Ben McCollum, Iowa basketball preview Elite 8 vs. Illinois

Game day is here. Iowa (24-12, 10-10 Big Ten) can punch its ticket to its first Final Four since 1980 if it can top Big Ten mate and No. 3 seed Illinois (27-8, 15-5 Big Ten) in the Elite Eight on Saturday evening.

The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes have won games over No. 8 seed Clemson , No. 1 seed Florida and No.

4 seed Nebraska en route to its South Region final showdown against the Illini. Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz led the way for Iowa with 20 points. Hawkeye freshman Tate Sage added 19 points and four 3-pointers off Iowa's bench.

Iowa and Illinois played once this season, with the Illini building an early 18-point lead on the way to a 75-69 win in Iowa City on Jan. 11. Iowa head coach Ben McCollum and stars Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras and Tavion Banks all met with the media ahead of its Elite 8 showdown against the Illini.