In the midst of a magical March Madness run, Iowa (24-12, 10-10 Big Ten) can add another exclamation point with a victory over conference mate and No. 3 seed Illinois (27-8, 15-5 Big Ten) in the Elite Eight.
The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes would capture its first Final Four berth since 1980 with a win over the Illini. In its thrilling 77-71 Sweet 16 win over rival Nebraska, senior point guard Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Freshman Tate Sage was sensational off the Hawkeyes’ bench, chipping in with a massive 19 points and four made 3-pointers.
Watch Iowa vs. Illinois
Meanwhile, Illinois topped No. 2 seed Houston, 65-55. The Illini were led by double-figure scoring days from David Mirkovic (14), Keaton Wagler (13) and Andrej Stojakovic (13).
Iowa and Illinois met once this season on Jan. 11, with the Illini winning, 75-69. Illinois jumped on Iowa, scoring the game’s first eight points and building a first-half lead of as many as 18. The Hawkeyes rallied to make things close, but will have to avoid a similar start if they hope to reach their first Final Four in 46 years.
As tipoff nears, here’s where Hawkeye fans can watch Iowa basketball against Illinois:
Where to watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois in March Madness
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (color), Stan Van Gundy (color) and Lauren Shehadi (sideline) have the TV call.
Where to stream Iowa basketball vs. Illinois in Elite 8
Live stream: Watch on Sling (Regional restrictions may apply)
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Where to watch Iowa basketball vs. Illinois in Elite 8 today
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
