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For the past two days, I have been writing about what this Final Four run by the 2025-2026 Fighting Illini means to me as an Illinois alum and a dedicated fan of the men's basketball program for nearly 30 years. After writing through the night, up until seven in the morning, and crafting 22 pages in a Word Document, here's what I have got for you. Make the jump to read my reflections on the Illini's improbable run to the Final Four in Indianapolis, where the mighty Connecticut Huskies are next.
The Genesis of My Fighting Illini Basketball Fandom
Call it the "Curse of Michael Jordan."
Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, I was a spoiled child, witnessing the Chicago Bulls win six championships in eight seasons, from the time I was in third grade to when I was a sophomore in high school.
Watching M.J., Scottie Pippen and company play and Phil Jackson coach at a championship level was a blessing and an albatross, as I simultaneously understood at a pretty young age that what I was watching with the Bulls from 1991-1998 was something special that would never be duplicated yet always be the utmost/unfair standard of comparison for all basketball teams that followed.
During the Bulls’ second three-peat of the mid-nineties, two things became clear to me: the dynasty was being dismantled politically rather than organically, and I would soon need to find a new basketball fix. As a kid and high schooler, basketball was my life. When I wasn’t playing, I was watching every Bulls and even DePaul game on WGN Channel 9. Ultimately, my focus started drifting beyond the pros toward another college basketball program, specifically the Illinois Fighting Illini, beginning on a winter afternoon in December 1996.
It was just days before Christmas. I was a freshman in high school at the time, struggling to get minutes on my school’s “B” team. I was a talented player who was struggling with his confidence at the next level, unlike Illinois’ once-in-a-lifetime freshman Keaton Wagler this season. As I prepared to leave for an early Saturday morning game out in the suburbs, I grabbed a VHS tape and popped it into my VCR to record what was going to be an interesting college-basketball double header on CBS, Illinois hosting UCLA at the United Center and Michigan playing Arizona at the Palace of Auburn Hills. (Note to self: I need to upload those games on YouTube this summer).
That cold, December morning I found my footing on the basketball court, hitting a three with under a minute to go to give my team a lead we would not relinquish. That cold, December afternoon I got home and watched the end of Michigan and Arizona live, and then what I recorded. As I caught up on Illinois’ feisty upset of a ranked UCLA team that included key holdovers Charles O'Bannon, Cameron Dollar and J.R. Henderson from the Bruins' 1995 National Title team, I quickly began to like what I was seeing from a scrappy Illini squad and its first-year Head Coach Lon Kruger. Led by senior guard Kiwane Garris and center Chris Gandy, this Illinois team would advance to the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. For some context, the UCLA team that the Illini dominated on this day would reach the Elite Eight, losing to Minnesota.
Something about the energy and grittiness the Illini displayed during this UCLA game stood out to me. I could tell that this Kruger guy from Florida could coach and was a worthy hire after Lou Henson, whom I was surprised to see be let go after the 1995-96 season, though I wasn’t following Illinois that closely then. With Kruger, some seedlings were sprouting quickly, indicating Illinois was going to be good again very soon. I quickly realized that Illini basketball had enormous potential to fill the hoops void that would be coming when the Bulls were done.
Now don’t get me wrong, I was aware of Illinois basketball prior to Lon Kruger. Of course, one of my earliest sporting memories as a child was Illinois’ Elite Eight victory against Syracuse during the 1989 NCAA Tournament. It was Easter Sunday, and I was only in first grade. My parents were set to host Easter for my immediate family when my Dad came up to me early that afternoon.
“Hey Chris,” my Dad said. “Do you want to run by Karen and Larry’s to see your new cousin, Jimmy?”
“Sure,” I said. My Aunt and Uncle only lived a few blocks away at the time, and I was excited to see a newborn baby as my Mom and Dad were planning on having another child soon.
My Dad and I jumped in our car and made the five-minute drive. When I arrived at my relatives’ apartment, I immediately saw my Uncle Larry griping at the television screen. This wasn’t what I was expecting, until I realized what was happening.
Illinois was off to a bad start against Syracuse, digging a large first-half deficit. Uncle Larry was an Illinois alum, having attended graduate school in Champaign during the team’s run to the Rose Bowl in 1983. Upon seeing my Dad and me, Uncle Larry shifted his tone. He welcomed us in and brought us to my baby cousin Jimmy, who was sleeping. Previously excited, I only held Jimmy for about a minute before handing my cousin back to my Aunt. My attention was no longer on my newborn cousin as I quickly ran off into the living room alone to catch up on this big Illinois game.
Within moments of parking my little butt in front of the television, I remember seeing this Illini player named Kenny Battle hang up in the air before flipping in a crazy, backwards, reverse layup off the backboard. In my seven-year-old mind, Battle’s basket was the most incredible shot I had ever seen. Roughly a month later, Michael Jordan would hit a slightly more memorable shot that knocked the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the first round of the 1989 NBA Playoffs.
