Quick hits | Illinois 89, Duquesne 63
Mar. 23—What happened
The message permeating the Illinois locker room on Friday at CHI Health Center must have resonated. Avoiding the slow starts that cropped up in the Big Ten tournament and in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Morehead State was imperative. None of them hurt the Illini, but taking that out of the equation Saturday night against Duquesne was the goal. Mission accomplished. A 50-point first half ultimately yielded an 89-63 victory and a spot in the Sweet 16.
What it means
Illinois was getting close to "two decades since making the Sweet 16" territory. Can't be a basketball school if first- and second-round exits are the norm. It was also the missing piece to Brad Underwood's tenure in Champaign. He put together the teams that got Illinois back in the top tier of the Big Ten and back in the national college basketball conversation. Reaching the Sweet 16 was the next box to check on the way to his — and the Illini's — ultimate goal.
What's next
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Illinois and Iowa State are going to find out next week in Boston. The Illini boast a high-octane offense that's dangerous in transition and the halfcourt. The Cyclones trail only always-stingy Houston when it comes to the best defenses in the country. Something will have to give in Beantown in a Sweet 16 matching between diametrically opposite forces.
What was said
"I'm to the point where anymore I don't have to say a lot. These guys are grown men. And they care. And sometimes they care too much. But they made a point to it, and we talked about it. We had to get off to a better start. We couldn't let this team get confidence coming off the BYU game, and we needed to make a statement."
Illinois coach Brad Underwood on blitzing Duquesne in the first half
