Entitled to an NCAA At-Large Berth, or NIT Bound?

The regular season is now over for the Illini basketball team, and fans await the post-season verdict for the Illini, a trip to the NCAA or NIT.

It seems unlikely the Illini will make the NCAA tourney this year, with their not so stellar record of 19-14. The Illini had some really bad losses along the way, against Utah, Bradley and Georgia in the non-conference season. They also lost big to Missouri, as the numbers caught up with them after owning Mizzou for many years. Once Big 10 conference season started, the Illini lost at Northwestern in front of a huge Illini fan base, and lost home games to Minnesota and Wisconsin. NCAA Tourney teams should do a better job defending their home court.

This season's Illini team did have some quality wins, particularly against Clemson in the Big 10/ACC Challenge game, as well as winning at the Kohl Center (Wisconsin) and beating Michigan State. But with all of the games with a sub-par effort, it seems the Illini are headed to the NIT. I guess we can hope for some luck with the committee, but it seems like a long shot right now.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Illini making NCAAs

With 18 hours to go, Joe Lunardi has the Illini barely in, one of the last four teams in the tourney. This could change, but reflects his most recent analysis. Link