Same deal tonight as every other game. Follow along with beat writer Scott Richey, who’s live courtside in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten tournament:
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This is the first time Illinois fans, just the general public, has seen this team in person. The fans that got to experience Braggin’ Rights were, to my best knowledge, exclusively IFund donors. The Dosunmu family got tickets in Ohio State.
But tonight … it’s the fan base. And the Illini fans are flocking to the first row of seats (even if they aren’t theirs) to get photos of the team.
Illinois fans definitely outnumber Rutgers fans so far. It’s a trend I expect to continue. After so many games in mostly empty arenas, though, I admit it was almost jarring to hear the Purdue fans go nuts as the Boilermakers put together a second half rally in the last game.
I would expect plenty of noise (the non-piped in version) for the Illinois-Rutgers game.
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Rutgers isn’t in quite as dire straits i.e. its NCAA tournament now as it might have been with some struggles in the final month of the regular season. Still, the Scarlet Knights have more to play for than Illinois this week in Indianapolis.
Only the absolute worst case scenario has Illinois slipping from its spot as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. That includes events happening in other places across the country. Brad Underwood is aware.
“You have to be ready for all of that,” the Illinois coach said. “I think that’s one of the exciting things about conference tournaments. You play for a seed, you play for a spot, yet you’ve got teams that are fighting and scrapping for entry into the tournament.
“For us, it’s motivation to keep doing what we’re doing and keep playing well. To keep staying hungry and keep the pedal to the metal. One bad game, and you end your Big Ten tournament. One bad game, and you end your NCAA tournament. We can’t afford any of those.”
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All of the Illini are present and accounted for during pregame warmups. With the way things are going in other conference tournaments across the country today … that’s a good thing to note.
Some rather impressive soccer skills from the #Illini. pic.twitter.com/3FvsVo9aRK
— Scott Richey (@srrichey) March 12, 2021
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We’re not at full-on News-Gazette squad levels in Indianapolis, but it’s close. Photo editor Robin Scholz is here, and so is Colin Likas, who is shedding his preps coordinator/Illinois football writer status to lend a hand with basketball coverage. He’s really diving into the fan experience given this is the first time most Illini fans have had a chance to see the team in person.
Colin’s also on @IlliniHQ Twitter duties. Here’s some from earlier today:
Didn’t take long to find a few fans … U of I students Grace Gudwien, Marybeth Feeley and John Feeley are checking out Lucas Oil before game time #Illini pic.twitter.com/cUZHIByBI6
— IlliniHQ (@IlliniHQ) March 12, 2021
These guys are pumped to watch the #Illini … Gordon White, Justin Asbury, Wesley Williams and Kris Kap made the trip from Champaign, are getting a lay of the land about three hours before the game. pic.twitter.com/wZuXyQP42K
— IlliniHQ (@IlliniHQ) March 12, 2021
Taking a break from our #Illini fan find to see beat writer @srrichey taking in the Purdue-Ohio State game very high above the court. pic.twitter.com/bYy4x3TTN2
— IlliniHQ (@IlliniHQ) March 12, 2021
***
My attempt to get down to what I hope will be my seat for tonight’s game a little early was foiled. The event staff is doing a thorough electrostatic cleaning between sessions, with Lucas Oil Stadium emptied out before Illinois and Rutgers square off in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
So I’m just biding my time in the media workroom for another 20 minutes or so. Then I’ll be at least courtside adjacent (most likely) an hour before tip.
Illinois and Rutgers have quite a bit to live up to tonight.
Today’s first game in Indianapolis featured Michigan coach Juwan Howard and Maryland coach Mark Turgeon going at it (verbally at least). Turgeon got a single technical. Howard got two and was ejected.
Then Ohio State and Purdue went to overtime to end the first session. The Buckeyes held an 18-point halftime lead, and much like their second-round game against Minnesota nearly gave it away. The Boilermakers just ran out of steam in overtime, which wasn’t helped by Ohio State’s Duane Washington Jr. hitting a dagger three-pointer.
What that Ohio State-Purdue game did do, however, was make me rethink my All-Big Ten ballot. The way Purdue center Trevion Williams played (26 points, 14 rebounds and five assists) had me second guessing leaving him off the First Team.
There were three locks on the first team in Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn and Iowa’s Luka Garza. The Illini deserving two spots meant someone was going to be left out. It was Williams on my ballot, as I finished things off with Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell and Michigan’s Franz Wagner.
Hindsight being what it is, I could have swapped Williams for Wagner, but that would have meant no Michigan players (and I maintain Wagner is the Wolverines’ best) on my First Team. That would have been a strange situation, but not an untenable one now that I think about it.
***
We made it.
Just revel in that a little. (It will require you forgetting about the Big Ten regular season title controversy).
But we made it. Illinois left Indianapolis last season before getting a chance to play in the Big Ten tournament. It was the beginning of the end of the college basketball season and life as we knew it.
And now we’re here. Back in Indianapolis. Illinois will face Rutgers in two hours at Lucas Oil Stadium in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
Go Time. #Illini | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/GLpgmvOb3i
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 12, 2021
So enjoy the moment. If the ACC and Big 12 tournaments have shown us anything it’s that nothing — literally nothing — is guaranteed. Of course (knock on wood and cross all your fingers), the Big Ten’s daily testing is different than what those two conferences have done all season. Only the Pac-12 did the same, and those two were tops among the power conferences in terms of getting games in this season.
Illinois can win the Big Ten tournament title this week in Indianapolis. Is it the ultimate goal? Nope. What happens the rest of March certainly is.
But the postseason momentum can build in the next three days.
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