New bobblehead commemorates Illinois’ trip to the NCAA Tournament Final Four

A new bobblehead will commemorate Illinois’ appearance in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

The Illini will play Connecticut in Indianapolis on Saturday. Illinois defeated Big Ten rival Iowa in the Elite Eight.

This will be Illinois’ second game against UConn this season. The Illini lost to the Huskies 74-61 at Madison Square Garden the day after Thanksgiving.

‘‘They’re very good,’’ coach Brad Underwood said after that game. ‘‘I hope we see them later down the road again because I think they have an opportunity to make a very deep run.’’

“We’re excited to unveil this limited-edition bobblehead celebrating the Illinois Fighting Illini and their fans’ trip to Indianapolis with the goal of bringing a National Championship trophy back to Illinois for the first time,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said in a statement.

The bobbleheads cost $40 with an $8 shipping fee and are expected to ship in October. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,026.