Marcus Domask Makes History For Illinois With 10th Triple-Double In NCAA Tournament History

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Believe it or not, in all the NCAA Tournament games that have ever been played, only 9 times did a player record a triple-double prior to Thursday. That elite list added a new name, with Illinois guard Marcus Domask achieving the feat in his team's win over Morehead State in the First Round. 

Morehead State entered the NCAA Tournament on a six-game winning streak that included an Ohio Valley Tournament Championship to clinch an automatic bid. Illinois didn't need an automatic bid, as the Illini were securely in the field, but they got one anyway when they ran through the Big Ten and defeated Wisconsin to capture the tournament championship. 

So, both teams entered the tournament on a hot streak and the first half certainly looked like two teams playing their best basketball of the season. The #3 Illinois Fighting Illini were heavy favorites to beat #14 Morehead State, but the Eagles had a very strong first 20 minutes. 

At the halftime break, Illinois led by just one point. However, after Morehead State tied the game at 48 a little over five minutes into the second half, the Illini exploded for a 30-8 run that put the game well out of reach. 

The biggest reason for that was the play of 6'6" senior forward Marcus Domask. Domask was cleaning up the glass and finding teammates for open looks throughout the team's massive scoring run. 

Illinois forward Marcus Domask had just the 10th triple-double in NCAA Tournament history in the Illini's win over Morehead State.

Illinois forward Marcus Domask had just the 10th triple-double in NCAA Tournament history in the Illini's win over Morehead State. 

(Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports)

In fact, he reached double-digit rebounds and assists before he even got to 10 points scored. Head coach Brad Underwood clearly wanted to take all of his starters out of the game to rest them for their second-round match against Duquesne, but left Domask in to get the points he needed to make history. Which he did, by hitting a three-pointer with just under three minutes left to play in the game. 

Domask became the first player to record a triple-double in the NCAA Tournament since Ja Morant in 2020. Morant had 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in Murray State's win over Marquette. 

Domask also became just the ninth player to record a triple-double in the tournament. There have been 10 triple-doubles, but Draymond Green had two in his Michigan State career. 

Incredible day from Domask, but his team has its eyes on much larger goals than just winning a first-round game. Next up is #11 Duquesne, which upset #6 BYU earlier on Thursday. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.