Selection Sunday is always one of those days that brings the rare combination of hope, dread, nostalgia, and confusion. As my colleagues have pointed out, this team has been predictably unpredictable all season.
Roller coaster isn’t a strong enough term. Ebbs and flows poorly define the level of tennis match on speed rubbernecking performed by Illini fans in following and comprehending the 2023 Men’s Fighting Illini hoops squad.
“Your background, it ain’t squeaky clean
Sometimes we all have to swim upstream.”
- Jill Scott, A Long Walk
No, this Illini team doesn’t come into the tournament with a clean sheet.