penn State, the Illini are certainly limping into the Big Dance. They have lost 3 of 4 and are under .500 since Feb. 1. As an 8 or 9 seed, I don't expect them to be dancing for long. What do you think?

As a lifelong Illinois resident with some ties to the University of Illinois, I should have some love for the Illini. But I don't, I suppose stemming from their refusal to play Bradley. Much better for them to pad their win total by facing intense non-conference rivals like Monmouth, Lindenwood, and Bethune-Cookman.

They have such advantages over us in budget, recruiting, exposure, etc. Yet I believe this year's healthy Braves team would give them a really good run for their money . . . so to speak. Sad that we'll never know.

[Tommy]

No idea how things will turn out, but I'll be rooting for all the power conference teams to lose.

[Da Coach]

Yes, they will get an at-large NCAA bid. With the loss yesterday to the lower-seeded Penn State, the Illini's NET only dropped from #33 to #35. That is exactly what the NET formula was designed to do. It rewards Illinois for playing all those games in the conference against other teams with decent NET numbers, which Bradley will never get a chance at.
As BUSongwriter said, it will drop their seeding a notch or two, probably to 9 or 10-seed, which will give them a tough first game.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi's newest Bracketology has them as a #9 seed playing #8 seed Arkansas in the first round-
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ld-predictions

CBSSports' Jerry Palm has them as a #10-seed playing #7 seed Creighton in the first round.-
https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba.../bracketology/

[Stryker]

With last night's loss to Penn State, the Illini are certainly limping into the Big Dance. They have lost 3 of 4 and are under .500 since Feb. 1. As an 8 or 9 seed, I don't expect them to be dancing for long. What do you think?

As a lifelong Illinois resident with some ties to the University of Illinois, I should have some love for the Illini. But I don't, I suppose stemming from their refusal to play Bradley. Much better for them to pad their win total by facing intense non-conference rivals like Monmouth, Lindenwood, and Bethune-Cookman.

They have such advantages over us in budget, recruiting, exposure, etc. Yet I believe this year's healthy Braves team would give them a really good run for their money . . . so to speak. Sad that we'll never know.

As opposed to the teams BU played in the non-conference such as Wisconsin Parkside, Eastern Michigan, and Merrimack? Anyone can cherry pick all day, but it doesn't change the fact that Illinois has wins over Texas and UCLA this year in their non-conference. I'm not saying IL is anything to write home about and I am also going to be one of the first to point out the unfair advantages the power 5 teams have and the NCAA being in bed with them, but this is a bit disingenuous.

[pauly616]

I was thinking the same thing. Illini lose in their opening round of the tournament and it hardly hurts their NET or their at large chances. Bradley loses in the championship game of their tournament. Has no shot of an at large and their net drops 20+ just by playing in the conference tournament and not winning the whole thing. Meanwhile other Big 10 teams will get to host NIT games because they were in the bottom of their POWER league and play a top mid major who has no chance of making the NCAA tournament without winning their conference tournament.

[Stryker]

I was thinking the same thing. Illini lose in their opening round of the tournament and it hardly hurts their NET or their at large chances. Bradley loses in the championship game of their tournament. Has no shot of an at large and their net drops 20+ just by playing in the conference tournament and not winning the whole thing. Meanwhile other Big 10 teams will get to host NIT games because they were in the bottom of their POWER league and play a top mid major who has no chance of making the NCAA tournament without winning their conference tournament.

If the mid majors are actually good they will go on the road and destroy those 9th or 10th place power conference teams then.