The first ticket to the Final Four has been punched.
Behind 25 points from freshman superstar Keaton Wagler, No. 3 seed Illinois pulled away from No. 9 seed Iowa 71-59 on Saturday, March 28 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament.
The victory clinched the Fighting Illini’s first Final Four appearance since 2005, when a Deron Williams-led team that won 37 of its first 38 games fell to North Carolina in the national championship game.
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Next Saturday in Indianapolis, they’ll face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between No. 1 overall seed Duke and No. 2 seed UConn.
