Illinois breaks through
No. 3 Illinois beat 9‑seed Iowa to lock up its first Final Four berth since 2005 — a milestone that punctuates a bruising, paint‑dominated tournament run for the Illini. The South Region clincher rounds out a weekend where top seeds largely held, but Illinois stood out by overpowering Big Ten rival Iowa to punch their ticket to Indianapolis. (usatoday.com) (espn.com)
Illinois closed the Elite Eight with a 71-59 victory at the Toyota Center in Houston on March 28, 2026, with attendance listed at 17,010. (espn.com) Freshman Keaton Wagler led Illinois with 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting and a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line. (espn.com) Andrej Stojakovic contributed 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and David Mirkovic finished with a team-high 12 rebounds (7 defensive, 5 offensive). (espn.com) Illinois outscored Iowa 40-12 in the paint, posted a 57% offensive-rebounding rate and shot 58% in the second half while holding Iowa to 23.1% in the final 20 minutes. (espn.com) The Illini won the rebounding margin 38-21 and committed eight turnovers to Iowa’s nine, with Stojakovic converting a late and-1 that helped close the game. (espn.com) The 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four is scheduled for April 4 and April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Illinois will play for a spot in the national championship. (lucasoilstadium.com)
