NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview | 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU

3 ILLINOIS (25-8, 15-5 B1G) vs. 11 VCU (28-7, 15-3 A-10)  //  2026 NCAA Tournament Second Round
Tournament Central	NCAA March Madness Live | Illinois NCAA Tournament Central
Second Round	vs. 11 VCU
Date | Time	Saturday, March 21 | 6:50 p.m. CT (7:50 p.m. ET)
Location	Greenville, S.C. | Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Buy Tickets	TicketMaster.com
TV	CBS (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, & Tracy Wolfson)
Live Stream	NCAA March Madness Live | NCAA March Madness App
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App
National Radio	Westwood One (Noah Eagle & LaPhonso Ellis) | SiriusXM 208 or 201, SXM APP
Live Stats	NCAA March Madness Live
Printable Notes	Illinois | VCU
Press Conferences	Round 2 Pregame: Video | Transcript (March 20) // Round 1 Postgame: Video | Transcript (March 19)
2025-26 Stats	Illinois | VCU
Record Book	Illinois | Big Ten | NCAA
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Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 299-136 (.687), 13th year
At Illinois: 190-109 (.635), 9th year
Big Ten: 107-71 (.601)
NCAA Tournament at Illinois / All-Time: 7-5 (.583) / 9-9 (.500), 10th appearance

Illinois NCAA Tournament History

Appearances / Streak: 36th / 6
Record: 47-36 (.566)
Final Four Appearances / Last: 5 / 2005

Series History - NCAA Tournament Second Round

VCU (11 SEED)
Series Record / Streak: Illinois leads 1-0
Record at Neutral Site / Streak: Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Illinois 64, VCU 46  (Dec. 3, 2016 at Miami)
Record in the NCAA Tournament: First meeting
Underwood vs. VCU at Illinois: First meeting
Underwood vs. VCU All-Time: 1-0 (12 SFA def. 5 VCU, 77-75, OT, in 2014 NCAA First Round) 

FIGHTING ILLINI UNDER HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD

• Big Ten's winningest team in conference play over the last seven seasons
• One of four schools nationally with seven straight 20-win regular seasons 
• Six straight NCAA Tournament appearances (seventh precluded by COVID-19 cancelation in 2020)
• One of 10 schools to appear in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments
• One of eight schools with NCAA Tournament wins in at least five of the last six years
• 2024 NCAA Elite Eight; Illinois' first appearance since advancing to 2005 national title game
• 2021 NCAA Tourney No. 1 seed (fourth in school history)
• Top-two Big Ten finishes in four of the last six years
• 96 wins in Big Ten play since 2019-20, the most in school history over a seven-year period
• Five Top-25 finishes in last seven years, including two in the Top 10 
• Five All-Americans (four consensus)
• 22 All-Big Ten selections (eight first team)
• 2024 Big Ten Tournament Champions
• 2022 Big Ten Regular Season Champions
• 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champions
• Led Big Ten in wins in 2021

