Illinois' Marcus Domask 1st in MCBB Since Ja Morant with March Madness Triple-Double

Illinois senior forward Marcus Domask made history during the team's 85-69 win over Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.

Domask recorded a triple-double by scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists in 36 minutes on the floor. Although he shot just 5-14 from the field, he connected on two of his four attempts from three-point range.

He became the first player to record a March Madness triple-double since Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, as Morant achieved the feat during Murray State's win over Marquette in the opening round of the 2019 tournament. Domask is now one of nine players to ever record a triple-double in the NCAA tournament.

"It's definitely a cool accomplishment to have my name up there with some of the greats, and so few have done it so far," he said after the game, per the Associated Press (h/t CBS Sports). "At this point in my career I'm past the personal accolades. At this point in March, it's all about winning. That's all I'm trying to do."

Although Domask had never recorded a triple-double in his collegiate career prior to Thursday's action, he's remained an effective all-around player for head coach Brad Underwood. In 34 starts during the 2023-24 season, he averaged 16.0 points and 4.9 rebounds to go along with a team-leading 3.7 assists per game.

Illinois advanced to the second round of the tournament for the third time in the past four seasons with Underwood. Now, the team will face off against Duquesne after the Dukes' upset win over BYU.