Illinois basketball's title hopes hinge on fixing late-game struggles

Zoom in: Under coach Brad Underwood, Illinois (24-8) has steadily improved year to year, fueled in part by successful international recruiting that's reshaped the roster.

• Freshman sensation Keaton Wagler and a slew of Balkan-born players like Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic and David Mirkovic, all have made major contributions this season.

State of play: When they're clicking, they can beat anyone, and they spent much of the season hovering near the top of the AP rankings.

• They've also played several ranked teams in and out of the Big Ten conference, which helps them be battle tested for the tournament.

Yes, but: They have a glaring flaw: closing games. Illinois has blown multiple big leads, including double-digit second-half advantages. That's a dangerous habit to break in March.

The big picture: Fans hope the No. 3-seeded Illini can tighten up their defense and make a deep run. They have some formidable basketball powerhouses in their way, including a potential second-round matchup with North Carolina and a potential Sweet 16 matchup with No. 2 seed Houston.

The bottom line: The Orange Crush could make a deep run — if they can finally finish games.