Every couple or minutes or so, my Uncle Larry would come back into the room and check on the game.
“How are they doing?” Larry asked me.
“They’re getting closer,” I responded.
Shortly thereafter, my Dad and I would return home as our Easter guests were arriving. We would watch the Flyin’ Illini eventually take the lead and hold on late against Syracuse, with the postgame image of Kendall Gill crying and collapsing to the ground on his back, with blood on his uniform, getting mobbed by his celebrating teammates, permanently imprinted on my mind. The following weekend, my family would gather at Uncle Larry’s, watching Illinois have its heart broken in the Final Four by Michigan of all teams, though my recollections of this game at the time are hazy.
Years later, my Uncle Larry would mention that day I first met my cousin Jim, who would go on, along with his younger brother Patrick, to graduate from the University of Illinois. To this day Jim and Pat are my go-to guys to celebrate Illini victories on the court, in recruiting and out of the transfer portal, and to commiserate heart-breaking losses (at UCLA this season), coaching changes (from Kruger to Bill Self to Bruce Weber to John Groce to Brad Underwood) and transfers (here’s looking at you, Morez Johnson!).
“You could have cared less about meeting Jim,” Uncle Larry laughed. “You were all about watching that basketball game.”
That was and has always been me, a basketball junkie.
Unlike a kid growing up in Champaign, Urbana or anywhere else in central Illinois, Illini basketball was not my first love. I will never claim that. In fact, there are far more knowledgeable and dedicated Illinois fans than I will ever be.
With that said, there is no team I have loved or cared about for nearly 30 years more than the Fighting Illini. During that time, my love for all Chicago teams - the Bulls, Bears, Cubs and Hawks – has pretty much died for assorted reasons. Yet the Illini are the one team I still care about, that makes me feel like a kid again, that invokes deep feelings of pride and happiness, even if I had to be distant from them in those dark years between the Weber and Underwood eras.
Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, I was a spoiled child, witnessing the Chicago Bulls win six championships in eight seasons, from the time I was in third grade to when I was a sophomore in high school.
Watching M.J., Scottie Pippen and company play and Phil Jackson coach at a championship level was a blessing and an albatross, as I simultaneously understood at a pretty young age that what I was watching with the Bulls from 1991-1998 was something special that would never be duplicated yet always be the utmost/unfair standard of comparison for all basketball teams that followed.
During the Bulls’ second three-peat of the mid-nineties, two things became clear to me: the dynasty was being dismantled politically rather than organically, and I would soon need to find a new basketball fix. As a kid and high schooler, basketball was my life. When I wasn’t playing, I was watching every Bulls and even DePaul game on WGN Channel 9. Ultimately, my focus started drifting beyond the pros toward another college basketball program, specifically the Illinois Fighting Illini, beginning on a winter afternoon in December 1996.
It was just days before Christmas. I was a freshman in high school at the time, struggling to get minutes on my school’s “B” team. I was a talented player who was struggling with his confidence at the next level, unlike Illinois’ once-in-a-lifetime freshman Keaton Wagler this season. As I prepared to leave for an early Saturday morning game out in the suburbs, I grabbed a VHS tape and popped it into my VCR to record what was going to be an interesting college-basketball double header on CBS, Illinois hosting UCLA at the United Center and Michigan playing Arizona at the Palace of Auburn Hills. (Note to self: I need to upload those games on YouTube this summer).
That cold, December morning I found my footing on the basketball court, hitting a three with under a minute to go to give my team a lead we would not relinquish. That cold, December afternoon I got home and watched the end of Michigan and Arizona live, and then what I recorded. As I caught up on Illinois’ feisty upset of a ranked UCLA team that included key holdovers Charles O'Bannon, Cameron Dollar and J.R. Henderson from the Bruins' 1995 National Title team, I quickly began to like what I was seeing from a scrappy Illini squad and its first-year Head Coach Lon Kruger. Led by senior guard Kiwane Garris and center Chris Gandy, this Illinois team would advance to the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament. For some context, the UCLA team that the Illini dominated on this day would reach the Elite Eight, losing to Minnesota.
Something about the energy and grittiness the Illini displayed during this UCLA game stood out to me. I could tell that this Kruger guy from Florida could coach and was a worthy hire after Lou Henson, whom I was surprised to see be let go after the 1995-96 season, though I wasn’t following Illinois that closely then. With Kruger, some seedlings were sprouting quickly, indicating Illinois was going to be good again very soon. I quickly realized that Illini basketball had enormous potential to fill the hoops void that would be coming when the Bulls were done.
Now don’t get me wrong, I was aware of Illinois basketball prior to Lon Kruger. Of course, one of my earliest sporting memories as a child was Illinois’ Elite Eight victory against Syracuse during the 1989 NCAA Tournament. It was Easter Sunday, and I was only in first grade. My parents were set to host Easter for my immediate family when my Dad came up to me early that afternoon.
