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While entering the Final Four as the lowest seed remaining, the #3 Illinois Fighting Illini are playing its best basketball at the most important time of the season as it prepares to battle a recent Final Four mainstay, the #2 UCONN Huskies, in what figures to be a very competitive and even National Semifinal game. Make the jump to learn more about the Final Four run of the champions of the South Region, the Illinois Fighting Illini out of the Big Ten Conference.
Illinois Fighting Illini: The Road to the 2026 Final Four
The Illini have won every tournament game by double-digits, defeating:
- #14 Penn, 105-70. Review my live running reactions here.
- #11 VCU, 76-55. Review my live running reactions here.
- #2 Houston, 65-55. Review my live running reactions here.
- #9 Iowa, 71-59. Review my live running reactions here.
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Quick Tourney Overview of the Illinois Fighting Illini
Known as one of the most efficient offenses in the country, the Illini are in the Final Four as a result of a focused commitment and surprising effectiveness on the defensive end. As the tallest team in the country, Illinois has finally started to use its size to its advantage during the tournament, dominating the boards, making post touches more of a priority and getting away from just shooting three pointers. Illinois has been a team of two halves so far during the 2026 NCAA Tournament, struggling at points in the first halves while making great adjustments out of the break and taking over the last 20 minutes of games. While looking at what schools Illinois has beaten, the Illini might seem like a fluke team in the Final Four. Don't make that assumption as this Illinois team has been a sneaky Final Four contender since January and has beaten opponents that have posed problems in the past, including the quick and aggressive VCU Rams, the tremendously physical Houston Cougars, and the surging Iowa Hawkeyes that stunned #1 Florida in the second round. While the Illini's path to the school's first National Championship in men's basketball is about to get much more difficult, Illinois can compete with any of the three teams left in the field, especially if it is prioritizing defense first and foremost.
Illinois' Most Impressive Tourney Win: Houston in Sweet 16
In the Sweet Sixteen, Illinois faced a daunting task against the Houston Cougars, which lost in the National Championship Game last year but was playing this game at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The Illini were unfazed by the road, taking the Houston crowd out of the game early with tremendous defense and gang rebounding. After a feeling-out process in the first half, Illinois extended a two-point halftime lead to eighteen early in the second half and never let Houston get closer than seven points. In short, Illinois defeated the Cougars at a Houston-style of the game.
Illinois' Most Difficult Tourney Win: Iowa in the Elite Eight
Illinois faced a surging #9 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight. The Hawkeyes had caught lightning in a bottle this tournament, winning three close games, including a stunning second-round upset of defending national champion and #1 seed Florida, during which Iowa controlled the pace behind brilliant Head Coach Ben McCollum and star point guard Bennett Stirtz. As a fellow member of the Big Ten conference, the familiar Hawkeyes were surely going to give Illinois a test, which proved to be the case last Saturday. Iowa jumped the Illini out of the gate, with Stirtz finding his missing shooting stroke and hitting some ridiculous shots during the first half. Offensively, Illinois looked choppy against the Hawkeyes during the first 20 minutes, having seven turnovers, hitting just one three, and trailing by four, 32-28, at the break for its first halftime deficit of the tournament. As has been the case all tournament, the Illini played much better in the second half, immediately taking a one-point lead and going back and forth with the Hawkeyes for the next thirteen minutes of game time. Illinois finally pulled away during the game's last five minutes by getting downhill and to the rim, feeding the post, and limiting Iowa to just six made field goals in the second half. Ultimately, Illinois' defense, rebounding and size propelled the Illini past the Hawkeyes and into the Final Four.
Most Memorable Illini Tourney Highlight: Zvonimir Ivisic
Illinois was starting to pull away against VCU in the second half of its second round game when this amazing sequence of plays by Zvonimir Ivisic indicated that this Illinois team was starting to look very dangerous!
