How to Watch Illinois vs VCU: Live Stream NCAA Tournament for Free, TV Channel
The Illinois Fighting Illini (25-8), seeded third in the South Regional, needs to be on upset alert on Saturday when they take on the No. 11-seeded VCU Rams (28-7), who knocked off North Carolina on Thursday, in a second-round game in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday night.
How to Watch VCU vs Illinois
- When: Saturday, March 21, 2026
- Time: 7:50 PM ET
- TV Channel: CBS
- Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)
VCU came back from 19 points down to upset No. 6 seed North Carolina 82-78 in overtime on Thursday night. Terrence Hill Jr. tied the game with 11 seconds left in regulation and gave the Rams the lead for good when he canned a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining in overtime. Hill poured in 34 points in the win, with Nyk Lewis adding 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, and Lazar Djokovic scoring 15 points.
Illinois erupted for 65 points in the second half to leave No. 14 seed Penn in the dust on the way to a 105-70 first-round win on Thursday night. David Mirkovic went off for 29 points and 17 rebounds while Keaton Wagler contributed 18 points and seven assists. Kylan Boswell scored 13 points while Tomislav Ivisic and Ben Humrichous each dropped 12. The Illini shot 63.6% in the second half, a sharp contrast from 39.0% accuracy in the opening 20 minutes.
The Fighting Illini make their sixth straight March Madness appearance and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2024, while the Rams look for their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since their run from the First Four to the Final Four in 2011. The winner takes on the victor of Saturday's Texas A&M vs. Houston matchup in the regional semifinals in Houston next Thursday.
Wagler leads Illinois with an average of 17.9 points, with Mirkovic posting 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Hill gets an average of 14.9 points for VCU, while Djokovic nets 13.6 points and 5.4 boards per game.
This is a great college basketball matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 3:20 PM.