“Hey Chris,” my Dad said. “Do you want to run by Karen and Larry’s to see your new cousin, Jimmy?”
“Sure,” I said. My Aunt and Uncle only lived a few blocks away at the time, and I was excited to see a newborn baby as my Mom and Dad were planning on having another child soon.
My Dad and I jumped in our car and made the five-minute drive. When I arrived at my relatives’ apartment, I immediately saw my Uncle Larry griping at the television screen. This wasn’t what I was expecting, until I realized what was happening.
Illinois was off to a bad start against Syracuse, digging a large first-half deficit. Uncle Larry was an Illinois alum, having attended graduate school in Champaign during the team’s run to the Rose Bowl in 1983. Upon seeing my Dad and me, Uncle Larry shifted his tone. He welcomed us in and brought us to my baby cousin Jimmy, who was sleeping. Previously excited, I only held Jimmy for about a minute before handing my cousin back to my Aunt. My attention was no longer on my newborn cousin as I quickly ran off into the living room alone to catch up on this big Illinois game.
Within moments of parking my little butt in front of the television, I remember seeing this Illini player named Kenny Battle hang up in the air before flipping in a crazy, backwards, reverse layup off the backboard. In my seven-year-old mind, Battle’s basket was the most incredible shot I had ever seen. Roughly a month later, Michael Jordan would hit a slightly more memorable shot that knocked the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the first round of the 1989 NBA Playoffs.
Every couple or minutes or so, my Uncle Larry would come back into the room and check on the game.
“How are they doing?” Larry asked me.
“They’re getting closer,” I responded.
Shortly thereafter, my Dad and I would return home as our Easter guests were arriving. We would watch the Flyin’ Illini eventually take the lead and hold on late against Syracuse, with the postgame image of Kendall Gill crying and collapsing to the ground on his back, with blood on his uniform, getting mobbed by his celebrating teammates, permanently imprinted on my mind. The following weekend, my family would gather at Uncle Larry’s, watching Illinois have its heart broken in the Final Four by Michigan of all teams, though my recollections of this game at the time are hazy.
Years later, my Uncle Larry would mention that day I first met my cousin Jim, who would go on, along with his younger brother Patrick, to graduate from the University of Illinois. To this day Jim and Pat are my go-to guys to celebrate Illini victories on the court, in recruiting and out of the transfer portal, and to commiserate heart-breaking losses (at UCLA this season), coaching changes (from Kruger to Bill Self to Bruce Weber to John Groce to Brad Underwood) and transfers (here’s looking at you, Morez Johnson!).
“You could have cared less about meeting Jim,” Uncle Larry laughed. “You were all about watching that basketball game.”
That was and has always been me, a basketball junkie.
Unlike a kid growing up in Champaign, Urbana or anywhere else in central Illinois, Illini basketball was not my first love. I will never claim that. In fact, there are far more knowledgeable and dedicated Illinois fans than I will ever be.
With that said, there is no team I have loved or cared about for nearly 30 years more than the Fighting Illini. During that time, my love for all Chicago teams - the Bulls, Bears, Cubs and Hawks – has pretty much died for assorted reasons. Yet the Illini are the one team I still care about, that makes me feel like a kid again, that invokes deep feelings of pride and happiness, even if I had to be distant from them in those dark years between the Weber and Underwood eras.
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Graduating during the 100th Season of Illini Hoops
Fast forward to 2005. I have just graduated from the U-of-I, in December of 2004, with a degree in broadcast journalism that I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to do anything with. I had been hanging around Champaign the ensuing months after my graduation, finishing an internship within the U-of-I Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, running the replays on the scoreboard at Assembly Hall during Illinois’ magical 2004-2005 season. I really had no job prospects or clue about what I wanted to do at the time, though I wanted to stick around to watch that incredible season unfold. The internship did not pay, but it provided great experience and access, getting to go on the court and in the tunnel before the games, to eat with the media, to see players and coaches before and after the games outside of the locker rooms, etc. As one example, I remember sitting behind the stanchion of the basket during an early season home game against Valparaiso, during which Illinois completely dismantled the Crusaders, thinking to myself, “My goodness, the Illini are a whole different animal this season!”
Like that Illini team of Dee, Deron, Luther, The Reverend, Auggie, Jack, Bruce and others, I was unblemished in my responsibilities, that is, until the last game of the Big Ten regular season. For the Illini, a shocking loss would come at Ohio State on a Matt Sylvester three, ending Illinois’ chances for a perfect 30-0 record at the end of the regular season. For me, my first and only mistake on the replay machines would occur a few days earlier, during the Illini’s Big Ten home finale against Purdue, an absolute drubbing of the Boilermakers.
