NCAA Tournament March Madness

#135 Illinois St

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Projection: need to automatically qualify

Illinois State's chances for an NCAA tournament bid hinge significantly on their performance in the Missouri Valley Conference, where they currently sit well outside the at-large conversation. Key losses to TN Martin and McNeese State highlight a vulnerability that can't be overlooked. While their wins over teams like North Dakota State and St. Louis were commendable, they need to string together more quality victories against the likes of Drake and Northern Iowa, who are both solid challenges. A strong finish to the season, including a potential deep run in the conference tournament, is essential to bolster their credentials and secure an automatic berth. Without that, the path to March Madness looks bleak.

Date Opponent Ranking Outcome
11/4TN Martin257L67-65
11/7@N Dakota St105W77-68
11/12Ohio176W85-75
11/22(N)McNeese St61L76-68
11/23(N)UAB146W84-83
11/25(N)G Washington116L72-64
12/4@Belmont139L99-97
12/7Pacific294W72-61
12/15St Louis121W81-77
12/18N Illinois357W81-60
12/22@Cornell152W80-77
12/29IL Chicago130L73-67
1/2@Murray St112W74-68
1/5S Illinois269W85-54
1/8@Evansville267L69-51
1/11Northern Iowa9951%
1/15@Drake7540%
1/18Missouri St22860%
1/21Indiana St18757%
1/25@Bradley9342%
1/29Belmont13954%
2/1Valparaiso19457%
2/5@IL Chicago13046%
2/8@Northern Iowa9943%
2/12Drake7548%
2/15@Indiana St18749%
2/19Bradley9350%
2/22@Missouri St22852%
2/25@S Illinois26954%
3/2Evansville26762%