Illinois Basketball's Tough March Madness Path

0:00On March 16th, the NCAA tournament brackets are out, and Illinois basketball landed as a number 3 seed in a brutally tough region. This marks the second time in 3 years they've earned a top 3 spot, and the third in the last 6 seasons. Their path starts in Omaha and can lead to some of the nation's best teams if they advance. First up is number 14 Penn, a team on a hot streak with 5 straight wins and 9 out of their last 10. Their sharp and disciplined, which could exploit Illinois's occasional focus issues. Get past them and number 6 North Carolina weights, a squad with massive wins over Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke on their resume. Illinois fans know the history here. The team has only reached the second weekend once since 2005, though they hit the Elite A2. Seasons back. Still, reactions are mixed, with many seeing this as one of the hardest rows drawn this year. The Alene bring their own firepower, boasting victories over Purdue, Tennessee, and Iowa this season.

1:01Deeper in, number 2 Houston looms as a potential sweet 16 foe. They bounced Illinois two years ago and nearly snagged the number 1 seed with. Triumphs over Kansas and Texas Tech. Then comes number 1. Florida in the Elite 8, followed likely by Powerhouse number 1 Duke, loaded with NBA level talent. Illinois has shown they can hang with anyone, but navigating this gauntlet will demand peak performance from start to finish to finally break through. In March.