Unbelievable! Illini shock the nation with Sweet 16 berth
OMAHA, Nebraska – The Illinois men's basketball team is staying in March Madness a little longer.
The No. 3 seed Illini advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005 with an 89-63 victory against No. 11 seed Duquesne on Saturday night.
“I'm very happy for everything we've accomplished this year, but to sit here and say I'm happy to get to the Sweet 16, that's not what I want to say,” Illinois' Coleman Hawkins said in the postgame news conference. “I want to be happy with winning a national championship, so…
“I'm aware of the history because it's thrown in our face a little bit. But I think the goal now is to really go out and do it and, you know, become national champions, because that's why we're here.”
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 30 to lead Big Ten tournament champion Illinois (28-8), which will now face second-seeded Iowa State on Thursday or Friday in the East Region semifinals.
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament standings, scores, schedules, teams and more.
Marcus Domask added 22 points and seven assists for Illinois, which also got 11 points from Hawkins and 10 from Quincy Guerrier. Jimmy Clark III scored 14 to lead No. 11 seed Duquesne (25-12), the Atlantic-10 Conference tournament champion.
REFLEXES:Illinois Basketball vs. Duquesne in 2024 March Madness Second Round Game
When did Illinois basketball last reach the Sweet 16?
This is Illinois' first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2005, when the Illini lost to North Carolina in the national championship game. Duquesne was seeking its first Sweet 16 appearance since the tournament expanded in 1985.
This is also the first trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for longtime Illini coach Brad Underwood, who hasn't reached that level in 11 seasons between Illinois, Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State.
“We had tough draws and a couple injuries and they beat you,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “That's the beauty of March Madness. It feels good to move forward with this group. I've said it all along, this is one of my favorite teams to coach, if not the favorite. So, yeah, on to Boston.”
Illinois has lost in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, twice in the second round and once in the first round. Here's a look at their last NCAA Tournament game over the past three seasons:
- 2023: No. 8 seed Arkansas 73, No. 9 seed Illinois 63 (first round)
- 2022: No. 5 seed Houston 68, No. 4 seed Illinois 53 (second round)
- 2021: No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago 71, No. 1 seed Illinois 58 (second round)
Terrence Shannon Jr. joins Peoria star on elite list
Terrence Shannon Jr. joined a list that includes a pair of former NBA players, including one from Peoria.
Shannon scored 30 against Duquesne to become the third Illinois men's player to score 30 or more in an NCAA Tournament game and the first in 20 years.
DAN WOLKEN:Terrence Shannon, Illini could rule March. The brighter it shines, the harder it will be to see.
Deron Williams scored 31 points for Illinois in a second-round tournament game against Cincinnati on March 21, 2004. Williams was selected third overall in the 2005 NBA Draft and spent 12 seasons in the league.
Peoria Manual graduate Frank Williams scored 30 in a Sweet 16 game against Kansas on March 23, 2001. He was selected 25th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and spent parts of three seasons in the league. His son Da'Monte Williams also played for Illinois and graduated from Manual.
