The Lone Positive Illinois Can Salvage From the Debacle Against Maryland

The Big Ten Tournament loss to the Terps oddly could be a blessing in disguise – but only if the Illini make the most of it

Maryland Terrapins forward Jordan Geronimo (22) celebrates Friday, March 14, 2025, in a quarterfinals game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Maryland Terrapins defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini, 88-65. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The goals for Illinois on Friday should have been crystal clear: Match up with Maryland with a full complement of healthy players, add an important Quad 1 win to the resume, inch a step closer to a Big Ten Tournament title, continue to look awesome in order to make a compelling argument for a quality seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Instead, the Illini shot 36.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from three-point range and committed 17 turnovers while single-handedly getting shot out of the gym by Terrapins guard Rodney Rice – whose seven triples were more than Illinois made as a team.

The final gut punch for Illinois was an 88-65 loss, halting all of their momentum and surely forcing them to question that unwavering confidence that was built during their four-game winning streak. Now the Illini (21-12) turn to the NCAA Tournament and thoughts of a deep season-finishing run – the real goal all along – with a sour taste in their mouths.

Aside from Illinois' plus-9 rebounding advantage over Maryland, encouraging signs were nowhere to be found in the game itself. Was there anything to be salvaged from what can only be described as a flaming debacle?

“When we won [the Big Ten Tournament championship] last year, we took Monday off and had to travel Tuesday,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood after Friday's loss. "There was no prep time.

“Now, we’ll get to dissect this with film. We’ll get to have some teaching points. We’ll get rested. We’ll actually have practice times to go [over] some things we’ve got to get right and get focused [on].”

A blowout loss is the last thing any club wants heading into the NCAA Tournament, but the Illini’s early exit from the conference tournament this season is an opportunity of sorts for a club in a fairly unique situation.

A young group plagued much of the season by injuries and illness, all while walking a gauntlet of a schedule, will have at least six days – and potentially a full week – to rest up, prepare and get its minds right.

The extra time allows Morez Johnson Jr., who just returned from a broken wrist on Thursday, to condition. It gives the coaching staff a chance to fully implement the defensive wrinkles the Illini have toyed with and hammer home key points. It allows a bunch of teenage kids to take a breath and realize how fleeting all this is.

Mo with the SWAT

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/mKUmbZbRuw

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 14, 2025

And if history really does tend to repeat itself, then maybe a thumping is just what the Illini needed. Rattling off four straight wins as they did after a program-worst 43-point loss to Duke would result in a first-class ticket to San Antonio and the Final Four – which is likely the only outcome that would make the Maryland shellacking worth Illinois' while.

In the coming days, the Illini will work, rest, work and rest. The NCAA Tournament seeding is out of their hands. As Underwood is fond of saying, they will control the controllables.

“We’re going to show up next Thursday or Friday against whoever we have to play," he said, "and we’re going to compete awfully hard.”

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