Illinois Fighting Illini power forward David Mirkovic said it best in postgame: “It just happens, the basketball, it doesn’t want to get in.”
That was exactly how it felt watching Illinois lose to UConn 71-62 tonight in the Final Four. The Illini got a lot of great open looks, both inside and outside. Assistant coach/offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood had the system humming along. They got the shots they wanted, but they just didn’t fall.
“We had a lot of open threes, a lot of open shots,” Mirkovic continued. “Those putbacks, I missed a couple lay-ups, Kylan (Boswell) a few layups, Tomi(slav Ivisic) missed a few layups, it just wasn’t our day, it happens.”
Yes, anybody who saw Mirk’s second half putback attempt (you know the one) that rattled around the rim and backboard, and just stuck there, seemingly forever, felt the same way- it’s just not your day.
When one of Tomi’s second three point field goal attempts rattled in and out, it evoked the same emotion.
This was played in a home like environment, at Lucas Oil Stadium, with about 70-80% of the crowd being Illini partisan. The Illini nation painted Indianapolis orange, far outnumbering fans of the other three teams combined.
Ivisic hit a big three that put the Illini up 22-21, for their last lead of the game. It was an impressive run after that rough 8-1, and 18-9 start.
But when Illinois fell behind 57-43 with 9:44 left, it was just too high a mountain to climb.
David Mirkovic hanging on the rim in warmups#Illini #IlliniNation #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/if5bJ2M6KA
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) April 4, 2026
“We’re not the first basketball team to suffer a bad loss,” Mirkovic continued.
Obviously, this was not the ending anybody wanted, but you still have to feel very proud of how far this team went. They far exceeded expectations, and came back to pull within four with just over a minute to play.
Concluded Mirkovic: “I will remember this season as the most beautiful season of my life, it completely changed my life 180 degrees for the better, as a basketball player, as a person.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG and Ratings. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.