A Bad Loss To Penn State Became Beneficial For Illinois During Elite Eight Run
The Illinois Fighting Illini are arguably the hottest team in all of college basketball.
And they owe it to one of the most frustrating nights of the season. In late February, the Illini were upset 90-89 by the Penn State Nittany Lions. Illinois led by double-digits late and blew a seven-point lead with 36 seconds remaining.
"That's easy, Penn State," Illini coach Brad Underwood said of the turning point of the season. "At Penn State. We had prepared terribly for multiple days for that game. Not knocking them, they moved the game into their old arena. It was a sellout crowd. It was amped. We didn't play very well. We had a 10-point lead and literally watched it disintegrate in 30 seconds. Bad plays, dumb plays, bad fouls. You name it, we did it."
The Illini responded by winning 10 of their next 11 games, including the Big Ten tournament championship and the three victory in the NCAAs. They look to continue the run tonight against the defending champion Connecticut Huskies in the Elite Eight. The winner punches a ticket to the Final Four in Phoenix.
There's a chance the Illini never reach this point without that game back in February.
"I didn't have to go into the locker room and say a word," Underwood said. "I was calm. They knew but they also knew I was going to get things right. The next day or two weren't fun for them but they were 'get right' moments. That's been a defining moment all year."
Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor to Illini Now. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com
ANTHONY PASCIOLLA