Disheveled Illinois locker room paints grim picture after Big Ten Tournament vs. Wisconsin

To feel disappointment in sports is to live through the experience firsthand. This is what happened to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament as they were upended by the Wisconsin Badgers, 91-88, in an overtime setback for the second time this season.

A deep run in the NCAA Tournament, a possibility select experts and pundits suggest is possible for the Illini, with the opening round approaching next weekend, seemed like anything but as the team reflected in their locker room in the underbelly of the United Center Friday in Chicago.

The general consensus: the team recognizes the postseason is a cutthroat ordeal. It's a win-or-go-home game the rest of the way and coach Brad Underwood knows it far too well to even begin to quantify his feelings toward the opportunities in front of his team as it awaits its Selection Sunday bid.

"We get another life, man," Underwood said in a local media scrum after the loss, per WICS, an ABC affiliate in Champaign. "The best thing is we don't see another Big Ten team."

This may be one of the few positives from the loss, as the Illini are 4-5 over their last nine games, all of which came against Big Ten opponents.

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TSN has the Illini projected as a No. 3 seed in the tournament, while other outlets, such as Fox Sports, see them remaining as a No. 2 seed in the South Region among various predictions across college basketball.

Regardless of what draw Illinois receives when the bracket is officially unveiled, Underwood still remains optimistic.

"I still believe this team has the ability to make the deepest of runs," Underwood said. "We've proven... we have so many losses by single possessions to against great teams."

His players do, too. However, the loss stings for the likes of forward David Mirković, citing the loss as a "bad feeling."

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If the energy shifts, anything is possible. If not, the season could be over fairly quickly.

Only time will tell.

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