Illinois did what it had to to Wednesday night. The Illini survived — literally in an overtime win against Northwestern — and now they've advanced to today's second round game against Iowa.
It's a chance for redemption for Illinois after the Hawkeyes won a 24-point blowout on Jan. 20. Iowa hit 10 straight three-pointers in that game and finished at better than 70 percent from beyond the arc. It's something the Illini haven't forgotten.
The question is ... can Illinois survive and advance one more time? The basketball matchup might not favor the Illini given Iowa's big men (Tyler Cook and Luka Garza) and the Hawkeyes' stable of capable shooters.