For the second time in three seasons Illinois' basketball team is headed to the Elite Eight thanks to a blowout win over Houston on Thursday night.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 26: Kylan Boswell #4 and Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
For the second time in three seasons Illinois' basketball team is headed to the Elite Eight thanks to a blowout win over Houston on Thursday night. The Cougars were playing in their hometown as the NCAA's South Region got underway in Houston, but the Illini were the ones who felt right at home in a 65-55 victory.David Mirkovic led all Illini scorers with 14 points, and he also grabbed down 12 rebounds in the game. Keaton Wagler scored 13 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, and Andrej Stojakovic scored 13 points off the bench as Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. Emanuel Sharp led all scorers with 17 points, but Illinois held the Cougars to only two free throws and outrebounded them 43-34 as they snatched another victory. Now, the Illini will turn their focus to the Elite Eight, where they’ll face a Big Ten showdown against Iowa with a trip to the Final Four on the line.Illinois ends up with No. 4 seed in Big Ten basketball tournament According to the NCAA, Illinois will face Iowa on Saturday in the Elite Eight, and their game will kick off the day’s action.The game will air on TBS and TruTV, according to the NCAA. It will also stream on HBO Max.Illinois played the Hawkeyes early in the season, defeating Iowa 75-69 on the road amidst what turned into a 12-game winning streak.Illinois has made five Final Fours in their NCAA tournament history, but they haven’t achieved that feat since 2005 when they reached the championship game before losing to North Carolina. Interestingly, their Final Four appearance prior to that featured a matchup against a Big Ten team, as they fell 83-81 to Michigan in the 1989 Final Four in Seattle.If Illinois were to make it to the Final Four, they could potentially face the team they lost to in the 2024 Elite Eight, as UConn is set to play Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday.On the other side of the bracket, Purdue and Arizona will play in the West Regional Final on Saturday, and Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee and Iowa State are set to compete in Chicago for the Midwest Region crown this week.
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Illinois clamps down on Houston for a 65-55 March Madness win to reach Elite EightDavid Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year's national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals.
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Illinois knocks off Houston to advance to March Madness Elite EightDavid Mirkovic had 14 points, and third-seeded Illinois beat Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals on Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament.
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Illinois clamps down on Houston for a 65-55 March Madness win to reach Elite EightDavid Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year’s national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals
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