TJ Inman

Tennessee Tops Texas, Advance to 2nd Weekend of NCAA Tournament

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A month-long suspension and then a brief slump after returning from suspension is all that kept <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/terrence-shannon/5058">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> from being considered as a challenger for <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/zach-edey/4973">Zach Edey’s</a> National Player of the Year award. In the past month, Shannon Jr. has elevated his game to another level and is playing as well as any guard in the country. Shannon Jr. scored 34 in the Big Ten Tournament final, 26 points in the romp over Morehead State, and 30 points on 14 shots as the Illini rolled over Duquesne to advance to the Sweet 16.
Illinois' 2024 National Championship Odds: +3200

1. Terrence Shannon Jr. is On Fire

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Illinois head coach Brad Underwood believes this version of the Illini was built for the postseason, and if they defend at a high level, he thinks the sky is the limit. “When we guard like that, that’s what we can be,” Underwood said after his team’s win over Duquesne. “We did a lot of that early in the year, defensively, and I thought we smothered the two little guys.” Since Shannon Jr.’s return from suspension, Illinois has had one of the nation’s best offenses, but it has been the defense thus far in the NCAA Tournament, which is a reason for optimism that they can go further. The Illini held Morehead State to only 69 points and limited a hot Duquesne team to just 63 points in the Round of 32. Illinois has a lot of length versatility, and when they are locked in, they can be challenging to find good looks against.

2. Illini Defense is the Difference

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One of the significant reasons for Illinois’ offense being as good as anyone’s since February 1 is the deep well of perimeter shooting available to head coach Brad Underwood. Against Duquesne, reserve guard <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/luke-goode/5053">Luke Goode</a> knocked in a three-pointer, <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/coleman-hawkins/5061">Coleman Hawkins</a> hit three of them, <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/marcus-domask/5049">Marcus Domask</a> added one, and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/terrence-shannon/5058">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> hit two. The Illini have five players connecting on over 35% of their three-point attempts this season and many options that can hurt opponents from deep. The versatility in their attack will be a significant test for defensively stout Iowa State in the Sweet 16.
Illinois East Region Winner: +600

3. Perimeter Shooting

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<a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/coleman-hawkins/5061">Coleman Hawkins</a> is not a star but is one of the better role players in the Big Ten and is proving his worth during March Madness. During their romp over Duquesne, Hawkins played 25 minutes. He led the team in rebounds with seven, added three assists with no turnovers, knocked down three three-pointers, and scored 11 points. In addition, he plays strong defense and can switch onto nearly anyone on the opposing team because of his length and ability to move well laterally. <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/terrence-shannon/5058">Terrence Shannon Jr.</a> and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/players/marcus-domask/5049">Marcus Domask</a> get the headlines, but Hawkins is vital to Illinois' success.
Level up your college hoops bets with SportsGrid’s free <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/picks%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;source%3Deditors%26amp;ust%3D1710780414659415%26amp;usg%3DAOvVaw0D3g5s2mV3-PaNNp9HTo3N&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1710780414670124&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ip7vnVvJw7pYnxYwvuI3Y">CBB Picks</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.sportsgrid.com/cbb/player-props%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;source%3Deditors%26amp;ust%3D1710780414659554%26amp;usg%3DAOvVaw3Wm_sMxGhVneS_VY3xK9Tx&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1710780414670194&amp;usg=AOvVaw2JUYuhVE0AEy3URcYMiAbx">CBB Player Props</a>.

4. Glue Guy

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Brad Underwood has been mostly successful as the head coach at Illinois since moving to Champaign from Oklahoma State. After a pair of losing seasons to begin his tenure, Underwood had made the NCAA Tournament in three straight campaigns (2020 was canceled, but that would have been four straight), and the Illini have been top five in the Big Ten in each season. The most significant black mark on the resume has been a lack of NCAA Tournament success. Illinois has lost in the first or second round in the past three tournaments. That trend continued the failures suffered under former head coach Bruce Weber, with Illinois not making the Sweet 16 since 2005. The two blowouts over Morehead State and Duquesne may have been expected, but they were sweet nonetheless for Underwood and the Illini faithful as they return to the third round after a long absence.

5. A Sweet Breakthrough

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The Illinois Fighting Illini blew out Morehead State and Duquesne to reach the Sweet 16. What five things did we learn about the Fighting Illini this weekend

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