Bob Asmussen | Illinois men's golf finds itself in unfamiliar territory

May 11—CHAMPAIGN — Normally, NCAA tournament expectations for the Illinois men's golf program are sky high.

A year ago, led by current PGA Tour regular Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Illinois reached the match-play quarterfinal round, where it fell 3-2 to Florida State. No shame there.

But this season, the outside perception of the Illinois golf team isn't quite the same. Oh, Mike Small's squad is still good and earned a Top 20 seed in the upcoming NCAA regional round.

But unlike other years, Illinois isn't considered one of the favorites to take the team title.

Perhaps, it will be an advantage.

"Some teams still feel that way," Small said this week. "Other teams want to chase us down. We're not the one at the top of the food chain right now. That's our responsibility. That's our fault.

"We need to try to chase and get back to where we were."

Big Ten Player of the Year Jackson Buchanan likes the idea of the Illini being the chaser.

"When anyone in the golf world sees the big 'I', they think, 'Stacked.' This year, it's a little different," Buchanan said. "I don't think anyone would be surprised if we won. But we're not the favorite like we were last year and many years before. That's why golf is so great. You've got to bring it."

Illinois advanced to the Stanford Regional, with play in the three-day, 54-hole, 14-team tournament starting Monday and concluding Wednesday at Stanford Golf Course in California.

The top-five teams at each of the six regional sites move on to the 30-team national tournament, scheduled for May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

During Small's successful tenure that started in 2000 at his alma mater, Illinois has been a constant in the regional round and is making its 16th consecutive appearance.

Illinois is looking for its 15th trip to the championship round, where the top 15 after three rounds play an extra 18 holes and the top-eight teams reach the quarterfinals, where match play then determines the national champion.

For most of the past decade, Illinois entered the regional after winning the Big Ten tournament. But the team's eight-year streak ended when Small's team finished second to Northwestern at the end of April in Columbus, Ohio.

"We didn't win last week," Small said. "Maybe we surpassed the odds the past nine years and it comes around. Northwestern played well and deserved to win. We didn't have our best stuff. The outcome is what it is."

It is a different jumping-off point for the Illini.

"I think we're feeling OK," Small said.

The biggest difference in this Illinois team from past seasons is a lineup that is in flux. Buchanan holds down the top spot for sure. And Big Ten Freshman of the Year Max Herendeen has been a steady presence.

"We're looking for guys to bring some consistency," Small said. "I'm confident we'll have six guys ready to play."

Quick turnaroundThe Big Ten tournament is over. Time for the team to move on.

"Next up," Small said. "We talk about next all the time. That's our battle cry. From shot to shot, from hole to hole, round to round and tournament to tournament, you've got to go on to the next one."

In a meeting on Tuesday, Small challenged the players to test their limits.

"Let's go find out who we are," he said. "I don't think we really know."

If the Illini repeat a national quarterfinal appearance this season, or better, it will add to the pile of evidence that Small is the best coach in school history ... in any sport.

But this has been a challenging season. Small admits that.

"More different things to think about," he said. "There's been a lot more questions marks. I've been more spread out than normally."

Illinois still has the ability to put it together for the final two tournaments of the season, though.

"That's what has been frustrating to the coaching staff," Small said. "We're looking at us and self-evaluating us, too. We beat the No. 1 team in the country a couple times this year. We've had some top-five wins. But we've been beaten by teams that are outside the Top 100. It had been years since we've been beaten by those guys."

Return engagementAnother sign that Small is playing multiple-dimensional chess: This won't be his team's first look at the Stanford course.

On a fall trip to California, the Illini made a pit stop at Stanford. Just in case.

"There was a chance we'd be at this regional," Small said. "You never know."

He knew. Small hopes the early trip helps Illinois this upcoming week.

"It gives you a chance to visualize and go through it a little bit in your mind," Small said. "I think that's a positive. But you've still got to be able to go out and hit the shots. You've got to handle the expectations. You've got to handle yourself."

Buchanan, who made a name for himself last May when he finished as national runner-up at the NCAA Championships, is happy he got a sneak preview.

"It's always nice to know what you're going to get," he said. "You can't really overpower it. It's kind of a shorter course. You have to pick the right spots and work your way around. It's kind of a tricky task."