From my computer in the control room across the street from the Assembly Hall, I clicked on a video that was supposed to run on the scoreboard, only for another video to start playing briefly. To this day I don’t know how that other video played, just as I don’t know how Illinois fell to Ohio State, though it was better off for the team eventually.
Back to March 2005, I am gathered again at my parents’ house, with plenty of family around. Of course, it is the day of the classic Elite Eight game against Arizona. My parents are throwing a going-away party for me as I have decided to try somewhere new in my life, to move to North Carolina with a close childhood friend who will be attending graduate school at N.C. State. Like I wrote earlier, I am a college graduate but still a naïve kid, with no job lined up or idea what I want to do, but just enough money from summer jobs to get settled in and find some sort of employment, or at least I thought at the time.
My family and I have all gathered to say goodbye and watch Illinois complete its destiny, securing its first Final Four berth since that glorious Easter Sunday in 1989 when I first met my cousin Jimmy, who will attend the University of Illinois in just a couple of years himself, and the Illini advanced to the Final Four at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington.
Jim, Pat, Uncle Larry and a slew of my large, extended family are packed in my parents’ living room, drinking soda pops and other beverages, and watching Illinois and Arizona begin an exciting, back-and-forth contest for the first 30 minutes or so of game time. The score is tighter than expected, though the Illini will inevitably pull away, right? Not so, as things go to hell late during the second half, with Arizona seizing control of the game and leading by 14 points with less than four minutes to go.
We are all shocked, no one more than me.
“I am never going to see Illinois in the Final Four again,” I think to myself. “If this team can’t make it, what Illini team ever will?”
I look over to my brother Tim, who is a junior at Marquette University at the time. When Tim was a freshman on campus, Marquette made an out-of-nowhere run to the Final Four, as a #3 seed behind Dwyane Wade, while #4 seed Illinois crashed out during a second-round loss to #5 Notre Dame in what would be Brian Cook’s last game as an Illini and Self’s last game as Illinois Head Coach. At the time, my brother could have cared less about Marquette’s Final Four run, though he is a Marquette season-ticket holder and huge Golden Eagles’ fan today, while I was left wondering if Illinois would ever get to the Promised Land when I was a student in Champaign, never more invested in Illini basketball!
I mean, for the last few years, we had been so close, advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001, the Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and 2004, and now the Elite Eight again in 2005.
Now, even during this once-in-a-lifetime season, Illinois was seemingly going to fall short. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Needing some alone time during the last television timeout, I walked out of the living room and headed downstairs, where my Dad had retreated and turned the game on the radio. The stress was getting to all of us. Without saying a word, I looked at my Dad. We made eye contact and shook our heads, in disbelief that the dream season was going to end this way. How could this be happening?
Of course, we all know what happened that March day in 2005 as the Illini staged a furious rally and won 90-89 in overtime against Arizona. The Miracle on Mannheim, or The Miracle at Rosemont, as some have dubbed it. (Note: To pump myself up for this weekend's Final Four Game against UCONN, I had to rewatch the ending of Arizona-Illinois. As we all know what happened that glorious afternoon, feel free to skip the breakdown below, though it is a quite remarkable read to see all of the little things that had to go right for Illinois to win this game).
Like the old Rosemont Horizon, my parents’ bungalow on Dakin Street is about to collapse in on itself. The next 30 minutes are spent shouting, celebrating, dancing and drinking! What an amazing way to go to the Final Four, and what an amazing party to send me off to North Carolina.
“It was meant to be today, Chris,” my cousin Brian later told me after the Illini’s stunning comeback. “The Illini were meant to win and get to the Final Four on the day of your party, with you leaving.”
Like that Illini team of Dee, Deron, Luther, The Reverend, Auggie, Jack, Bruce and others, I was unblemished in my responsibilities, that is, until the last game of the Big Ten regular season. For the Illini, a shocking loss would come at Ohio State on a Matt Sylvester three, ending Illinois’ chances for a perfect 30-0 record at the end of the regular season. For me, my first and only mistake on the replay machines would occur a few days earlier, during the Illini’s Big Ten home finale against Purdue, an absolute drubbing of the Boilermakers.
From my computer in the control room across the street from the Assembly Hall, I clicked on a video that was supposed to run on the scoreboard, only for another video to start playing briefly. To this day I don’t know how that other video played, just as I don’t know how Illinois fell to Ohio State, though it was better off for the team eventually.
Back to March 2005, I am gathered again at my parents’ house, with plenty of family around. Of course, it is the day of the classic Elite Eight game against Arizona. My parents are throwing a going-away party for me as I have decided to try somewhere new in my life, to move to North Carolina with a close childhood friend who will be attending graduate school at N.C. State. Like I wrote earlier, I am a college graduate but still a naïve kid, with no job lined up or idea what I want to do, but just enough money from summer jobs to get settled in and find some sort of employment, or at least I thought at the time.
