Ad Disclosure
Hoops expert labels Illinois as a potential Final Four team
Published:
Not many teams have shocked the college basketball world quite like Illinois this season. After a bit of a sluggish start to the year, there isn’t a hotter team in the B1G than Brad Underwood’s bunch.
And for that, college basketball expert Andy Katz believes the Illini have a legitimate chance to get to Atlanta for the Final Four.
“In this season, this Illinois team has just a good of a chance as, I would argue, 10 to 15 others to get to Atlanta,” Katz said. “The reason is…Kofi Cockburn and Giorgi Bezhanishvili. Few teams have a tandem like that. Cockburn is a monster inside that you just can’t get around him. …Bezhanishvili can score from free throw extended, he loves that mid-range game. And on the perimeter, Ayo Dosunmu…Trent Frazier, he’s a big shot maker. They’ve got all the pieces.”
"Here's the reality: In this season, this @IlliniMBB team has just as good a chance as 10-15 other (teams) to get to Atlanta."
🗣 Atlanta is where the Final Four is held this year 🗣@TheAndyKatz went and said it: pic.twitter.com/f0AxtldHpP
— Illinois on BTN (@IllinoisOnBTN) January 30, 2020
Illinois has won six-straight B1G games and currently sits at 7-2 in conference play, just a half-game behind Michigan State for first place. On the season, the Illini are 15-5 overall and are ranked 19th in the Associated Press poll.
This college basketball season has been lacking a true dominant power and Illinois has come on strong as of late. It should be fun to see what this team can do when March arrives.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB