Happy Monday, Illini Nation!
Perhaps, more importantly: Happy NCAA Tournament week! How much joy the tournament brings Illinois’ fans this year has been a hotly contested debate since being bounced by 15 points last spring by Houston.
I’ll provide some realistic optimism, and shed insight on what the path forward reveals.
To get to the programs’ first Sweet 16 since Deron Williams departed Champaign for Salt Lake City in the 2005 NBA Draft, Illinois will have to beat two preseason Top 10 teams: Arkansas and Kansas. This is definitely a road less traveled, as Illinois is currently a clear underdog in its first-round game against arguable the SEC’s most talented roster, save Alabama.