Emotional Illini team grateful for community & brotherhood following Final Four loss

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WAND) — At the start of each season, Illinois men's basketball has high expectations. The lofty goal of reaching a national championship, and winning, is the bar for the program from the moment the team takes the floor inside the State Farm Center for the first time.

Winning in the NCAA tournament, and even more so, going down the road to reach the title game is, quite simply, hard. As the Illini made the trip to Indianapolis for their first Final Four appearance in more than two decades, there were hopes a championship would be in their fate.

However, against a UConn team with 2 titles in the last 3 seasons, the Huskies' experience on the big stage helped them top Illinois, and silencing a massive crowd of orange and blue fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"This season was special," said Zvonimir Ivisic, the Arkansas transfer in his first season with Illinois. "I believe for each one of us we did a lot of great things, a lot of great achievements. We did a lot when people didn't believe."

The end of a long season is emotional for many reasons, but for seniors especially. Many will not play in another competitive basketball game. A select few will be chosen to play at the next level. For Kylan Boswell, a Champaign native, being a part of the journey with his hometown team, meant the world to him.

"I'm surrounded by a group of people who I love," Boswell said following the game. "[I've] said it over and over again, it makes it so much easier. Long seasons, a lot of days. You want to do this with people I'll forever have a bond with and always can come back home here and be a part of this program."

Reaching the Final Four was a first for many in the Illinois program, including head coach Brad Underwood. The journey was not one he took for granted. He shared how the Illini's run through the postseason rekindled friendships that had been lost along his coaching journey. The outpouring of support he says he received was second to none.

"It's an incredible spot to be in because of the people," Underwood said. "Every one of my stops along the way, every one from Dodge City to Columbia, South Carolina, every stop. This run has brought people that are important to me back into my life and the relationships that I've had. To see the orange and blue out, I can't thank them enough."

As Underwood continued, the Illini coach only became more emotional. When asked about the impact his players had on him, tears began to flow.

"Please don't judge me for wins and losses. That's not who I am as a coach," he said. "Relationships, you want it for them [the players]."

While the door closes on the season, new ones will open next year for Illinois. Their march through the NCAA tournament to the Final Four is a rare achievement. With the taste of what Underwood described as an "addiction", there's a renewed sense of faith in Champaign and at the university that a championship is attainable.

As all teams do at the end of their season, whether it ends with a trophy or not, Illinois enters the next phase - building for a new opportunity.