URBANA — Last year, Tyra Perry's Illinois softball team gathered to watch the NCAA selection show in its own locker room at Eichelberger Field.
No big public reception was planned, unlike in 2017 when the Illini felt confident enough — and justifiably so — in holding a watch party at Scotty's Brewhouse in Champaign en route to earning a second straight at-large NCAA tournament berth.
So no one except the players, coaches and support staff with the program could see the disappointment Illinois felt on not reaching the 2018 NCAA tournament despite a 37-18 record.
It's unclear yet where Illinois will congregate come Sunday night when the 2019 NCAA selection show is broadcast at 8 p.