Mary Quesse of La Salle bumped into a friend at church who mentioned in passing that her son had Final Four tickets he couldn’t use. Quesse politely inquired about the unused tickets and she’s headed to Indianapolis this weekend.

Even better, her beloved Illini are in the mix for a national championship. The Illinois men’s basketball team topped Iowa on Saturday night and now Quesse will be in the stands when Illinois squares off against Connecticut.

“We’re very excited,” Quesse said. “I think they can win. We played Conn earlier this year and they blew us out, but this is a different team now. The defense is better and I want revenge.”

Quite a few residents in the Illinois Valley are seeking payback from the Nov. 28 regular season contest in which the Huskies topped the Illini 74-61. Streator attorney Jim Reilly is flying the orange Illinois flag outside his Ottawa home and telling everyone who’ll listen that Illinois has a real shot at a national championship berth.

“Right now, they’re exactly where I’d hoped they would be,” said Reilly, who’d shrugged off a regular-season skid that sent other fans into panic mode. “The way they’re playing right now, I’m very, very hopeful. They’re peaking at the right time.”

Nick Balestri said he’s hopeful for victory on Saturday, as well. The La Salle resident completed his undergraduate degree at Illinois in 1996 and is “ecstatic” about making the Final Four – particularly after the way Illinois ended the regular season and lost in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament.”

Now, Balestri gives the Fightin’ Illini, well, a fightin’ chance against Connecticut. Yes, Illinois lost to the Huskies on Nov. 28 at Madison Square Garden; but Balestri said both teams look different now. Keaton Wagler played just 14 minutes in that game and now he is an All-American for Illinois, Balestri said, and the Illini rotation has changed “drastically.”

“I do think with the way Illinois is playing they can knock off Conn,” he said, adding later, “Illinois basketball went through a rough stretch, so it is nice to see them back as a national contender.”

Former Spring Valley Mayor Walt Marini has cheered on the University of Illinois for the better part of five decades. His son and daughter-in-law are U of I graduates and two of Marini’s grandchildren are studying at Champaign-Urbana.

Marini said Monday he had limited hopes for Illinois’ postseason and honestly didn’t think the Illini would make it past Houston in the Sweet 16. When Illinois beat Houston by 10, Marini felt more confident about beating Iowa in the Elite Eight. Now, he’s hopeful for victory this Saturday in the Final Four.

“I didn’t think we could beat Duke,” Marini said, “but I think we’ve got a better matchup against U Conn.”

Marini will be glued to the TV set for the Final Four on Saturday night. Ordinarily, he’d be at the Easter Vigil Mass. This year, he’ll quietly slip into the pews on Easter Sunday.

“I don’t know if my pastor knows that for sure yet.”

How does this year’s team compare to past Illinois squads that made it to the Final Four? Marini said the transfer portal and the influx of international players have changed how teams are assembled and nurtured. In that context, Marini said he’s not sure comparing this team to, say, the Flying Illini is an apples-to-apples comparison.

Madeline Piller was still years away from attending U of I when the Flying Illini made it to the championship game in the 2005 tournament.

The Mendota Chamber of Commerce CEO hasn’t seen an Illini squad make it this far, but that didn’t tamper Piller’s expectations heading into this year’s postseason.

“I did expect them to make it to this point,” she said. “If they carry the momentum into Indianapolis when they walk out onto the floor, I think they can win the whole thing.”

Piller, who graduated in 2015, said that the team’s success has made her tune in more than in years past.

“I watch any games when I can, but just like when there is a good local team with great momentum, I tune in more,” she said. “It’s fun to go into town and chat with the proud fans of the team and be a part of that strong belief.”

In addition to Saturday night being a rematch from earlier this season, the Fighting Illini have a chance to avenge a humiliating 77-52 defeat at the hands of U Conn in the 2024 Elite Eight, during which the Huskies went on a 30-0 run en route to the win and ultimately, a title.