First Look at Illinois Basketball's Final Four Opponent: UConn Huskies

It has been a long time coming for Illinois (28-8), which will make its first Final Four appearance in 21 years on Saturday (5:09 p.m. CT, TBS and TruTV). The Illini have looked every bit the part of a national title contender on their way to Indianapolis, winning all four NCAA Tournament games by double digits. Now the task is simple, at least on paper: win two more games and bring home the first national championship in program history. But before Illinois can start thinking about Monday night, it first has to get past a dangerous UConn (33-5) team in the national semifinal.

ARE YOU WITH US?

For the first time since 2005, we're heading to the FINAL FOUR. pic.twitter.com/1lduiaqLhW
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 29, 2026

Since these teams have already seen each other once, this is less a traditional First Look and more an update on a familiar opponent in a much bigger spot.

(For the baseline version of our previous First Look at the Huskies, click here)

What happened last time

UConn took the first meeting 74-61 at Madison Square Garden on Black Friday, and the game felt like it belonged to the Huskies almost from the opening tip. Playing in what was basically a pseudo-home environment, UConn jumped out early, controlled the flow of the game and never really let Illinois settle in. The Illini made a few pushes, but they were mostly fighting uphill all afternoon.

Kylan Boswell was the clear bright spot for Illinois, pouring in 25 points in 39 minutes and doing everything he could to keep the game from slipping away completely. But looking back, it's startling how different Illinois' offense looked compared to what it is now. In that first go-round with UConn, Keaton Wagler – who has since become the engine of Illinois’ tournament run – played only 14 minutes and scored just three points.

UConn didn't get a huge individual scoring explosion in that game, but it achieved quality balance. Solo Ball led the Huskies with 15 points, while Malachi Smith added 14 off the bench. And just as important, UConn wasn't even at full strength yet. Braylon Mullins was playing in his first game of the season, and star big man Tarris Reed Jr. logged only 15 minutes as he worked his way back from injury. That is what makes this rematch so fascinating. UConn won the first matchup comfortably, but both teams have changed quite a bit since November.

UConn's run since the previous meeting

Since beating Illinois on Black Friday, UConn has looked a lot like UConn. The Huskies stacked up impressive wins, including a road victory over Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse and a neutral-site win over Florida, and they carried that level into Big East play. They finished 17-3 in the league, good for second behind St. John’s, though the road was not completely smooth. UConn suffered a pair of surprising losses to Creighton and Marquette, two of the Big East’s bottom-tier teams, before falling to St. John’s again in the Big East Tournament title game.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

But if the regular season had a few bumps, March has looked much more familiar. UConn hasn't steamrolled the tournament field in quite the same way it did during its recent title runs, but the Huskies still reached the Elite Eight in relatively comfortable fashion. Then came the regional final, which felt like vintage March madness and vintage Dan Hurley all at once. UConn erased a 19-point deficit against Duke and won it on a stunning logo three, one of the wildest finishes you'll watch in an NCAA Tournament.

That's why this team remains so dangerous. UConn may not appear to be as potent as it was the past two years, but once the calendar flips to March, the Huskies always seem to find another gear. Hurley is now 17-1 in the NCAA Tournament since 2023, with the lone loss coming against a Florida team that went on to win the national championship.

Illinois vs. UConn matchup

This is the kind of game that should look nothing like the first meeting back in late November. For Illinois, the biggest shift came immediately afterward, when Wagler moved to point guard and began his rise from intriguing freshman to one of the best stories in college basketball and a potential top-five NBA Draft pick.

For UConn, Tarris Reed Jr. was barely a factor in that first matchup, but he has turned into a monster in March. He went for 26 points and nine rebounds against Duke in the regional final and has looked almost impossible to handle around the basket.

Still, when you look at the bigger picture, this is probably the best draw Illinois could have hoped for. The Illini avoided Michigan and Arizona, the two strongest teams left by most metrics, and they already have a full game of film against the Huskies to study. Everything points to this being a much tighter, much nastier battle than the first one, with a trip to the national title game on the line.