HOUSTON, Tx. (WAND) - Over two months ago, Illinois men's basketball made the trip to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes for their regular season conference meeting. Holding off a late-game push from Iowa, the Illini escaped with the road win 75-69.
Saturday night, both teams will go head-to-head once again, but with entirely different energy surrounding the program and their recent success.
Illinois is eager to take the floor in their second Elite 8 appearance in the last 3 seasons. The team is still flying high following their victory over the #2 seeded and hometown favorite, Houston Cougars. Still, the Illini aren't taking Iowa for granted based on the outcome back in January.
"That game seems like an eternity ago," says Brad Underwood. "It's what it is. There's some familiarity obviously with the players and personnel. You've gotta make those adjustments in a one-day period."
Iowa entered the NCAA tournament as the #9 seed, having lost 7 of its last 10 games including the Big Ten tournament. Since being eliminated by Ohio State in Chicago, the Hawkeyes have ripped off three-straight victories in the Big Dance to force a rematch with Illinois.
After knocking off 8th seeded Clemson in the First Round, Iowa delivered on the major upsets of March Madness, topping #1 seed Florida to survive and advance to the tournament's second weekend.
"I think they're a completely different team now," Jake Davis says. "They've upset every team they've played in the tournament. They're playing great. We've gotta come in here and be ready to play. It's gonna be a dog fight."
Illinois players and coaches alike say the heat of conference play prepared them for the big stage. Following Thursday's contests in the South and West regions, 3 Big Ten teams would be one win away from making it to Indianapolis, with another pair in Michigan and Michigan State awaiting their opportunities.
The Big Ten has not had a national champion in men's basketball since 2000, when Tom Izzo and Michigan State claimed the title. In 2026, the conference is guaranteed to have at least one program in the Final Four.
"It's the best league out there," Underwood adds. "It's a great basketball league. It always has been. We're old this year. The league's got a lot of veterans and experience back, and that's showing with every team."
The Fighting Illini and Hawkeyes take the floor in Houston Saturday night at roughly 5:10pm. Illinois last appeared in the Final Four in 2005. Iowa last made the trip in 1980.
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