My family and I have all gathered to say goodbye and watch Illinois complete its destiny, securing its first Final Four berth since that glorious Easter Sunday in 1989 when I first met my cousin Jimmy, who will attend the University of Illinois in just a couple of years himself, and the Illini advanced to the Final Four at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington.
Jim, Pat, Uncle Larry and a slew of my large, extended family are packed in my parents’ living room, drinking soda pops and other beverages, and watching Illinois and Arizona begin an exciting, back-and-forth contest for the first 30 minutes or so of game time. The score is tighter than expected, though the Illini will inevitably pull away, right? Not so, as things go to hell late during the second half, with Arizona seizing control of the game and leading by 14 points with less than four minutes to go.
We are all shocked, no one more than me.
“I am never going to see Illinois in the Final Four again,” I think to myself. “If this team can’t make it, what Illini team ever will?”
I look over to my brother Tim, who is a junior at Marquette University at the time. When Tim was a freshman on campus, Marquette made an out-of-nowhere run to the Final Four, as a #3 seed behind Dwyane Wade, while #4 seed Illinois crashed out during a second-round loss to #5 Notre Dame in what would be Brian Cook’s last game as an Illini and Self’s last game as Illinois Head Coach. At the time, my brother could have cared less about Marquette’s Final Four run, though he is a Marquette season-ticket holder and huge Golden Eagles’ fan today, while I was left wondering if Illinois would ever get to the Promised Land when I was a student in Champaign, never more invested in Illini basketball!
I mean, for the last few years, we had been so close, advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001, the Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and 2004, and now the Elite Eight again in 2005.
Now, even during this once-in-a-lifetime season, Illinois was seemingly going to fall short. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Needing some alone time during the last television timeout, I walked out of the living room and headed downstairs, where my Dad had retreated and turned the game on the radio. The stress was getting to all of us. Without saying a word, I looked at my Dad. We made eye contact and shook our heads, in disbelief that the dream season was going to end this way. How could this be happening?
Of course, we all know what happened that March day in 2005 as the Illini staged a furious rally and won 90-89 in overtime against Arizona. The Miracle on Mannheim, or The Miracle at Rosemont, as some have dubbed it. (Note: To pump myself up for this weekend's Final Four Game against UCONN, I had to rewatch the ending of Arizona-Illinois. As we all know what happened that glorious afternoon, feel free to skip the breakdown below, though it is a quite remarkable read to see all of the little things that had to go right for Illinois to win this game).
- Illinois is down 77-63 with under four minutes remaining.
- Luther Head cashes in a three and then forces a Hassan Adams turnover with 3:02 remaining. Head misses a three but Dee Brown grabs an offensive rebound and puts the ball back in. Arizona leads 77-68 with 2:44 remaining. Timeout Illinois.
- Illinois sets up a press. Arizona takes a timeout. Salim Stoudamire misses a pullup in the lane. Deron Williams misses a mid-range jumper and Roger Powell Jr. has his shot blocked off the rebound. Arizona runs shot clock before Head jumps into a passing lane, getting a steal and layup. It’s now 77-70 in favor of Arizona, with 1:21 remaining. Timeout Illinois.
- Illinois fouls Jawaan McClellan, who splits a pair of free throws. Arizona is up eight, 78-70, with 1:11 remaining. Williams drives up court and makes a layup within three seconds. Arizona’s lead is now 78-72 with 1:08 remaining. Brown fouls Mustapha Shakur with 1:03 remaining. Shakur makes both free throws, giving Arizona an 80-72 advantage.
- Illinois rushes the ball up court with Williams feeding Head, who drains a difficult three with 57.8 seconds remaining. Arizona leads 80-75. Brown pokes the ball away from Shakur at half court. Williams picks up the ball and shovels it to Brown, who scores a layup. Make that 80-77 Arizona with 45.3 seconds remaining. Arizona calls timeout.
- Illinois sets up its press. Jack Ingram deflects an inbound pass intended for Channing Frye. Head comes up with the ball and passes to Brown, who passes to Williams. Ingram sets a crushing a screen as Williams eludes his defender with one dribble to his left, pulls up and buries a three. It’s now a tied ball game, 80-80, with 38.2 seconds left.
- Arizona advances the ball up court and takes a timeout with 31.2 seconds remaining. Out of the timeout, Arizona inbounds to Stoudamire, who dribbles out clock before passing to McClellan, who misses a three. Dee rebounds the ball but tries to throw it down court. Stoudamire steals the pass, but Head comes out of nowhere to block Stoudamire’s shot. The deflected shot is retrieved by Hassan Adams, who throws up an air ball at the buzzer. The score is tied at 80 at the end of regulation as Illinois finishes on a 17-3 run. The Rosemont Horizon is about to collapse on its rickety old self.
