Illinois and Duquesne previously collided in the NCAA Tournament back in the era of the Truman administration.
Prior to Thursday, the Dukes’ most recent tournament victory occurred several months before the first human set foot on the moon.
While undoubtedly historic, the primary focus for both teams now is to shape a fresh narrative. This Saturday, Illinois will have the opportunity to further that aim as they face Duquesne in a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup in Omaha, Nebraska.
The third-seeded Fighting Illini (27-8) acknowledge that they are the favorites against the 11th-seeded Dukes (25-11). It’s a clash between the champions of the Big Ten tournament and an Atlantic 10 squad that finished sixth in their conference’s regular season.
However, Illinois is well aware that it’s March Madness. Following their triumph in the conference tournament, the underdog Dukes secured their first NCAA Tournament win since 1977 with a 71-67 victory over BYU.
“To me, that was not an upset,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “That was not shocking. The Atlantic 10 is a tremendous league, and I think (Duquesne) started 0-5 if I’m correct. Then to get to this position, that’s on a coach. That’s on a coach leading his players in the right direction.”
While he jests about his upcoming retirement plan, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot has the Dukes aiming for another significant milestone – the Sweet 16.
“They just won’t let me retire, man,” Dambrot said. “I’m trying to retire. We keep winning games, they’ll make me an old man.”
Duquesne may have caused Dambrot to feel prematurely irritable on Friday, as they squandered a 14-point lead in the second half against BYU before ultimately regaining control in the closing moments.
In the final 10 seconds, Dae Dae Grant calmly sank four free throws, finishing with a team-leading 19 points. Jakub Necas (12 points) and Jimmy Clark III (11) also contributed with double-digit points.
“We just made enough plays,” Dambrot said. “Again, nothing has come easy for this group. We’ve had to do it the hard way.”
Illinois, relying on their deep roster and a significant surge in the second half, managed to pull away from 14th-seeded Morehead State in their first-round encounter.
While the Fighting Illini sought additional scoring options beyond Terrence Shannon Jr., who tallied 19 of the team’s 39 first-half points, veteran transfer guard Marcus Domask and the imposing presence of Dain Dainja stepped up.
Domask recorded his inaugural triple-double – only the 10th in tournament history – with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Dainja showcased his prowess with 17 of his 21 points coming in the second half.
Dainja, excelling on both ends of the court, also added eight rebounds and two blocks in the 85-69 triumph. While Shannon Jr. led the offensive charge with 26 points, Dainja poses unique matchup challenges, particularly with increased playing time in the postseason.
“We know Dain can score,” Underwood said. “Dain has always been a very, very capable scorer. But his presence, his physicality — we’re not here or not winning a Big Ten championship without him. … Just the simple things that he’s doing. They’re not all post-ups. They’re rim runs, they’re offensive rebounds. That’s doing what we ask. That’s being extremely coachable.”
Illinois holds the advantage in their head-to-head history with Duquesne, leading 2-1, including a 74-68 victory in March 1952 during an NCAA Mideast Regional second-round game held in Chicago.
