Chambana Sun

The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is set to face Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The game will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis and will be broadcasted on CBS.

Illinois enters the semifinals as the No. 2 seed following a narrow victory over Ohio State with a score of 77-74 in the quarterfinals. This marks Illinois' 14th appearance in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and their first since 2021 when they defeated Iowa.

The Illini have a strong history against Nebraska, leading their series record at 22-8. Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois has achieved significant success in recent years, including five consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins and three top-2 finishes in the Big Ten standings over the last four years.

"Illinois is making its 14th all-time BTT semifinals appearance and first since 2021," notes an official statement from Illinois Athletics. The team boasts a record of seven wins and six losses in past semifinal appearances.

Terrence Shannon Jr., who leads Illinois with an average of 21.6 points per game, plays a crucial role for the team this season. His scoring average is noted as "the program's highest single-season scoring average in 51 years."

Head coach Brad Underwood has guided Illinois to notable achievements during his tenure, including "three consensus All-Americans" and "seven first-team All-Big Ten selections." The team's performance under his leadership has been described as reaching "historic levels of success."

Illinois aims to continue its strong performance as it competes for another championship title. With their current form and historical records, they remain one of the formidable teams within the conference.