- In overtime, both teams have turnovers before Williams cashes a three to make it 83-80. Frye scores on consecutive possessions, a tough shot in the lane and dunk, giving Arizona its last lead at 84-83. The Reverend Powell slips a screen and dunks a ball that rattles in, out and back in. Illinois leads 85-84 and takes a timeout.
- Stoudamire forces a bad leaner with 2:30 remaining. Williams hits another three to give Illinois an 88-84 with 2:14 remaining. On the ensuing passion, Head gets in the passing lane, steals a pass and drives in for a layup with 1:54 remaining. It’s now 90-84 in favor of Illinois. Adams hits an incredible and-one at the rim, including the free throw, with 1:35 remaining. Arizona trails 90-87. Frye blocks a Williams layup out of bounds with 1:11 remaining. Williams misses a three. Stoudamire rushes the ball up court and misses a three. Adams flies in for an offensive rebound and lays the ball in. Illinois is only up one, 90-89, with 51.4 seconds remaining. Illinois takes a timeout with 34.5 seconds remaining.
- Head misses a wild driving layup with 20 seconds remaining. Arizona calls timeout with 11.8 seconds left.
- Arizona inbounds the ball to Shakur, who gets the ball to Adams, who faces up, jab steps and throws up a three that hits nothing but backboard. The ball caroms to Shakur as the horn sounds. Shakur throws the ball in the basket, but it is too late. Illinois wins 90-89 and advances to the Final Four.
Like the old Rosemont Horizon, my parents’ bungalow on Dakin Street is about to collapse in on itself. The next 30 minutes are spent shouting, celebrating, dancing and drinking! What an amazing way to go to the Final Four, and what an amazing party to send me off to North Carolina.
“It was meant to be today, Chris,” my cousin Brian later told me after the Illini’s stunning comeback. “The Illini were meant to win and get to the Final Four on the day of your party, with you leaving.”
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The Surreal Feeling of Watching the 2005 Final Four in Carolina
A week later, I would be settling in my new apartment in Raleigh, North Carolina, freaking out the day before Illinois’ Final Four game against Louisville. Surprisingly, I was not too worried about the game, though I knew beating a Rick Pitino team would be a tough task. I had a more severe problem; the cable guy would not be arriving until early next week!
How the hell was I going to watch the Illini in the Final Four? I was a little leery to go to a bar in North Carolina, decked out in Illini gear and unable to control my emotions in front of strangers, in an area of the country I was not yet accustomed to. I immediately phoned home.
“Dad, make sure you record the Final Four games tomorrow and championship game on Monday?” I ordered. Without question, I knew we were advancing to the championship and going to play North Carolina. That matchup was in the making all season, especially after our comeback against Arizona.
Call it divine intervention, but somehow, someway, my roommate and I were able to manufacture a fuzzy reception of the Illinois-Louisville game on our boxed television the following day. No matter the quality of the picture, the result was glorious, with my all-time favorite Illini Powell taking control in the second half, his put-back dunk off a missed three one of my greatest memories of Illinois basketball, like Battle’s reverse layup against Syracuse all those years before.
Two days later, my buddy and I would watch with a little better reception as Illinois fell behind 40-27 to North Carolina at halftime of the championship game. My rudimentary cell phone was flooded with phone calls as texting was not around yet.
“What’s going on?” different cousins and family members would say. “This is not looking good. What a shame. It’s too bad they got this far to play like this.”
“Don’t worry,” I calmly replied. “We may not win this game, but I know for damn sure this team will come back and tie this game.”
Immediately out of the halftime break, Deron and Luther hit several threes, and the second half went back and forth. Illinois eventually tied the game at 65 and 70 before not scoring the rest of the way. UNC big man Sean May got away with plowing through Illini all night, with James Augustine quickly fouled out and essentially not even allowed to participate in the title game. The inenvitable coronation of UNC Head Roy Williams was official as his first national championship came at the expense of the Illini.
Despite the heartbreak of the 75-70 loss, I was never prouder to be an Illini fan, knowing that while we weren’t as individually talented as UNC, we were still the much better team. There was nothing to be ashamed of about the fight the Fighting Illini showed in St. Louis that night, the beautiful motion offense and ridiculous three-point shooting this team displayed all season long, the absolute domination Illinois exacted from late November to early April.
“There will be more Final Fours to come,” I thought after this crushing loss, after this most glorious season. “The program has never been clicking like it is now, and Bruce Weber seems to be the right coach who wants to be here long term.”
Little did I know how long Illini Nation would have to wait for another Final Four appearance.
How the hell was I going to watch the Illini in the Final Four? I was a little leery to go to a bar in North Carolina, decked out in Illini gear and unable to control my emotions in front of strangers, in an area of the country I was not yet accustomed to. I immediately phoned home.
“Dad, make sure you record the Final Four games tomorrow and championship game on Monday?” I ordered. Without question, I knew we were advancing to the championship and going to play North Carolina. That matchup was in the making all season, especially after our comeback against Arizona.
