Illinois annihilates VCU
Illinois blew out VCU with an up‑tempo attack and disruptive full‑court press, setting up a Sweet 16 ‘blockbuster’ against Houston — pundits called Illinois a team peaking at the right time. The matchup with Houston is already being hyped as a marquee Tournament game. (youtube.com) (ncaa.com)
No. 3 Illinois beat No. 11 VCU 76-55 on March 21, 2026 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.; the win moved Illinois to 26-8 while VCU fell to 28-8. (espn.com) Andrej Stojakovic led Illinois with 21 points, hitting 16 of those in the first half and punctuating the run with a dunk; Keaton Wagler finished with 14 points, 13 coming in the second half. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Tomislav Ivisic posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double‑double for the Illini, one of five Illinois players in double figures. (nba.com) VCU lost freshman guard Nyk Lewis to a right‑ankle sprain less than a minute into the game and he did not return; Lewis was this season’s Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. (espn.com) (vcuathletics.com) Illinois owned the glass 45-29, held VCU to 35.0% shooting from the floor and recorded five blocks as a team. (espn.com) The South Regional’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be played at Houston’s Toyota Center March 26 and 28, 2026; Houston reached that regional with an 88-57 second‑round win over Texas A&M in which the Cougars out‑rebounded the Aggies 46-29 and blocked seven shots. (toyotacenter.com) (espn.com) The victory sends Brad Underwood’s Illini to their second Sweet 16 in three seasons under his tenure, a run that included a late first‑half charge keyed by Stojakovic. (espn.com)
