Is Illinois out of the March Madness 2025? Looking at Fighting Illini's chances to contend for NCAA tournament
The Illinois Fighting Illini did not have the best run in the 2024-25 regular season. Brad Underwood's No. 7 Illinois team then lost to No. 2 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal.
Now, fans want to know whether Illinois will qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Is Illinois out of the March Madness 2025?
Illinois (21-12, 12-8 Big Ten) is almost guaranteed to play in March Madness this season. However, there is uncertainty about which seed Underwood's team will get on Sunday.
Per reports, Illinois could get a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. However, the team could also fall lower down the pecking order.
The committee's selection on Sunday will decide Illinois' final seed. The 68-team bracket will be announced on CBS at 6 p.m. ET.
Illinois' NCAA Tournament chances
Although Illinois is likely to play in the NCAA Tournament, going all the way and winning the national championship would be an uphill task. The team did not look fluent in the regular season and struggled against the top teams.
How did Illinois Fighting Illini perform in the Big Ten Tournament?
Illinois got the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament this season. The program beat No. 15-seed Iowa 106-94 in the first round but then lost 88-65 to Maryland in the quarterfinals.
A look at Brad Underwood's March Madness record
Brad Underwood has a 6–6 record across his coaching career in the NCAA Tournament. Since joining Illinois in 2017, he has led the team to March Madness in each of the past four seasons.
Illinois made it to the Round of 32 in 2021 and 2022. The program was knocked out in the Round of 64 in 2023. Last year, Illinois reached the Elite Eight.
It will be interesting to see whether Underwood's Fighting Illini team can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament this season.