Call it divine intervention, but somehow, someway, my roommate and I were able to manufacture a fuzzy reception of the Illinois-Louisville game on our boxed television the following day. No matter the quality of the picture, the result was glorious, with my all-time favorite Illini Powell taking control in the second half, his put-back dunk off a missed three one of my greatest memories of Illinois basketball, like Battle’s reverse layup against Syracuse all those years before.
Two days later, my buddy and I would watch with a little better reception as Illinois fell behind 40-27 to North Carolina at halftime of the championship game. My rudimentary cell phone was flooded with phone calls as texting was not around yet.
“What’s going on?” different cousins and family members would say. “This is not looking good. What a shame. It’s too bad they got this far to play like this.”
“Don’t worry,” I calmly replied. “We may not win this game, but I know for damn sure this team will come back and tie this game.”
Immediately out of the halftime break, Deron and Luther hit several threes, and the second half went back and forth. Illinois eventually tied the game at 65 and 70 before not scoring the rest of the way. UNC big man Sean May got away with plowing through Illini all night, with James Augustine quickly fouled out and essentially not even allowed to participate in the title game. The inenvitable coronation of UNC Head Roy Williams was official as his first national championship came at the expense of the Illini.
Despite the heartbreak of the 75-70 loss, I was never prouder to be an Illini fan, knowing that while we weren’t as individually talented as UNC, we were still the much better team. There was nothing to be ashamed of about the fight the Fighting Illini showed in St. Louis that night, the beautiful motion offense and ridiculous three-point shooting this team displayed all season long, the absolute domination Illinois exacted from late November to early April.
“There will be more Final Fours to come,” I thought after this crushing loss, after this most glorious season. “The program has never been clicking like it is now, and Bruce Weber seems to be the right coach who wants to be here long term.”
Little did I know how long Illini Nation would have to wait for another Final Four appearance.
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Wishful Thinking and Hoping for the Best after 2004-2005!
Unfortunately, Illinois would not seize the momentum that it had been building all those years starting with Kruger, including:
Even the ensuing season after the 2005 team was extraordinarily successful and fun, as we got to watch Dee and Auggie finish out their senior years before losing a tough 4/5 game to #5 seed Washington in the second round. Still, it didn’t feel the same, as nothing could compare to the year before, the team still very good but much different without Deron, Luther, and Roger. Of course, Illinois basketball would continue to feel less like itself after that 2005-06 season.
- Advancing to the second round of a 1997 NCAA Tournament that should have been at least a Sweet Sixteen appearance, had it not been for UT Chattanooga.
- Tying for a 1998 Big Ten regular-season championship with an unforgettable senior starting five of Lou Henson holdovers (the late Matt Heldman, Kevin Turner, Jerry Hester, walk-on Brian Johnson, and Jarrod Gee), who set the foundation for great Illini basketball for years to come.
- Securing commitments from the legendary Peoria Manuel trio of Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams, and McDonald’s All-American Brian Cook from Lincoln High School in central Illinois.
- Making a miraculous run to the 1999 Big Ten Title game behind a freshman core of Corey Bradford (my favorite Illini freshman of all time, that is, until Wagler and David Mirkovic came around), Lucas Johnson, Damir Krupalija, and the late Robert Archibald.
- Quickly pivoting from Kruger’s shocking departure and hiring the up-and-coming Self, fresh off an Elite Eight appearance at Tulsa, during the summer of 2000, just months before I would step on campus.
- Earning a #1 seed and advancing to the Elite Eight of the 2001 NCAA Tournament, where we were overwhelmed by foul trouble and lost to Arizona, an out-of-conference foe we somehow played three times that season.
- Underperforming but rallying to win a share of the Big Ten title and make the Sweet Sixteen in 2002, and more importantly, bringing in an amazing freshman class of Dee, Deron, Auggie, Aaron Spears and Kyle Wilson that offseason.
- Winning the 2003 Big Ten Tournament before struggling in the NCAA Tournament and watching Self leave for Kansas on the eve of Easter Sunday.
- Hiring Weber, the perfect coach for Self’s recruits, crushing Cincinnati during the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, and getting out to an 8-0 lead before losing to Duke in the Sweet Sixteen.
- Captivating the college basketball world in 2004-2005 with one of the more connected, memorable and better teams in the sport’s history, culminating in the school’s first national title game appearance.
Even the ensuing season after the 2005 team was extraordinarily successful and fun, as we got to watch Dee and Auggie finish out their senior years before losing a tough 4/5 game to #5 seed Washington in the second round. Still, it didn’t feel the same, as nothing could compare to the year before, the team still very good but much different without Deron, Luther, and Roger. Of course, Illinois basketball would continue to feel less like itself after that 2005-06 season.
