Sangamon Sun

On April 5, Illinois Sen. Sally Turner welcomed the 2021-2022 Fighting Illini to Springfield in recognition of the hard work the University of Illinois' men's basketball team put in as they competed in March Madness this year.

In pursuit of the championship this year, the men's basketball team at the University of Illinois were crowned Big 10 Champs in early March of this year, according to University of Illinois Athletics. The team achieved a 22-8, 15-5 record and will now advance to the Big Ten Tournament with a double-bye as the No. 1 seed. 

"Was happy to welcome the U of I men’s basketball team to the Statehouse yesterday," Turner wrote in an April 6 Facebook post. "Congratulations to them on a great season and winning the Big Ten Conference title!"

According to Illinois Newsroom, the team earned the fourth seed in the South Region going into the tournament.

Coach Brad Underwood's contract will extend through 2028 after this winning season, reported The Daily Illini. 

“Brad Underwood has led a remarkable resurgence of our men’s basketball program,” University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman told Illinois Athletics. “Under his strong leadership, we have won Big Ten championships, posted one of the best three-year runs in the history of Fighting Illini men’s basketball and the Big Ten Conference and re-established ourselves on the national stage.”