In a game that was 2,917 days in the making, the Illini’s return to the Big Dance wasn't much of a game — in a good way.
The No. 1 seeded Illini cruised past the Colonial Athletic Association champion Drexel Dragons, 78-49, on Friday afternoon in Indianapolis. Illinois advances to the round of 32 for the first time since 2013.
The Illini were flat from the tip, trailing Drexel early on. But when freshman Andre Curbelo made a layup for the Illini to take a 9-8 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the first half, they never looked back.