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3 First Impressions of Illinois Women's Basketball's NCAA Tournament Draw

The Illini (21-11), who made the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, are on a promising trajectory
Jason Langendorf|
The Illinois women's basketball team celebrates its upset of Michigan State in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament last week at the United Center in Chicago.
The Illinois women's basketball team celebrates its upset of Michigan State in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament last week at the United Center in Chicago. | University of Illinois

Two weeks ago, it wasn't clear whether the Illinois women's basketball team's 19 wins would be enough to send the Illini to their first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances since 2000, when Theresa Grentz led them to their fourth straight Big Dance during the program's heyday.

But Shauna Green appears to be in the midst of leading an Illinois revival, especially after her group won two more games in the Big Ten Tournament to convince the selection committee it was deserving of a No. 7 seed and a matchup with Colorado on Saturday in Nashville.

"This is something you never take for granted," Green told the media in the aftermath of the bracket announcement. "To be able to hear our name called two consecutive years now here at Illinois is just an amazing thing, an amazing feeling. So we'll get to work tonight and start preparing for Colorado."

We're gonna get started right now and offer Illinois on SI's initial thoughts about Illinois' draw in the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament:

3 first impressions of Illinois’ NCAA Tournament draw

1. A No. 7 seed might have been high – which is a great sign

Most pre-announcement projections seemed to have the Illini (21-11) pegged for a No. 8 seed, and even that came off as a bit ambitious given that they finished 10th in the Big Ten regular season, went 5-5 over their last 10 games and needed the conference tournament to edge over the 20-win mark.

Still, Illinois ranks No. 30 in the women's NET and, despite a soft non-conference schedule, played in 13 Quad 1 games – more than 12 teams that appear ahead of it in those rankings. The fact that the Illini squeezed into the NCAA Tournament First Four in Green's first season, won the NIT a year later and then last season won the program's first NCAA Tournament game since that Grentz-led 1999-2000 squad.

Whether it would admit it or not, the selection committee tends to give the benefit of the doubt to quality programs with a history of postseason success. The Illini aren't exactly women's college basketball bluebloods just yet, but their recent performances on the biggest stages has them climbing the ladder toward something resembling that status.

2. The draw is a favorable one for the Illini

We saw earlier this season how hot a spot Nashville can be for Illini fans – not that they don't travel well to most away destinations. It's unfortunate that the fan base will more or less have to choose between rolling with the men or women in the coming days, but there is a solid Illinois alumni base in Nashville, and some Central Illinoisans down for a road trip will be willing to go only as far as Tennessee.

But with or without the benefit of fan boots on the ground, the Illini women are in a nice position. Colorado is no joke, but Illinois seems to have the talent, coaching and even seasoning to win Saturday. Vanderbilt – second-seeded, ranked No. 7 in the NET and essentially playing a home game – is going to be an exceptionally tough out in the second round. But if Illinois can capture something special for an afternoon and knock off the Commodores, a legitimate path to the Final Four lies ahead.

3. This is a beginning for Illinois, not an ending

Even if the Illini stumble out of the gate and find their 2026 NCAA Tournament journey over by Saturday night, the experience will be invaluable for a team with a core made up of current sophomores and freshmen.

Green continues to raise the collective talent level of Illinois' roster while building new standards and a winning culture that likely makes this "transition" season a jumping-off point for something much bigger.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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