Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Jeremy Werner breaks down Illinois' win over VCU to advance to the Sweet 16

Episode Date: March 23, 2026

Marshall Harris and Mark Grote were joined by Illini Inquirer publisher Jeremy Werner to discuss Illinois advancing to the Sweet 16 and to preview its upcoming showdown against Houston.

Rahimi, Harris, and Grody, Midday's 2 on Chicago Sports Radio. Another second half domination from Illinois. And they get themselves right back to the Sweet 16. Illinois for the second time in three years is moving past the round of 32, this time with a 76-55 win over VCU. Love seeing it. Illinois advances. They will take on the mighty Houston Cougars on Thursday in Houston.

We're going to talk to our guy, Jeremy Werner, all about it. He of the publisher of the Illinois Inquirer.com. But first, a little bit of breaking news on the score being brought to you by Wildfire. Enjoy a delicious meal at Wildfire Restaurants with five Chicagoland locations. It has been made official. Sayas Suzuki, the Cubs, starting right fielder, has been placed on the 10-day injured list. probably the best case scenario considering the sprained PCL. The Cubs will be without him for at least the first couple of weeks of this,

the 2026 Major League Baseball season. As for the Illini and our guy, Jeremy Werner, Jeremy, what I like about these first two wins for Illinois, although there were some stuffy moments in the first half of both of these games, like a 10-0 VCU run in the first half when the Illini were starting to run away with it, For the most part, no funny stuff. The Illinois were supposed to win these two games, and they did it in grand style in both cases. Yeah, they won by a combined 56 points against these double-digit seeds.

They outrebounded these teams by plus 39. Yeah, this is what you want. You want to physically impose your will, and they got a break in VCU beating North Carolina. Now, I didn't think North Carolina was going to be much of an issue for Illinois either, but obviously a little bit more talent on that North Carolina team. but this is what happens when you get number three seats. Sometimes you get a break in front of you in the bracket. It happened two years ago for Illinois,

and both those years, Illinois has dominated the pod to advance to the Sweet 16, and that sets them up to, you know, potentially make the Final Four. Their biggest test of potentially getting there is the Sweet 16 game, which is basically a Final Four caliber showdown between Illinois and Houston.

But, yeah, Illinois was physical. I thought they set the tone from the start, and even though they had some wolves in the first half, they quickly put those away and just had dominant second half. So that's the kind of mentality you wanted to see. It's kind of the physicality. It's kind of the roster flex that you wanted to see Illinois impose on lower level opponents. And it's something they've done all year.

Against teams outside the top 30 of the Ken Palm ratings, Illinois went 20 and nothing this year. Now you get your chance at a premier program in Houston. Jeremy, play time over. You said they got the break and took advantage of it. The breaks are clearly over having to go against a Tuesday. against a two-seat in Houston, in Houston, which is insane, except for this is kind of a thing that they have carved out for themselves, by the way that they played over the last month or so against top teams.

And now I just have one question. Is this game going overtime? Because that's usually how this goes. Well, hopefully not for Illinois, because they went over and four in overtime this year. So their record has not been very good there. But listen, I thought Houston was the best team in this bracket. All kudos to Florida for their season. but I just didn't think the SEC was all that great.

In Florida, you know, took advantage of that, and they were the best team in that conference. But Houston, what they've done through in the Big 12, clearly one of the best teams. They returned three starters in the back court from last year's NCAA runner-up. So this is a really good team and just the style they play. Illinois hasn't faced this all year. The good thing is you got a little taste of it with VCU,

with the pressure that they play at, forcing turnovers. but it's nothing like the athletes, the quickness, and just the pressure that Kelvin Samson's program puts on. This is, I think, could be their biggest test until potentially a national title game. I think Houston is so, so good. So I really respect what they do because Duke's the other one seed

that they would play potentially in the final four. Michigan State they've played already. So I just think Houston is a national title caliber kind of team. Kingston Fleming's is a kind of quick guard. a top five pick that Illinois struggled to stop all year. But I also think Illinois poses some problems from Houston. Illinois does pass well out of these traps. Illinois has got big guys who can really spread it around as passers,

shoot it really well over this pressure when they play in rotation. And then Illinois's got better size than Houston. This is a bigger team that Illinois has rather than Houston. So Illinois has a chance to beat them up on the glass. But you better bring it mentally because, Houston wants to make this a boxing match, and at times Illinois has struggled with that with teams. But I do like how they played the last couple games. But they got to bring their A game from the start.

Otherwise, Houston's a type of team that can bury it, can force turnovers and make you question yourself. So if Illinois comes out with the same mentality they did in Greenville, they'll give themselves a chance. Absolutely. Can't wait for that game on Thursday, Houston. And the Illini is Jeremy Werner just telling us here, the publisher of the Aligni Inquirer.com on Rahimi-Hara and Grody, and you wrote about it a little bit, and just doing the research on Brad Underwood, credit where credit is due, it's easy to forget that there was an eight-year tournament drought for the fighting Aligni, and this man has restored order. What kind of credit does Brad Underwood have? Because I think sometimes it's easily taken for granted because we expect, like, the signature college in the state of Illinois to thrive, but that's not always the case. No, it wasn't Mark for years, for a decade. It wasn't the case.

Bruce Weber was great in leading Illinois to the 2005 national title run. The next year, James Augustine and D. Brown were still here, but he just did not maintain that. And that's a credit to what Bill's self, Lon Kruger, you know, Lou Henson before them had built. But after that 05 run, this program was a middling Big Ten team for the most part and then fell during John Gross's tenure to a bottom half, big 10 team. So the fact that Brad has built this from his first two years in that rebuild,

losing more games in a two years stretch than Illinois has ever had to a point where now the expectation is to get to a sweet 16, like that is the bar he is set. And credit to him, he said that needs to be the bar. We should be competing for national championships here and Big 10 championships here. But it shouldn't be overlooked that, you know, Illinois fans now can complain about not making lead eights or final fours or winning Big Ten championships because Brad Underwood has lifted this program from the bottom half

of the Big Ten to one of the best programs in the Big Ten, one of the best rosters. Illinois is now an NBA factory. That's all because of Brad Underwood and his hires, his ability to change scheme, go to an NBA-style offense and get the guys from

overseas, find guys like Keaton Wogler and develop them into NBA players. So he does deserves all the credit in the world. I think he's building something similar to what Lou Henson is doing. And Lou Henson got to one final four. That's the next check for Brad Underwood is to get there. He's got a huge test in front of him. But if you're able to beat Houston, set up a game where you would be the favorite over Nebraska, Iowa, for the chance to get to the final four. I think that would solidify Brad Underwood is one of the two best coaches to ever be at Illinois because Bill Self was only here three years. but that would solidify him as one of the nation's elite coaches.

I think he's already been kind of in that conversation, beginning of the final four. He gets there. There's no doubt he's one of those guys. I love hearing that. He is on the right trajectory. Jeremy, thank you so much. We always appreciate your insights. Love reading you. Love hearing you, man. Thanks, Jeremy. All right, thanks, guys. Anytime. You got it. That is Jeremy Werner.

If you'd like to follow Jeremy Werner, the publisher of Inliang,I, inquire.com, he is on X at J. Werner, 24. That is the place for all that good information and insight. Coming up next on Rahimi, Harris, and Grody. Has Caleb Williams risen to a higher tier among NFL quarterbacks after last season? That I've also got something to give way to you if you want to be part of a live studio audience for the Take the North podcast. So we got a hot hour on the way here on Rahimi Harris and Grody. the score.