NCAA Tournament Final Four Preview | 3 Illinois vs. 2 UConn

3 ILLINOIS (28-8, 15-5 B1G) vs. 2 UConn (33-5, 17-3 Big East)  //  2026 NCAA Tournament National Semifinal
Tournament Central	NCAA March Madness Live | Illinois NCAA Tournament Central
Regional Final	vs. 2 UConn
Date | Time	Saturday, April 4 | 5:09 p.m. CT (6:09 p.m. ET)
Location	Indianapolis, Ind. | Lucas Oil Stadium
Buy Tickets	TicketMaster.com
TV	TBS/TNT/TruTV (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, & Tracy Wolfson)
Live Stream	NCAA March Madness Live | NCAA March Madness App
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Press Conferences	Tuesday, March 31 (Local) – Video  // Thursday, April 2 (On-Site) – Video | Transcript // Friday, April 3 (On-Site) – Video | Transcript
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Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 302-136 (.689), 13th year
At Illinois: 193-109 (.639), 9th year
Big Ten: 107-71 (.601)
NCAA Tournament at Illinois / All-Time: 10-5 (.667), 6th appearance / 12-9 (.571), 10th appearance

Illinois NCAA Tournament History

Appearances / Streak: 36th / 6
Record: 50-36 (.581)
Final Four Appearances: 6 (2026, 2005, 1989, 1952, 1951, 1949)

Series History - NCAA Tournament National Semifinal

UCONN (2 SEED)
Series Record / Streak: UConn leads 4-1 / L-4
Last Meeting: #5 UConn 74, #13 Illinois 61 (11/28/25 at Madison Square Garde, New York, N.Y.)
Record at Neutral Sites: UConn leads 2-0
Record in the NCAA Tournament: UConn leads 1-0
Last NCAA Tournament Meeting: #1 UConn 77, #10 Illinois 52 (3/30/24 at TD Garden, Boston, Mass. / B1G Elite 8)
Underwood vs. UConn at Illinois / All-Time: 0-1 / 1-2 

FIGHTING ILLINI UNDER HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD

• 2026 Final Four; UI's first since 2005 NCAA Runner-Up
• Two NCAA Elite Eights in the last three years
• 8-2 over last three NCAA Tournaments
• 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 in the last six NCAA Tournaments
• One of 12 schools with NCAA Tournament wins in at least five of the last six years
• Top-two Big Ten finishes in four of the last six years
• 96 B1G wins since 2019-20, the most in school history over a seven-year period
• Five AP 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 NCAA Elite Eight
• 2024 Big Ten Tournament Champions
• 2022 Big Ten Regular Season Champions
• 2021 NCAA Tourney No. 1 seed (fourth in school history)
• 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champions

