The Field of 68 is set, and Illinois is in the mix.
In Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show, the Illini heard their names called for the third year in a row. This year, they will be a 9-seed, facing off against the No. 8 seeded Arkansas on Thursday in Des Moines.
This is the second time Illinois has been a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with the first being in 2011.
Brad Underwood has led this program to its first three-year NCAA Tournament streak since 2005-07. Tournament appearances are hard to come by, and this one came after many ups and downs throughout the year.