MILWAUKEE – Set for their fifth consecutive March Madness appearance, Illinois looks to build on an up-and-down season as they open their 2025 NCAA Tournament run with one of the final first-round matchups.
Illinois (a 6-seed) will take on Xavier (an 11-seed) in its first-round matchup Friday evening.
How To Watch
Matchup: Illinois (6) vs. Xavier (11) – Midwest Region
- Scheduled game time: 8:45 p.m. CT (Friday, March 21)
- TV Channel: CBS
- Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live (website or app), Fubo, Paramount+ or YouTube TV.
- Venue: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- Tickets: Starting at $157 before fees via Ticketmaster.
What To Know
Illinois finished seventh in a competitive Big 10 conference with a 21-12 overall record and 12-8 in conference play. The Fighting Illini won their first-round Big 10 Tournament matchup before falling to Maryland in the next round.
Against AP Top 25 teams, Illinois went 5-7, losing five of their last seven such matchups. Along with that, eight of their last 10 games (6-4 record) were decided by double digits, a volatile stretch of late marked by dominant wins and crushing losses.
Head coach Brad Underwood, now in his eighth year, leads a roster fueled by international talent. Kasparas Jakučionis (Lithuania), Tomislav Ivišić (Croatia), and Will Riley (Canada) each average at least 12.5 points per game. Jakučionis and Kylan Boswell orchestrate the passing game, while Ivišić dominates the boards. Strong offensive rebounding and interior defense have been key in their wins.
Illinois’ seed in the NCAA Tournament places them in a solid position, but one that’s also still vulnerable to upsets. March Madness No. 6 seeds hold a 95-61 all-time record against No. 11 seeds. Recent history looks promising for Illinois, advancing at least one round in three of their last four trips. However, Xavier may have more momentum than the typical lower seed team after rallying late to beat Texas in a First Four qualifying matchup on Wednesday.