One more win against a Big Ten team.
More specifically, one more win against a Big Ten team they already defeated this season.
That was the barrier between the Fighting Illini and their first trip to the Final Four since two months into the second term of the 43rd POTUS.
The draw fell ideally in Illinois’ favor.
Hell, they saw Fran and then Iowa.
The stakes were the highest in the history of a rivalry powered by generational hatred, historic betrayal, regional disdain, and recent intensity.
Luka Garza
didn’t walk through that door. Nobody named Murray took the court on Saturday.
So the Hawkeyes, led by their young coach, took the court to stop Green Street from being more fun than Bourbon Street.
This was not the same Iowa squad against whom Illinois triumphed in Iowa City. And
And the game that ensued on Saturday is beyond the creativity of any of the brilliant writers in Iowa City.
It started with both potent scoring squads flexing their defense.
Iowa doesn’t have the horses. But their defensive strength (forcing turnovers) slowed the Illini early.
You know, the Illini squad that protects the ball like a fake baby in a 1980s sitcom plot.
Quite frankly, Iowa came out looking like Illinois offensively. They made their shots with precise efficiency. They created Illinois’ largest deficit in the entire tournament less than three minutes into the battle.
Much like classic Houston rap group Geto Boys, Iowa could not be stopped early. Iowa’s 9-0 start was an absolute dagger to Underwood’s squad. It took less than four minutes for Andrej Stojakovic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Ben Humrichous to report to the scorers’ table.
Iowa looked like a well-oiled machine. Illinois looked like a jalopy.
Illinois needed a line change to start digging out from their early 12-3 deficit.
He came in like a wrecking ball.
In baseball, a stopper refers to a reliable starting pitcher who takes the mound and pitches dependably well in a way that ends a losing streak.
Andrej Stojakovic is the stopper for the Illini. When everything slows down and nothing succeeds, Andrej’s presence can be so dynamic that it is an antidote to opponent efficiency.
Illinois cut the once ten-point lead to 1, keyed by the Cal transfer.
“He was going down, we planned. But this wasn’t no ordinary man.“
The final verse of the Geto Boys’ biggest hit, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” rapper Bushwick Bill recounted the story of a fight with an opponent who was tough to take out.
For the Illini, that was Iowa supernova marathon man Bennett Stirtz.
He is a load coming off the bounce or in ball screen action. Even Illinois’ best perimeter defenders had trouble chasing him. And even when they caught him, he still made the half-court into his own scoring playground.
His 4-6 start (2-4 from behind the arc) paced Iowa’s scorching start.
What, that’s all you’ve got?
Illinois took what looked like Iowa’s best punch. And they only trailed by two at the ‘horn won’t stop playing: delay.
I immediately thought of the rain delay in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. During that time, much-maligned Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward made a rousing speech, reminding his teammates who the hell they are and what the hell they had accomplished.
The rest is Billy Goat-crushing history.
So who would be the Jason Heyward for the Illini? Would they even need one?
Yes, they needed one. They did not have one.
Bennett Stirtz continued to conduct a shooting clinic. He was scoring on dribble drives. He was scoring on threes off ball screens.
How do you stop a player with unlimited cardio, heart for days, and a shooter’s instinct?
Fundamentally, the marksman aims at himself.
That’s by far my favorite Zen Archery saying. It’s also the only Zen Archery saying I know.
Sometimes, the answer is less about nailing matchup advantages. It can come down to looking in the mirror and figuring out the most forceful, efficient way to “do you.” Take control of the game on your terms and believe in your ability to conquer and your status as the “better” team.
That won’t be easy. Certainly, Florida thought it could do the same thing.
Hate rears its ugly head.
All of the familiar tropes came flooding back. Illinois’ issues rearing their heads sent the global fanbase into a tizzy. With multiple chances to take the lead, Illinois missed eight consecutive shots as the first half wound down.
Keaton Wagler bucked the trend of predictable stumbles with a head-scratching travel on Illinois’ last possession of the half.
Illinois went over five minutes without a field goal at the end of the half. Storms and droughts define this offense in some games.
And Wagler actually helped pace the Illini with an eleven-point half. He and Andrej combined for 21 of Illinois 28 points.
But on a positive note.
Illinois trailed only 32-28 at halftime. They dominated the offensive glass (7-1)and got five first-half steals. The game was shaping up as a winnable matchup for an Illini squad that has demonstrated an ability to go on offensive heaters.
Illinois missed five of ten layups in the first half. There is no way they would be that bad that close in the second half, right?
Who would step up in the second half?
Who would be the Jason Heyward for Illinois in the locker room?
Would Andrej Stojakovic play stopper in the second half?
Well, that sure was unexpected.
Officiating entered the chat.
As Illinois took a one-point lead early in the half, Kylan Boswell was called for a foul that Ray Charles would have gotten T’d up for arguing. Boswell’s instinctive rage required his teammates to physically and metaphorically embrace him in the moment. It was a wholesome symbol of the FamILLy established with this roster.
Would that travesty lead to an Illini meltdown? Or would the team rally around their senior and take control?
“Both teams are leaving it all on the floor.”
Robbie Hummel nailed his analysis.
Early in the second half, the game took on a Stanley Cup Playoff atmosphere. Every possession felt high stakes. Every possession changed carried with it the expectation of shaking the game.
Illinois was able to offset Iowa’s three-point prowess by simply getting enough rebounds to get enough shots to stay in the game. Illinois is better than any team in the nation in the coaching mantra, “just go out there and be big.” That won’t win you every game, but it keeps you in games in which your opponent outshoots you.
Fans, it’s a slobberknocker.
This game would have made Iowa alum Bret Bielema proud. An absolute rock fight between two teams who play hard, physical, tough basketball against their rival.
Illinois used its length and size to keep Iowa off the glass. Iowa eliminated Illinois’ three-point offense. It resulted in Illinois enjoying an 8-0 run to give the Illini their biggest lead of 58-51 at the 4:33 mark.
Comeback wins are uphill battles. But the Illini won this game going downhill.
Tomislav Ivisic fouled out. He was a key figure in the Illini comeback.
David Mirkovic was a devastatingly efficient player on the glass.
The entire perimeter defensive infrastructure turned up the pressure in the second half.
But this game was locked by Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic getting downhill and making plays at the rim.
Stojakovic off the bench has been nothing shy of a revelation. His presence turns a potentially great team into a nearly unguardable collective force.
He looked like every bit of the McDonald’s All-American.
And his defense on Bennett Stirtz (9 points in the second half after a 15-point first-half heater) can not be understated as a factor in this victory.
Defense wins regional championships.
Illinois’ offensive efficiency has been elite. In fact, it’s been historical for much of the season.
But in Houston, Illinois, showed off the clamps.
After Iowa’s beast-mode start, the Hawkeyes looked human in the second half. The combination of Boswell, Wagler, Stojakovic, Mirkovic, and Ben Humrichous gave Iowa fits high and low.
A.J. Redd is now going to the Final Four.
Michigan State fans will lecture about how Illinois had an easy draw.
Michigan and Purdue fans will boast of recent excellence.
Florida fans will rue the day they were unprepared to beat this tough, focused Iowa squad.
But none of that matters.
Exhale. Enjoy. Exalt.
A child born in the winter of Illinois’ last Final Four berth is old enough to legally celebrate this victory with a cocktail.
The celebration should be equal to the achievement.
You know your assignment.
