Illini sweating on Sunday
With less than an hour before the NCAA Tournament brackets are released, the Illinois Fighting Illini are surely sweating in their seats.
A win over Big Ten top-seeded Ohio State in the conference semifinals would have all but assured them of an at-large bid. But a devastating 88-81 double-overtime loss keeps Illinois firmly on the bubble.
The Illini had their chances to put the Buckeyes away, but inconsistent play down the stretch did them in again. Illinois has a bunch of players it depends on that simply don’t know how to win close games by executing, much to the dismay of head coach Bruce Weber. It’s precisely why the Illini are on the bubble in the first place. And they don’t have a player like Evan Turner to carry them. As good as Demetri McCamey can be, he’s no Evan Turner, and now his ability to keep his composure is in question after a meltdown versus Wisconsin in a home loss a week ago.
Illinois will find out its fate in mere minutes. But if it finds itself on the outside looking in, it will have no one to blame but itself.
