When was last time Illinois basketball made Final Four? Fighting Illini history, record
Illinois basketball punched its ticket to the Final Four on Saturday. When was the last time the Illini made the Final Four?
The Men's NCAA Tournament is filled with challenges for the 68 teams that make it each year. That includes the difficulty — and often years of drought — of making the Final Four . It's something that, after a near trip to the Final Four in 2024, No.
3 seed Illinois finally experienced inside the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, March 28. The Fighting Illini defeated Big Ten foe, No. 9 Iowa, in the Elite Eight to become the first team to advance to the Final Four .
REQUIRED READING: From overlooked to overjoyed, Keaton Wagler leads Illinois to Final Four Keaton Wagler won the point guard battle against Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished with 25 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. That line was good enough for Wagler to be named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player after he averaged 19. 0 points in two games in Houston.
It's also a win that lets head coach Brad Underwood live out a dream. "It's better than I dreamt it would ever be," he said in postgame following his team's win vs. Iowa.