Illinois put up 105 points against Penn. That’s the most any Illini team has ever scored in the history of the NCAA tournament. The previous record was 96 points, set back in 2001 against Northwestern State. Illinois also poured in 65 points in the second half Thursday night, which shattered the previous record for most points in a half in tournament play. That record was 53.

Those are team records. There are more.

The winning margin of 35 points is second all-time. Thirty-seven field goals, third all-time. Fifteen three-pointers, second all-time. Forty-eight rebounds, fourth all-time.

And then there’s Mirkovic.

He dropped 29 points — fourth most ever by an Illinois player in the tournament. Eleven field goals, third all-time.

The 17 rebounds he pulled down Thursday night are the most any Illini player has ever had in an NCAA tournament game. Let that sit for a second. Not James Augustine. Not Brian Cook. Not Roger Powell. Mirkovic. He owns that record now. The double-double he put up also slots him fifth all-time in NCAA tournament double-doubles for Illinois.

This is what a prepared team looks like. For one of the first times in a long time, Illinois came ready. They looked like one of the best teams in the country.

Let’s see how far they can go.