FIGHTING ILLINI NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

• Following a dominant 105-70 victory over Penn in the first round, No. 3 seed Illinois advances to the NCAA Tournament Second Round and will face No. 11 seed VCU on Saturday.
• Brad Underwood is one victory away from reaching 300 career wins as a Div. I head coach.
• Illinois is aiming to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons. In 2024, Underwood led the Fighting Illini to an Elite Eight appearance.
• It has been more than 20 years since Illinois has made two Sweet 16 appearances in a three-year span, since a run of four Sweet 16s in five years from 2001-05:  
  » 2001-Elite Eight  
  » 2002-Sweet 16  
  » 2004-Sweet 16  
  » 2005-National Runner Up
• Illinois is making its 36th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and sixth* straight (*seventh precluded by cancellation of 2020 Tournament due to COVID-19).
• Illinois is tied for 18th among all schools, and fifth of B1G schools, for most NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Illinois is one of only three Big Ten teams – and one of just 10 teams nationally – to earn a bid in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments. Illinois' six-year streak is tied for the nation's seventh-longest active streak.
• Illinois and Michigan State are the only two B1G teams to advance in the NCAA Tournament five of the last six years. 
• Brad Underwood is just the second head coach in school history to lead Illinois to at least six straight NCAA Tournaments, joining Lou Henson (eight straight from 1983-90).
• Illinois' active streak of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances is its longest since participating eight years in a row from 2000 through 2007. 
• Illinois has compiled a 47-36 (.566) record all-time in NCAA Tournament games. 
• Illinois' 47 NCAA Tournament wins rank tied for 19th among all schools.
• Illinois' 47 NCAA Tournament wins are third-most among teams yet to win a national championship, trailing Purdue (51), and Gonzaga (48).
• Since 1975, when the field was increased to 32 teams, Illinois has advanced to the Sweet 16 nine times, the Elite Eight five times, and the Final Four twice. 
• Illinois has made five all-time appearances in the NCAA Final Four, finishing as the national runner-up in 2005, placing third in 1949, 1951 and 1952, and tying for third in 1989.
• Illinois' five Final Four appearances are second-most among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Houston (7), and tied with Oklahoma.
• Illinois has 10 all-time Elite Eight appearances, and 12 total Sweet 16 appearances. The Illini most recently played in both of those rounds in 2024.
• Head Coach Brad Underwood has brought Illinois back among the nation's elite college basketball programs. 
  • His rebuild in Champaign brought success during Year 3 of his tenure, leading the Illini to a top-25 finish and what would have been an NCAA Tournament bid before the 2020 postseason was canceled due to COVID-19.
  • Underwood directed Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament title and #1 seed in 2021, as Illinois played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. 
  • Underwood guided the Illini to a Big Ten Regular Season Championship and #4 seed in 2022, advancing to the Round of 32 for the second straight season. 
  • In 2023, Underwood guided the Illini to the NCAA tournament for a third straight season as a #9 seed.
  • Illinois earned its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid in 2024 after capturing the Big Ten Tournament title. As a #3 seed, Illinois advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 behind star Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 23.3 points, the highest NCAA Tournament scoring average in school history. 
  • Underwood's NCAA streak extended to five in a row in 2025. As a #6 seed, the Illini earned an 86-73 win in Round 1 vs. #11 seed Xavier. It marked the fourth season in the previous five years with an NCAA Tournament win for the Fighting Illini.  
  • In his sixth-straight appearance, Underwood has led the Illini to the Round of 32 following a 105-70 blowout win over Penn in the first round. 
• Underwood is making his 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament with his third program in 13 seasons as a Div. I head coach. He previously led Stephen F. Austin to three consecutive appearances from 2014-2016, advancing to the Round of 32 in 2014 and 2016. He then took Oklahoma State to the Tournament in his lone season in Stillwater in 2017. Underwood owns a 9-9 career record in the NCAA Tournament, with a 7-5 mark at the helm of the Fighting Illini. 
• Underwood now ranks fourth among Illinois all-time head coaches for most NCAA Tournament wins:
  » Lou Henson-12  
  » Bruce Weber & Harry Combes-9  
  » Brad Underwood-7
• Illinois has earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history, last coming in as a No. 3 seed during the Elite Eight run in 2024. Following the win over Penn, the Illini hold an all-time record of 7-4 as a No. 3 seed:
  • 2026 First Round (Greenville, S.C.) – #3 Illinois 105, #14 Penn 70
  • 2024 First Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 85, #14 Morehead State 69
  • 2024 Second Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 89, #11 Duquesne 63
  • 2024 Regional Semifinal (Boston, Mass.) – #3 Illinois 72, #2 Iowa State 69
  • 2024 Regional Final (Boston, Mass.) – #1 Connecticut 77, #3 Illinois 52
  • 1988 First Round (Cincinnati, Ohio) – #3 Illinois 81, #14 UTSA 72
  • 1988 Second Round (Cincinnati, Ohio) – #6 Villanova 66, #3 Illinois 63
  • 1987 First Round (Birmingham, Ala.) – #14 Austin Peay 68, #3 Illinois 67
  • 1985 First Round (Atlanta, Ga.) – #3 Illinois 76, #14 Northeastern 57
  • 1985 Second Round (Atlanta, Ga.) – #3 Illinois 74, #6 Georgia 58
  • 1985 Regional Semifinal (Providence, R.I.) – #2 Georgia Tech 61, #3 Illinois 53
• Illinois improved to 35-16 as a higher (better) seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Illinois is now 27-9 all-time when playing its opening game of the NCAA Tournament and has won its first game in seven of its last eight NCAA Tournament appearances (2011, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2024 & 2025). 
• Illinois improved to 4-2 all-time against the No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament:
  • 2026 First Round (Greenville, S.C.) – #3 Illinois 105, #14 Penn 70
  • 2024 First Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 85, #14 Morehead State 69
  • 1997 Second Round (Charlotte, N.C.) – #14 Tennessee-Chattanooga 75, #6 Illinois 63
  • 1988 First Round (Cincinnati Ohio) – #3 Illinois 81, #14 Texas-San Antonio 72
  • 1987 First Round (Birmingham, Ala.) – #14 Austin Peay 68, #3 Illinois 67
  • 1985 First Round (Atlanta, Ga.) – #3 Illinois 76, #14 Northeastern 57
• Illinois is 1-0 all-time against Saturday's second-round opponent VCU: 
  • vs. VCU (1-0) - 11 Seed
    • 12-3-2016 W, 64-46 Miami, Fla. (Hoophall Miami Invitational)
• Illinois is 4-0 all-time against the No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament:
  • 2025 First Round (Milwaukee, Wis.) – #6 Illinois 86, #11 Xavier, 73
  • 2024 Second Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 89, #11 Duquesne, 63
  • 1997 First Round (Charlotte, N.C.) – #6 Illinois 90, #11 USC 77
  • 1993 First Round (Salt Lake City, Utah) – #6 Illinois 75, #11 Long Beach State 72

