March Madness destinations for Illini, Wildcats
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Illinois' Coleman Hawkins. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images
The NCAA men's tournament bracket is set and the Illini and Northwestern are dancing.
The big picture: The Illini, fresh off winning the Big Ten Tournament, snagged the No. 3 seed in the East Region and will face off against Morehead State in Omaha on Thursday.
Catch up quick: The Illini defeated Wisconsin 93-87 just minutes before the NCAA Tournament brackets were selected.
- The Illini were led by by star Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 34 points.
- It is coach Brad Underwood's second Big Ten championship since coming to Champaign in 2017.
- Underwood also unlocked bonuses and a contract extension by winning the Big Ten title.
Bottom line: If the Illini can win on Thursday, they will face the winner of the BYU/Duquesne matchup.
The Northwestern Wildcats will also play in the East Region, starting on Friday in Brooklyn versus Florida Atlantic (FAU).
- It's the first time in Northwestern's history that the team has gone to March Madness in back-to-back seasons.
What to know: Northwestern's early loss in the Big Ten Tournament has made their journey more difficult, first with a FAU team that went to the Final Four last year.
- If they get by FAU, they could face a potential second-round matchup against the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, the UConn Huskies.
Yes, but: The Wildcats played well all year, upsetting Purdue and the Illini, while playing hard against other Big Ten teams that snagged NCAA Tournament berths.
Of note: The Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team lost in the Atlantic 10 Tournament and were shut out of this year's NCAA Tournament.