FIGHTING ILLINI NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

• The No. 3-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini – 2026 NCAA Tournament South Regional Champions – travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., to compete in the program's sixth Final Four and its first since 2005. 
• Illinois faces East Regional Champion and No. 2-seeded UConn in the first National Semifinal matchup, slated to tip off on Saturday at 5:09 p.m. CT (6:09 p.m. ET). The Final Four matchup between the Fighting Illini and the Huskies will be televised on TBS, TNT, and truTV. 
• The winner of Saturday's National Semifinal between Illinois and UConn will advance to National Championship game to face either No. 1 seed and West Regional Champion Arizona or No. 1 seed and Midwest Regional Champion Michigan, Monday, April 6, at 7:50 p.m. CT (8:50 p.m. ET) on TBS, TNT, and truTV.
• Illinois' run to the Final Four began with opening weekend victories over 14 seed Penn (105-70) and 11 seed VCU (76-55) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively, in Greenville, S.C. The Illini then defeated 2 seed and No. 5-ranked Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16, followed by an Elite Eight victory over Big Ten rival and 9 seed Iowa (71-59) at Toyota Center in Houston. 
• 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, fifth among B1G schools, for most NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Illinois' Elite Eight victory over Iowa marked its 28th win of the season, the fourth-most in program history. Brad Underwood is the first head coach in Illinois program history to win 28+ games in multiple seasons.
      1. 2005 - Bruce Weber, 37-2 – National Runner-Up
      2. 1989 - Lou Henson, 31-5 – Final Four
      3. 2024 - Brad Underwood, 29-9 – Elite Eight
      4. 2026 - Brad Underwood, 28-8 – Final Four
• Illinois is making its sixth trip to the Final Four, and first since finishing as national runner-up in 2005: 
  • 2026 Final Four - Brad Underwood
  • 2005 Runner-Up - Bruce Weber
  • 1989 Final Four - Lou Henson
  • 1952 Third Place - Harry Combes
  • 1951 Third Place - Harry Combes
  • 1949 Third Place - Harry Combes
• Illinois' six Final Four appearances are second-most among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Houston (7), which Illinois defeated in this year's Sweet 16. 
• Illinois is No. 4 in kenpom with a net rating of +34.41, third among the teams competing at the Final Four behind No. 1 Michigan (+39.02) and No. 2 Arizona (+38.76), and ahead of No. 9 UConn (+29.11). 
• 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' active streak of six straight NCAA Tournament appearances is its longest since participating eight years in a row from 2000 through 2007.
• Illinois is one of three B1G teams (MSU & UCLA) to advance in the NCAA Tournament five of the last six years. 
• The Fighting Illini will compete in the sixth Final Four in program history, and the program's third since the field expanded to 32 teams in 1975. Illinois is 1-4 in its five previous National Semifinal matchups: 
  • 2026 National Semifinal (Indianapolis, Ind.) – #3 Illinois vs. #2 UConn
  • 2005 National Semifinal (St. Louis, Mo.) – #1 Illinois 72, #4 Louisville 57
  • 1989 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – #3 Michigan 83, #1 Illinois 81
  • 1952 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – St. John's 61, Illinois 59 
  • 1951 East Regional Final/National Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 74
  • 1949 East Regional Final/National Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 47
• With Illinois and Michigan both advancing to the National Semifinal, it marks the ninth time since 1976 that the Big Ten Conference has produced two of the Final Four participants. It is the second time that the National Semifinal round has featured both the Fighting Illini and Wolverines, who also matched up in the 1989 Final Four. 
  • 2026 - #1 Michigan and #3 Illinois
  • 2015 - #1 Wisconsin (runner-up) and #7 Michigan State
  • 2005 - #1 Illinois (runner-up) and #5 Michigan State
  • 2000 - #1 Michigan State (champion) and #8 Wisconsin
  • 1999 - #1 Michigan State and #4 Ohio State 
  • 1992 - #6 Michigan (runner-up) and #2 Indiana
  • 1989 - #3 Michigan (champion) and #1 Illinois
  • 1980 - #6 Purdue (third place) and #5 Iowa
  • 1976 - Indiana (champion) and Michigan (runner-up)
• 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).
• Brad Underwood joins Lou Henson as the only Illinois head coaches in the modern era to twice lead the Fighting Illini to the Elite Eight or beyond:"
  • 2026 Final Four - Brad Underwood » 2001 Elite Eight - Bill Self
  • 2024 Elite Eight - Brad Underwood » 1989 Final Four - Lou Henson
  • 2005 Runner-Up - Bruce Weber » 1984 Elite Eight - Lou Henson
• Illinois has compiled a 50-36 (.581) record all-time in NCAA Tournament games. 
• Illinois' 50 NCAA Tournament wins rank 18th among all schools, and fourth among the Final Four participants: 
  • UConn - 76 wins (8th)
  • Michigan - 72 wins (9th)
  • Arizona - 66 wins (13th)
  • Illinois - 50 wins (18th)
• Illinois' 50 NCAA Tournament wins are second among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Purdue (53).
• Since 1975, when the field was increased to 32 teams, Illinois has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen 10 times, the Elite Eight six times, and the Final Four three times. 
• 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 No. 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 2025. The 6 seed Illini earned an 86-73 win in Round 1 vs. 11 seed Xavier. It marked the fourth season in the previous five with an NCAA Tourney win for the Fighting Illini.  
  • In his sixth-straight appearance, Underwood has led the Illini to the program's first Final Four in 21 seasons since the 2005 national runner-up team. After dominant wins over Penn (105-70) and VCU (76-55) in the first and second rounds, respectively, the Illini defeated 2 seed Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16,  then rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit to beat Big Ten rival Iowa (71-59) to claim the program's sixth Final Four berth. 
• 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 12-9 career record in the NCAA Tournament, with a 10-5 mark at the helm of the Fighting Illini. 
• Underwood has led the Illini to an 8-2 record over the last three NCAA Tournaments.
• Underwood is second among Illinois all-time head coaches for most NCAA Tournament wins:
  • Lou Henson-12  
  • Brad Underwood - 10
  • Bruce Weber & Harry Combes-9
•  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. The Illini are now 10-4 all-time as a No. 3 seed:
  • 2026 First Round (Greenville, S.C.) – #3 Illinois 105, #14 Penn 70
  • 2026 Second Round (Greenville, S.C.) – #3 Illinois 76, #11 VCU 55
  • 2026 Regional Semifinal (Houston, Texas) – #3 Illinois 65, #2 Houston 55
  • 2026 Regional Final (Houston, Texas) – #3 Illinois 71, #9 Iowa 59
  • 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 won the 2026 South Regional, the seventh regional hosted in Houston, Texas. The Illini are the first regional winner from Houston not seeded No. 1 or No. 2 since the NCAA began seeding the full field in 1979.
  • 2026 (South) at Toyota Center: #3 Illinois (Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)
  • 2015 (South) at NRG Stadium: #1 Duke (National Champion at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)
  • 2010 (South) at NRG Stadium: #1 Duke (National Champion at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis)
  • 2008 (South) at NRG Stadium: #1 Memphis (National Runner-Up at Alamadome in San Antonio)
  • 1986 (West) at The Summit: #2 Louisville (National Champion at Reunion Arena in Dallas)
  • 1980 (Midwest) at The Summit: #2 Louisville (National Champion at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.)
  • 1973 (Midwest) at Fertitta Center: Memphis St. (National Runner-Up at St. Louis Arena in St. Louis)
• Four of the previous six Houston Regionals have fed to Final Fours hosted in Indianapolis, including the three at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2026, 2015 and 2010. 
• All six of previous winners of regionals hosted in Houston have gone on play in the national championship game, with four claiming national titles: 2015 Duke, 2010 Duke, 1986 Louisville, and 1980 Louisville
• Illinois is the 20th 3 seed to reach the Final Four since 1979. The previous 3 seeds are a combined 12-7 in national semifinal games and 5-7 in the national championship. 
  • Five 3 seeds have won national titles since the tournament began seeding teams the full tournament field in 1979: 1981 Indiana, 1989 Michigan, 2003 Syracuse, 2006 Florida, and 2011 Connecticut. 
  • Illinois is looking to become the first 3 seed to make it to the national championship game since Texas Tech in 2019 (L vs. No. 1 Virginia, 85-77, OT).
• Illinois is the lowest (worst) seed to reach the Final Four over the last two tournaments (2025, 2026). Following the 2024 Final Four which included 11-seeded N.C. State and 4-seeded Alabama, all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the 2025 Final Four.
  • Illinois is looking to become the lowest seed to make the national title game since No. 4 seed Connecticut beat No. 5 seed San Diego State in the 2023 championship game. 
• Illinois is 37-16 as a higher (better) seed in the NCAA Tournament and is 4-13 as the lower (worse) seed.
• Illinois has earned three wins all-time over the No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament entering Saturday's Final Four matchup with 2-seeded UConn. Two have come as a 3 seed in the last three years in the Brad Underwood era:
  • 2026 Regional Semifinal (Houston, Texas) – #3 Illinois 65, #2 Houston 55
  • 2024 Regional Semifinal (Boston, Mass.) – #3 Illinois 72, #2 Iowa State 69
  • 1989 Regional Final (Minneapolis, Minn.) – #1 Illinois 89, #2 Syracuse 77
• Illinois is 1-4 all-time in Final Four games: 
  • 1949 Regional Final (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 47
  • 1951 Regional Final (New York, N.Y.) – Kentucky 76, Illinois 74
  • 1952 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – St. John's 61, Illinois 59
  • 1989 National Semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) – #3 Michigan 83, #1 Illinois 81
  • 2005 National Semifinal (St. Louis, Mo.) – #1 Illinois 72, #4 Louisville 57 
    
