INDIANAPOLIS — Familiarity with the biggest stage in college basketball falls on both ends of the spectrum for Illinois and UConn in recent years.
Regardless, both programs are set to face each other under the brightest spotlight imaginable in the NCAA men’s Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley has led his program to a 17-1 record in the NCAA Tournament over the last four seasons, winning two titles in 2023 and 2024. This is the third time UConn has made it to the Final Four in the last four years.
For Illinois head coach Brad Underwood, this trip to the Final Four marks the second time in his tenure that Illinois has made it past the Sweet 16. It is the furthest Illinois has been in the NCAA Tournament since losing to North Carolina in the championship game in 2005.
Both sides are in agreement on one thing: throw familiarity out the door. Those Illinois and UConn teams from the last four years do not exist anymore. Even the Illinois and UConn teams that played each other 128 days ago do not exist anymore.
“It's not a situation where there's more pressure or less pressure,” Hurley said. “For us, you're just so dialed into how you prepare for games at this point. Everything is so programmed. Everything is so automated: the practices, the drills, the techniques, the fundamentals. We know the things that we have to do.”
As the teams prepare, the only familiarity that exists for certain is that of coaches and teammates among themselves.
“It helps having a day today where you kind of knock it all out and get a feel for it and understand that [the Final Four] is a little bit different,” Underwood said. “But it's still business as usual, and we're going to conduct it that way.”
Familiarity is sparse. Much has changed.
What happened in the last matchup?
Back on Nov. 26, then-No. 13 Illinois (6-1) and No. 5 UConn (5-1) headlined the SentinelOne Showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In front of a crowd of over 16,000 fans, mostly wearing UConn blue and white, the Huskies emerged victorious 74-61, never trailing once.
Solo Ball led the Huskies with 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting. Malachi Smith and Alex Karaban were the Huskies’ only other double-figure scorers with 14 and 12 points, respectively. UConn shot 41 percent from the field and 36 percent on 3-point shots (10 of 28) and assisted on 19 of 26 made baskets.
Kylan Boswell scored 25 points to lead Illinois and was the only Illini to shoot above 50 percent from the field for the game. Tomislav Ivisic was the only other Illini in double figures and led Illinois in rebounds with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Illinois shot an ice-cold 32 percent (19 of 60) from the field and 21 percent (6 of 29) on 3-point shots. Starters not named Kylan Boswell shot 8 of 25 from the field. UConn earned seven blocks and seven steals defensively and outrebounded Illinois 43-38 and 14-10 on the offensive glass.
The loss moved Illinois to 0-2 away from home, with both losses coming to top-15 teams in the AP Poll. The Illini lost 90-86 to No. 11 Alabama three games prior in Chicago.
What is different this time around?
Nearly 30 games have passed since Illinois and UConn’s first matchup at Madison Square Garden from this Final Four repeat. Stars have been born. Players have gotten healthy. Schemes have developed. Stakes have increased. It is a completely different game, and players recognize that.
“We haven’t seen a single clip from our first game. We’ve wiped it,” Illinois junior guard Andrej Stojakovic said. “They’re a different team. They’re a whole lot better. We’re a different team. We’re a lot better. That’s what makes it fun.”
The fun comes in the unexpected. Here are some key differences from the first matchup that may play a major role on Saturday.
The ascension of Keaton Wagler
Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler was not the player he is today back in November. His constant improvement throughout the season raised his identity from a surprising freshman who outperformed expectations to the clear Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
In the eighth game of the season against UConn, there was no way of knowing how far Wagler would soar up the rotation. Against the Huskies the first time around, he only played 14 minutes, scoring a season-low three points on 1-for-3 shooting from the field. He had one rebound, one assist, two turnovers and three fouls as well. It was the second consecutive game Wagler scored in single digits and the third in his last four games.
Since then, Wagler has scored in double figures in every game, 28 in a row. He averages nearly 34 minutes per game and is the top option for one of the best offenses in the country. That has not been any different in the tournament this year as he is averaging 17.5 points per game in the four games to this point. Now that Illinois knows what it has in Wagler, expect him to be a much bigger component of the Illini offense on Saturday than he was in November against UConn.
The presence of Tarris Reed Jr.
UConn senior forward Tarris Reed Jr. has been on an absolute tear in the NCAA Tournament. He earned the East Region Most Outstanding Player honor, scoring 21.7 points and hauling in 13.7 rebounds per game. He scored 31 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in UConn’s opening round game against Furman, solidifying his role as the latest UConn big to lead a postseason charge.
There was a big hole in UConn’s rotation despite the win over Illinois in November.
That hole was Reed Jr.’s absence.
Reed Jr. missed November’s matchup with an ankle injury. Even though UConn led the whole way and won the rebounding and block battles, his interior presence can take those numbers to another level when healthy. Reed Jr. was a first-team All-Big East selection,
Illinois’ David Mirkovic does not think it will come so easily.
“I think he hasn't seen two 7-footers yet in March Madness,” Mirkovic said. “If we don’t let him duck in and grab as many offensive rebounds as he did, then I think we’ll be good.”
The two 7-footers, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, will provide a tough task for Reed Jr. down low. He has proven his ability to overcome most physical threats from opposing big men this season.
Indiana natives with increased roles
The return home to Indiana is coming at the right time for both Illini guard Jake Davis and Huskies guard Braylon Mullins. Both Indiana natives played a much smaller role the first time they matched up against each other this season, but they are also riding the wave of momentum going into Saturday.
In November against UConn, Davis only played eight minutes off the bench and did not score. That will not be the case on Saturday. While he may not score in bunches or light up the stat sheet, Davis has turned into a player who does everything Illinois asks of him. He can stay on the floor, defend, shoot when necessary and tie this team together. The McCordsville native and Cathedral High School product should see an increased role this time around on his home soil.
Mullins, a Greenfield Central High School product, missed the first six games of the season with an ankle injury and made his season debut against Illinois in November. He only played 10 minutes and scored two points in his ease back into game action. Now, Mullins averages nearly 30 minutes and just under 12 points per game with the Huskies. Without him, and his miraculous 35-foot game-winner against Duke to advance to the Final Four, UConn would not be where it is. With a big group of local supporters, Mullins will feel right at home in his starting role.
The biggest difference of all
This is the Final Four. The stakes are higher. The margin for error is slimmer. The stage is bigger.
Both teams have adopted the idea that while they may have seen their opponent’s name on the schedule once already, the name does not define the team. Familiarity does not matter.
The only consistent familiarity continues to be within each program.
“We know [Illinois is] playing [its] best basketball right now. That’s another motivation,” Ball said. “We’re also going into this knowing that people had put us as the underdogs too. Definitely a chip on our shoulder going into this game and the Final Four.”
“We’ve done a good job of sticking to doing what we do,” Illinois guard Kylen Boswell said. “Down the stretch like this, that’s going to be the biggest thing: falling back on your principles.”
The new changes will all play out after tipoff at 6:09 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with a trip to the national title game on the line.
