Illinois Positioned for Deep Run After NCAA Tournament Committee’s Top 16 Reveal

March is creeping closer, and with it comes everyone’s favorite annual tradition: staring at hypothetical brackets and convincing yourself they’re either destiny or disrespect.

The Top 16 seeds in bracket form 👀

Tickets to the Big Dance are on sale RIGHT NOW: https://t.co/Wl68xCeFav #BracketPreview pic.twitter.com/3SjTo4kEAb
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 21, 2026

In its in-season top-16 reveal, the NCAA Tournament selection committee gave Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) a strong early position – the No. 7 overall seed and a No. 2 seed in the East Region if Selection Sunday were today.

At the top of the bracket, the current No. 1 seeds are Michigan in the Midwest, Duke in the East, Arizona in the West and Iowa State in the South. If Illinois has its sights set on crashing the one-seed line, Iowa State feels like the most vulnerable of that group. The Cyclones are excellent, but they’re not untouchable.

For Illinois to jump to a No. 1 seed – especially in the Midwest – the path is pretty clear, even if it’s demanding. The Illini would likely need to win out in the regular season, make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament, and very possibly beat Michigan twice in the process – once on Friday and again in the conference championship game. That’s not exactly a casual to-do list. But it’s also not fantasy. It’s ambitious. There’s a difference.

If the bracket held today, Illinois would open in St. Louis – a dream first-weekend site that would feel more like a home game than a neutral floor. Should the Illini advance, the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight would shift to Washington, D.C. That’s a problem you’re thrilled to have.

The East Region isn’t exactly a nightmare scenario, either. Yes, Duke is Duke – talented, deep and comfortable on the biggest stage. But beyond the Blue Devils, there are real question marks. The No. 3 seed would be Kansas, a team with undeniable talent but very real inconsistency, especially with the uncertainty surrounding star Darryn Peterson’s availability.

No. 4-seeded Vanderbilt is solid and well-coached, the kind of team that executes and won’t beat itself. But the Commodores don't have a roster that jumps off the page or makes you lose sleep. As far as hypothetical March paths go, that’s about as manageable of a regional landscape as can be realistically hoped for.

But – and this is the least fun part – there’s still a lot of work to do.

The effort doesn't change based on location. pic.twitter.com/6uxDXBoVPu
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 20, 2026

February resumes are fragile. One bad week can undo a month of positioning. The Illini have put themselves in striking distance of the top line, but if they want to make the committee sweat on Selection Sunday, they will need to close strong and stack quality wins.

Right now, Illinois is a No. 2 seed with a realistic path to something bigger. That’s a good place to be.

Now comes the part where they have to prove it.