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Illinois' Top 5 Non-Con Wins of Brad Underwood Era – With Alabama Looming

The No. 25 Illini face the No. 8 Crimson Tide as heavy underdogs on Wednesday night

Steven Greenberg

Mar 28, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) dunks the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) dunks the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
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No. 25 Illinois (3-0) will play No. 8 Alabama (3-1) on Wednesday (8 p.m. CT, SEC Network), with the Crimson Tide favored by a hefty 8½ points.

Going strictly by the spread, a win for the Illini at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, site of the C.M. Newton Classic, would be the biggest of the Brad Underwood era in non-conference play. Would it actually feel like the biggest to Illini fans? Perhaps not, but it would be up there.

The game should be high-scoring and – if a young Illini team that’s inexperienced at playing together holds together – loads of fun to watch. First-year players Tomislav Ivisic, Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis have their work more than cut out for them against Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi and the rest of the Alabama crew.

It’s a fine occasion to look back at the five biggest non-conference wins of the Underwood era, each of which the Illini entered as underdogs.

5. No. 20 Illinois 98, No. 11 Florida Atlantic 89 (Dec. 5, 2023)

Line: FAU -2 in New York.

Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr. each poured in 33 points – at the time, career highs – and the Illini shot 63 percent in a Jimmy V Classic upset.

4. No. 19 Illinois 79, No. 8 UCLA 70 (Nov. 18, 2022)

Line: UCLA -4 in Las Vegas.

The Illini rallied from a 15-point deficit with a 22-6 second-half run that was scintillating and sensational. Shannon led the way with 29 points and 10 rebounds.

3. No. 6 Illinois 83, No. 10 Duke 68 (Dec. 8, 2020)

Line: Duke - 3½ in Durham, North Carolina.

Behind 18 points and 12 boards from Ayo Dosunmu, the Illini stormed to a 14-2 lead, were up 14 at the half and didn’t look back. Talk about a stellar ACC/Big Ten Challenge moment. Clearly, this Illini team had the goods.

2. No. 17 Illinois 85, No. 2 Texas 78 OT (Dec. 6, 2022)

Line: Texas -3½ in New York.

This Jimmy V Classic upset of the second-ranked Longhorns was wildly exciting down the stretch. Matthew Mayer scored 21, but it was Shannon who delivered when it mattered most, with 12 of his 16 points in overtime.

1. No. 3 seed Illinois 72, No. 2 seed Iowa State 69 (March 28, 2024)

Line: ISU -1½ in Boston.

There’s a theme here, and its name is Shannon. He scored 29 – punctuated with a late steal and two-handed throw-down – against the top defense in the country as the Illini advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

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Illinois Basketball Will Face Alabama Coming Off Upset Loss to Purdue

Illinois Basketball Enters Rankings in New AP Top 25 Poll

Illinois Basketball vs. Alabama: Scouting the Crimson Tide

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Steven Greenberg
STEVEN GREENBERG

Steve Greenberg, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, has written about college sports since the early 1990s.

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