Illinois Defeats Iowa, McCaffery's Future Uncertain

In a dramatic Big Ten Tournament game, Iowa's head coach Fran McCaffery was ejected after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with referees, as his team lost to Illinois 106-94. Despite this, Iowa's Payton Sandfort delivered a standout performance, tying a tournament record with eight 3-pointers and scoring 30 points. Illinois capitalized on the ejection with a strong offensive display led by Kylan Boswell's 24 points, as well as contributions from Tre White and Tomislav Ivisic. The Illini's effective shooting, which included making 12 of 26 three-point attempts, propelled them to victory. McCaffery's future as Iowa's coach is uncertain following a 17-16 season, his worst in seven years. Illinois advances to face Maryland in the tournament's quarterfinals.