Illini Single-Game Bests in NCAA Tournament Play 

• Points: 31, Deron Williams vs. Cincinnati, 3/21/2004
• Rebounds: 17, David Mirkovic vs. Penn, 3/19/2026
• Field Goals: 12, Kenny Battle vs. Syracuse, 3/26/89
                      12, Nick Anderson vs. Louisville, 3/24/89
• Field Goal Pct.: 1.000 (9-9), Dain Dainja vs. Morehead State, 3/21/2024
• 3-Pt FGs: 6, Cory Bradford vs. Arizona, 3/23/2001
                  6, Deron Williams vs. Cincinnati, 3/21/2004
                  6, Luther Head vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
                  6, Jamar Smith vs. Air Force, 3/16/2006
• 3-Pt. FG Pct.: .833 (5-6), Frank Williams vs. San Diego State, 3/15/2002
• Free Throw Pct: 1.000 (8-8), Mark Smith vs. Wyoming, 3/14/81
                             1.000 (8-8), Kenny Battle vs. McNeese State, 3/16/89
                             1.000 (8-8), Terrence Shannon Jr. vs. Duquesne, 3/23/2024
                             1.000 (7-7), Ken Norman vs. Northeastern, 3/15/85
                             1.000 (7-7), Efrem Winters vs. Georgia, 3/17/85
                             1.000 (7-7), Kofi Cockburn vs. Houston, 3/20/2022
• Free Throws: 16, Kiwane Garris vs. Southern Cal, 3/14/97
• Assists: 12, Kiwane Garris vs. Southern Cal, 3/14/97
• Steals: 6, Bruce Douglas vs. Georgia, 3/17/85
• Blocked Shots: 4, Tomislav Ivisic vs. Kentucky, 3/23/25
• Minutes: 44, Deron Williams vs. Arizona, 3/26/2005
• Triple-Double 12 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast, Marcus Domask vs. Morehead State, 3/21/2024

UNDERWOOD FACING VCU AGAIN IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

Brad Underwood is coaching in his 10th NCAA Tournament in 13 years as a Div. I head coach, including his sixth straight while leading the Illini. His first NCAA Tournament game as a head coach came against Saturday's second-round opponent, VCU. 

After 26 years in the profession as a college assistant or junior college head coach, Underwood earned his first Div. I head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. His spectacular three-year run at SFA began with Southland regular season and tournament titles and a 28-game winning streak entering the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks were a 12 seed and faced 5 seed VCU in the first round in San Diego. 

SFA trailed in the final seconds when Desmond Haymon made a 3-pointer and was fouled, converting a 4-point play to send the game into overtime. SFA went on to win, 77-75, with Underwood earning his first NCAA victory.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)