Charles Barkley. Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Watch: Illinois burned by Charles Barkley before epic collapse

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 3/30/24

No. 3 Illinois fell to No. 1 UConn 77-52 on Saturday in the Elite Eight. The blowout was thanks largely to a monumental second-half collapse that Hall of Famer and TBS analyst Charles Barkley set the stage for.

While many on the halftime set credited the Illini for hanging with the defending champs — they trailed 28-23 — Barkley focused more on the team's offensive struggles and missed opportunities.

"They should be ahead in this game," Barkley said. "Between missed layups and free throws, they outplayed Connecticut— they're rushing."

— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 30, 2024

Near impenetrable defense from UConn center Donovan Clingan contributed to the Illini's offensive woes. But coming out of halftime, the issues that plagued them early only worsened. The score was once tied at 23-23 with 1:24 to go in the first half, but Illinois didn't score another basket until there was 12:39 left in the second half.

Over the horrid stretch for Illinois, UConn went on a remarkable 30-0 run, sealing the game. According to CBS Sports, it's the longest by the Huskies since starting a game 32-0 over New Hampshire in 1990.

THE FULL UCONN 30-0 RUN ‼️

Unbelievable. @UConnMBB #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/T0Tbl2JlLV
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 31, 2024

The Huskies made shot after shot, and with each unanswered basket, the panic became more noticeable in Illinois. Their offense looked disjointed and anxious while on defense, the players looked hopeless to stop the UConn rush.

Illinois shot just 25.4 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point range with only one player scoring eight or more points.

Saturday's second-half disaster decided the game, but the seeds of the collapse were planed minutes earlier by Barkley.

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