•  Illinois is 0-1 all-time in the National Championship game:  
  • 2005 National Championship (St. Louis, Mo.) – #1 North Carolina 75, #1 Illinois 70
•  Illinois is 1-4 all-time against Final Four opponent UConn, including an 0-1 mark in NCAA Tournament meetings: 
  • vs. 2 seed UConn (All-Time Series: 1-4 Overall / 1-1 Home / 0-1 Away / 0-2 Neutral)
    • 12-21-1938: W, 49-23 - Huff Gym, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 1-4-1992: L, 66-70 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 12-27-1994: L, 56-71 - Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Conn. 
    • 3-30-2024: L, 52-77 - TD Garden, Boston, Mass. (NCAA Tournament Elite Eight)
    • 11-28-2025: L, 61-74 - Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. (SentinelOne Showdown) 
• Illinois is 6-10 all-time against potential National Championship contender Arizona, including a 1-1 mark in NCAA Tournament meetings: 
  • vs. 1 seed Arizona (All-Time Series: 6-10 Overall / 3-1 Home / 0-4 Away / 3-5 Neutral)
    • 12-27-1966: W, 93-77 - Los Angeles, Calif. (Los Angeles Basketball Classic)
    • 11-30-1973: L, 80-101 - Tucson, Ariz. (Fiesta Bowl Classic)
    • 12-13-1974: L, 66-78 - Tucson, Ariz. 
    • 12-20-1975: W, 66-60 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 11-28-1977: W, 113-107 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 1-24-1987: W, 82-63 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 1-30-1988: L, 70-78 - McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. 
    • 11-22-2000: L, 79-76 - Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, Hawai'i (Maui Invitational Final)
    • 12-16-2000: W, 81-73 - United Center, Chicago, Ill.
    • 3-25-2001: L, 81-87 - Alamadome, San Antonio, Texas (NCAA Tournament Regional Final)
    • 12-4-2001: L, 82-87 - Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Ariz. 
    • 3-26-2005: W, 90-89 (OT) - Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill. (NCAA Tournament Regional Final)
    • 12-2-2006: L, 72-84 - Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Ariz. 
    • 12-8-2007: L, 72-78 (OT) - United Center, Chicago, Ill.
    • 11-10-2019: L, 69-90 - McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz.  
    • 12-11-2021: L, 79-83 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
• Illinois boasts a 96-86 all-time record against Big Ten rival and potential National Championship matchup Michigan in a series that began in 1919. The Illini are 0-1 all-time vs. Michigan in the NCAA Tournament, falling to the Wolverines, 83-81, in a 1989 Final Four at the Kingdome in Seattle, Wash. The following is a look at the last 10 games in the series between the Big Ten foes*:  
  • vs. 1 seed Michigan (All-Time Series: 96-86 Overall / 60-29 Home / 34-52 Away / 2-5 Neutral // Last 10: 9-1)
    • 12-11-2019: W, 71-62 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 1-25-2020: W, 64-62 - Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
    • 3-2-2021: W, 76-53 - Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
    • 1-14-2022: W, 68-53 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 2-27-2022: W, 93-85 - Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
    • 3-2-2023: W, 91-87 (2OT) - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 1-18-2024: W, 88-73 - Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
    • 2-13-2024: W, 97-68 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
    • 3-2-2025: W, 93-73 - Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
    • 2-27-2026: L, 70-84 - State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. 
      Note: for a full series history between Illinois and Michigan visit www.fightingillini.com/ILLMBBvsMICH.

