“This University of Illinois alumna was so excited to welcome the Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball team to the Capitol today,” said Rep. Elik. “They sure made us proud during their Final Four run, and it was great to visit with them. I-L-L!”
Illinois finished the regular season with a 28–9 overall record and a 15–5 mark in Big Ten play. The team was selected to the NCAA Tournament as the #3 seed in their region. Illinois opened tournament play with a dominant 105–70 victory over #14 Penn on March 19, followed by a 76–55 win over #11 VCU in the second round on March 21. In the Sweet Sixteen on March 26, the Illini knocked out #2 Houston 65–55, advancing to the Elite Eight for the second time in the past three seasons. There, they defeated #9 Iowa 71–59 on March 2, which sent the team to the Final Four for the first time since the 2004–05 season.