Illinois plays Morehead State in their first March Madness game today: What you need to know
The Illinois men's basketball team opens its road to the Final Four against Morehead State.
Here is how to watch the game:
No. 3 Illinois (26-8) vs. No. 14 Morehead State (26-8)
- Location: Omaha, Neb.
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 21 at 2:10 p.m. Central Time
- TV: truTV
- Spread: Illinois minus-11.5
Illinois, the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last five seasons, has its most victories since a 26-win team in 2005-06.
The team is led by fifth-year senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
Shannon, who broke the Big Ten Tournament single-game record with 40 points in the semifinal win over Nebraska last weekend, still faces a rape charge in Kansas for an alleged incident last year. His school-issued suspension was overruled by a federal judge after six games.
He scored 34 points in the team's win over Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament title.
Three of the Illini's five starters are playing in their fifth season.
The Illini are actually only 2-2 all-time against No. 14 seeds.
If there were a common message on the challenge that Morehead State presents, it would be deadly three-point shooting and a bunch of guys who can get a bucket.