The selection committee has spoken. Michigan remains at the top of the mountain, with the Illini just behind.

While there are still 800 regular season games left to play before Selection Sunday, the NCAA’s March Madness bracket preview gave the Illini faithful a chance to see where Illinois stands in the eyes of Keith Gill and the committee.

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Illinois claimed a 2-seed and No. 7 overall seed in the top-16 seed reveal after demolishing USC Wednesday. But neither of those seeds are set in stone, as the Wolverines travel to State Farm Center Feb. 27 to take on an Illinois squad that just gained two of their difference makers back from injury. After an uncharacteristic February snapped their 12-game win streak and saw them lose back-to-back games against No. 15 Michigan State and No. 24 Wisconsin, the Illini will look to shake up the standings and build momentum heading into march against the best team in college basketball.

But this reveal certainly carries some significance. At least three of the top four seeds identified in the top-16 bracket preview have gone on to earn a No. 1 seed in each of the last eight years. For the Illini, the reveal placed them firmly in the mix as a No. 2 seed in the East Region.

Landing in the East Region (Washington, D.C.) as a No. 2 seed could see Illinois face Duke, Kansas (No. 10 overall) and Vanderbilt (No. 15 overall) down the road, but more importantly it’s a sign that the committee views a healthy Illinois squad as a legitimate title contender.

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To no surprise, Michigan secured the No. 1 overall seed with 25 wins and 1 loss, along with a nation-leading +21.8 point differential. Led by senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines have the luxury of choosing their region. Duke (No. 2 overall) and Arizona (No. 3 overall) trail closely behind. The Blue Devils are off to their best start through 26 games since the 2010-11 season, partly due to their freshman phenom and Player of the Year frontrunner Cam Boozer, who’s averaging a double-double. Iowa State took the No. 4 overall seed, narrowly snagging the final No. 1 Seed after taking down Houston by three at the Hilton Coliseum Feb. 16.

For Illini fans, the No. 7 overall seed is a reminder of what this team can be at 100%. But the committee clearly took notice of the return of Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic. They may have been asking themselves the same question that Illini fans were asking a couple weeks ago: At full strength, would Illinois have beaten Michigan State and Wisconsin?

However, head coach Brad Underwood and his Illini don’t like to play the victim card. No. 13 overall seed Texas Tech lost its leading scorer JT Toppin to an ACL injury. Alabama just missed out on the top 16 following the loss of Charles Bediako. Player availability has been an obstacle for many programs this year, and the Illini just had an unfortunate amount of obstacles to start 2026. If anything, Wednesday’s win over USC, led by Stojakovic’s 22 points, could be a sign that Illinois will come back even stronger than they were when riding a 12-game win streak.

Full Top-16 Seed Preview:

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Midwest Region (Chicago, IL):

1. Michigan (No. 1 overall)

2. Houston (No. 6 overall)

3. Florida (No. 9 overall)

4. Virginia (No. 16 overall)

East Region (Washington, D.C.)

2. Illinois (No. 7 overall)

3. Kansas (No. 10 overall)

4. Vanderbilt (No. 15 overall)

South Region (Houston, TX)

1. Iowa State (No. 4 overall)

3. Nebraska (No. 11 overall) – all time record in NCAA tournament: 0-8

4. Texas Tech (No. 13 overall)

West Region (San Jose, CA)

1. Arizona (No. 3 overall)

3. Gonzaga (No. 12 overall)

4. Michigan State (No. 14 overall)

With so much basketball left to play, some seed changes will definitely take place. But for now, the Illini are healthy and in the national conversation. Illini fans, how are we feeling about a trip to D.C.?