Illinois Fighting Illini To Face 2024 Final Four Participant In November

Shandel Richardson | Jul 11, 2024

Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leaves the court after the game against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini missed out on their chance to play Alabama last season with great stakes.

They get the opportunity to face the Crimson Tide four months from now. It was announced this week the teams will meet Nov. 20 in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham.

"We're going to play a tremendous schedule, maybe the best ever," Underwood said last month. "It's exciting to be a part of." 

🔔 GAME UPDATE 🔔@IlliniMBB will take a trip to the Magic City to face @AlabamaMBB in the 2024 C.M. Newton Classic!

📅 | Wednesday, November 20, 2024
📍 | Legacy Arena at the BJCC#CMNewtonClassic | @TriGreenEquip pic.twitter.com/WNQbZEJpvs

— C.M. Newton Classic (@CMNewtonClassic) July 9, 2024

The Illini fell one game short of playing Alabama last year in the Final Four. They lost in the Elite Eight to eventual champion UConn, which eliminated the Crimson Tide the following week.

The matchup is one of the key games on the Illini non-conference schedule. They also have big games against Arkansas (Nov. 28) in Kansas City, the annual Braggin' Rights game against Missouri (Dec. 22) in St. Louis and Duke (TBA) in New York.

"Some of these games, the national media, the TV networks like us," Underwood said. "That's a big thank you to our fans because they do travel. It's also put us in that status: We're pretty good. People think a lot of us." 

In three months since their Elite Eight run, the Illini have added recruits Morez Johnson, Tomislav Ivsisic and Will Riley and Ben Humrichous from the transfer portal. All are on campus, with hopes being ready by the start of the season.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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