Best Illinois Player This Tourney: Guard Keaton Wagler
Illinois' amazing season has coincided with the incredible freshman campaign of unheralded recruit Keaton Wagler, who was named a second-team All American and will be heading to the NBA Draft after this tournament. While Wagler struggled scoring at times during the first halves of the Illini's first three tournament games, he is coming off his most complete game against Iowa in the Elite Eight. Named the Most Outstanding Player of the South Region, Wagler is an unflappable point guard who never loses his poise or gets sped up. Wagler has had no fear during the Illini's tourney run, stepping up his defense and rebounding while continuing to be an offensive force, especially during second halves. Wagler is a once-in-a-lifetime freshman with the composure and leadership of an upperclassmen. He has no fear and will get his shot wherever he wants, from the three, in the lane or at the rim.
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Illinois X-Factor This Tourney: Forward Andrej Stojakovic
Stojakovic has elevated his game to unseen levels during the NCAA Tournament. Stojakovic has provided instant, immediate offense off the bench in the first halves of the Illini's past three tourney games, saving Illinois against VCU, allowing the Illini to get some first-half distance against Houston, and steadying the Orange and Blue during a tight start against Iowa. Stojakovic has found an offensive rhythm and niche that was not seen all season after transferring in from Cal. He has been unstoppable getting to the rim and is playing with extreme confidence and focus. Defensively, Stojakovic has arguably become the Illini's best defender, as his work against Stirtz in the second half showed. Without Stojakovic's elevated play on both ends, Illinois would not be in the Final Four. It can be argued that Stojakovic was as deserving as Wagler of winning the South Region's MOP award, though this Illinois team could care less about individual accolades at this point of the tournament. As Stojakovic said after the Illini's victory against Iowa, the goal was not just to get to the Final Four but to win the National Championship.
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Re-emerging Illini Player This Tourney: Center Tomislav Ivicic
After having a disappointing second season in Champaign, the 7'1'' Ivisic has refound his game during the NCAA Tournament. Too often forgotten within Illinois' offense the last month of the season, Tomi has been great the past four games, scoring in the post, hitting several clutch threes, and ratcheting up his defensive effort and rebounding. Tomislav immediately set the defensive tone with a nasty two-handed block early in the second-round game against VCU and helped Illinois finally get some distance against Iowa with back-to-back buckets in the post late during Saturday's contest. While Ivisic has had to sacrifice a lot this year with the emergence of Illinois freshmen Wagler and David Mirkovic, he has been much more engaged and involved during the tournament. The great thing about Tomi is that he doesn't need many touches to score, he just needs more opportunities to do so. Like Stojakovic, Tomi has stepped up his play when it mattered most and helped drive Illinois to Indianapolis, pairing up with his twin brother Big Z to help make Illinois the tallest team in the country.
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Key Illini Player in the Final Four: Forward David Mirkovic
Like Wagler, Mirkovic has been a revelation as a freshman, a player who is poised and wise beyond his years. With his highly entertaining and quirky personality, Mirkovic is a bowling ball of activity on the court. In the first round, he carried the Illinois with his scoring and rebounding. Even when he isn't scoring, Mirkovic facilitates so much offense as a secondary ball handler to Wagler and wonderful passer. Mirkovic can bury threes or lull teams to sleep with a slow pump fake that allows him to get to the basket or into the lane. While Mirkovic's game isn't always pretty, it is sure effective and well-rounded. Even after struggling against Iowa in the first half, Mirkovic finished with 9 points and 12 rebounds. Mirkovic can do it all for the Illini, stuffing the stat sheet and impacting winning in so many ways on both ends. The Illini will need Mirkovic to be at his best during the Final Four. Mirkovic is always good for a solid effort; when he plays really well, Illinois is a whole another monster, certainly capable of winning the National Championship.
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Other Illinois Players to Know Entering the Final Four
Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell is a Champaign native who is an emotional leader of this Illini squad while forwards Jake Davis and Ben Humrichous are ultimate glue guys who can hit the three.
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