THE FIGHTING ILLINI'S 2026 NCAA TOURNAMENT RUN 

• Illinois' run to the Final Four began with opening weekend victories over 14 seed Penn (105-70) and 11 seed VCU (76-55) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively, in Greenville, S.C. The Illini then defeated 2 seed and No. 5-ranked Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16, followed by an Elite Eight victory over Big Ten rival and 9 seed Iowa (71-59) at Toyota Center in Houston. 
  • Through four NCAA Tournament wins, the Illini are outscoring opponents by an average of 79.3-59.8, a margin of +19.5 ppg. 
• The Illinois defense has held each of its last three opponents under 60 points, the first time this that the Orange and Blue have kept three consecutive opponents under that threshold. 
  • It marks just the second time that the Fighting Illini have held held three opponents under 60 points in a single NCAA Tournament run, matching the 2005 National Runner-Up team that defeated 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (67-55) in Round 1, 9 Nevada (71-59) in Round 2, and 4 Louisville (72-57) in the National Semifinal. 
• Four Illini – Keaton Wagler (17.5 ppg), Andrej Stojakovic (15.0), David Mirkovic (14.8), and Tomislav Ivisic (12.0) – are averaging double-figures scoring through the Illini's first four NCAA Tournament games. Wagler (MOP), Stojakovic, and Mirkovic were all named to the All-South Region team following the Illini's Elite Eight victory over Iowa on Saturday. 
  • Wagler is shooting 44% (11-25) from 3-point range, while leading the team with 3.8 assists per game, and team-best figures for blocks (4) and steals (4).  
  • Stojakovic leads the fighting Illini shooting .595 (22-37) from the field and .778 (14-18) from the free-throw line. 
  • Mirkovic is averaging a double-double (14.8 p/11.0 r), and is averaging 4.0 offensive rebounds per contest. His 17 rebounds in the Round 1 win vs. Penn set an Illinois NCAA Tournament record. 
  • Ivisic has scored at least nine points in all six career NCAA Tournament games, including five in double-figures. His NCAA Tourney scoring average of 14.5 ppg ranks is top 10 in program history.  

Indy a Familiar Locale for Illini, Homecoming for Davis & Humrichous

• Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the 2026 NCAA Final Four, is just 125 miles east of the University of Illinois campus and the Fighting Illini's home arena, State Farm Center. 
• The venue served as the host site of the Fighting Illini's run to the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Championship, the first of three Big Ten titles (two tournament, one regular season) of the Brad Underwood era at Illinois. 
• Lucas Oil Stadium's predecessor – known as the Hoosier Dome (1983-94) and the RCA Dome (1995-2008) – was also the site of the opening rounds of each of the Fighting Illini program's last two Final Four trips. 
  • In 2005, the 1 seed Illini defeated 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson (67-55) and 9 seed Nevada (71-59) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively, at the RCA Dome, before moving on to the Chicago Regional in Rosemont, Ill., and the Final Four in St. Louis. 
  • The Illini's 1989 Final Four run began at the Hoosier Dome where the 1-seeded Fighting Illini advanced with a Round 1 win over 16 McNeese State (77-71) and a Round 2 victory over 9 Ball State (72-60). The team then moved through the Midwest Regional in Minneapolis, before reaching the Final Four in Seattle. 
• Two members of the Fighting Illini roster grew up not far from Indianapolis. 
  • Graduate F Ben Humrichous is from Tipton, Ind., less than 50 miles north of Indianapolis. Humrichous graduated from Tipton High School and is in his second season at Illinois after beginning his collegiate career at NAIA Huntington University in Huntington, Ind., just more than 100 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Humrichous also played one season at Evansville, approximately 180 miles southwest of Indy. 
  • Junior F Jake Davis hails from McCordsville, Ind., an Indianapolis suburb located just 20 miles northwest of downtown. Davis attended Indianapolis' Cathedral High School, 11 miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, then began his collegiate career as a freshman at Mercer in Georgia before he returned home to the Midwest, joining the Illini prior to his sophomore campaign in 2024-25. 

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), Keaton Wagler vs. Iowa, 3/28/26
                             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 St., 3/21/2024.

Illini Individual Single-Game Bests in NCAA Tournament National Semifinal

• Points: 29, Kenny Battle vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Rebounds: 11, James Augustine. vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Field Goals: 10, Kenny Battle vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Field Goal Pct. (min. 5 att.): .692 (9-13), Roger Powell Jr. vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• 3-Pt Field Goals: 6, Luther Head vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• 3-Pt. FG Pct. (min. 4 att.): .545 (6-11), Luther Head vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Free Throws: 8, Kenny Battle vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
                         8, Don Sunderlage vs. Kentucky, 3/24/1951
• Free Throw Pct. (min. 10  att.): .800 (8-10), Kenny Battle vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Free Throw Pct. (min. 6 att.): .833 (5-6), Nick Anderson vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Assists: 9, Deron Williams vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Steals: 3, Kendall Gill vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Blocked Shots: 1, Stephen Bardo, vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989 
                            1, Kenny Battle, vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Minutes: 40, Kenny Battle vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Double-Doubles: 21 pts/10 reb, Rod Fletcher vs. Kentucky, 3/24/1951

Illini Team Single-Game Bests in NCAA Tournament National Semifinal

• Points: 81 vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Winning Margin: +15 vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Rebounds: 37 vs. Kentucky, 3/24/1951
• Rebounding Margin: +11 (36-25) vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Field Goals: 30 vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989  
• Field Goal Pct.: .482 (27-56) vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• 3-Pt Field Goals: 12 vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• 3-Pt. FG Pct.: .400 (12-30) vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005 
• Free Throws: 22 vs. Kentucky, 3/24/1951
• Free Throw Pct.: .826 (19-23) vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989
• Assists: 21 vs. Louisville, 4/2/2005
• Steals: 6 vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989  
• Blocked Shots: 2 vs. Michigan, 4/1/1989

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)