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The Gradual, Sad Decline during the Bruce Weber Years
Post Dee and Auggie, it was an uphill battle for Illinois to maintain relevancy. As much as I respected Weber as a coach and a person, he could not sustain recruiting at the Self levels, beginning with the soul-crushing decommitment of Eric Gordon from Illinois to Indiana. Sadly for Bruce, he just wasn’t Self, but who is? Illinois fans could never get over Self leaving for a bigger program, and Weber bore the brunt of a fanbase jilted by an ex, which was unfair.
While Weber would have good teams like the 2008-09 team that overachieved and earned a five-seed, the remaining years felt like Illinois was spinning its wheels, showing promise but ultimately being stuck in mud, including:
As much as I hated seeing Coach Weber get fired, it was time for a change, though our Athletic Director at the time, he who shall not be named, couldn’t have been a bigger flop or disgrace in handling Bruce, a man who always represented Illinois with immense pride, even if people didn’t always like the way he delivered a message. For a school that saw Kruger and Self leave for greener pastures, the NBA and Kansas, respectively, it always bothered me that Weber, a man who wanted to be here and gave his soul to the program without compromising his integrity, was fired by a snake-oil salesman of an athletic director.
Honestly, watching Weber, his family and former players tear up during Bruce’s final press conference after his firing is still one of the most heartbreaking moments of my Illini fandom. To me, Illinois was starting to lose its identity and soul as a basketball program and athletic department.
While Weber would have good teams like the 2008-09 team that overachieved and earned a five-seed, the remaining years felt like Illinois was spinning its wheels, showing promise but ultimately being stuck in mud, including:
- Dealing with the serious ramifications of a life-threatening car accident involving sophomore Jabari Smith and freshman Bryan Carwell in January 2007.
- Barely making the 2007 Tournament as a #12 seed, where we lost a game against #5 seed Virginia Tech that we absolutely controlled before taking the air out of the ball late.
- Missing the tournament in 2008, despite surprisingly advancing to the Big Ten title game, where Wisconsin destroyed us.
- Bouncing back in 2009 only to get handled by #12 seed Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Just missing the cut for the 2010 NCAA Tournament after nearly shocking Ohio State in overtime of the Big Ten tourney semifinals.
- Writing for a blog called Writing Illini, reviewing the 2009-10 season in anticipation of what figured to be Weber's best team since 2004-05.
- Having so much preseason hype during the 2010-2011 season only to end up as a #8 seed that beat Kruger’s # 9 seed UNLV team but lost to Self’s #1 seed Kansas team.
- Failing to get much of anything out of the acclaimed yet incredibly disappointing recruiting class of Jereme Richmond, Meyers Leonard, Crandall Head, and Joseph Bertrand (by far, the least heralded and most impactful Illini recruit of the group).
- Watching Weber’s last team start undefeated before falling apart in Big Ten play, missing the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and setting the stage for a head coaching change.
As much as I hated seeing Coach Weber get fired, it was time for a change, though our Athletic Director at the time, he who shall not be named, couldn’t have been a bigger flop or disgrace in handling Bruce, a man who always represented Illinois with immense pride, even if people didn’t always like the way he delivered a message. For a school that saw Kruger and Self leave for greener pastures, the NBA and Kansas, respectively, it always bothered me that Weber, a man who wanted to be here and gave his soul to the program without compromising his integrity, was fired by a snake-oil salesman of an athletic director.
Honestly, watching Weber, his family and former players tear up during Bruce’s final press conference after his firing is still one of the most heartbreaking moments of my Illini fandom. To me, Illinois was starting to lose its identity and soul as a basketball program and athletic department.
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Feeling Gross and Losing All Interest during the Groce Years
After Weber, there was the failed pursuit of Shaka Smart and then the eventual hiring of Jon Groce, fresh off a Sweet Sixteen appearance at Ohio. While Groce ultimately did well with Weber players Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson, Tyler Griffey, Tracey Abrams, etc., during that first season, I personally felt he did not have the coaching chops of our previous coaches, despite winning the Maui Invitational, beating #1 Indiana in Champaign, and nearly upsetting #2 Miami (FL) during a second-round game in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Honestly, I felt that Weber would have done as much with that time, though a change in voice was definitely needed.
Don’t get me wrong as I have nothing against Groce, who seemed like a nice enough guy and is a good coach, as his success at Akron has shown. Ultimately, I felt like there wasn’t much substance beyond cliché statements. Like Weber, he couldn’t get the needed recruits. Unlike Weber, he couldn’t coach up/maximize lesser players, which we were unfortunately getting to commit to us at the time.
My concerns about Groce were confirmed after his first season as dark days were ahead for the Illini. We would not make the tournament in Groce’s remaining four seasons, and Illinois basketball became almost unrecognizable. The talent was not what it used to be, and while I tried to stay positive and watch Illinois basketball, it became too painful. By Groce’s last two years I had checked out all together on the Illini. Illinois basketball was just not the same or worthy of my time as a working adult with more important responsibilities.
Thankfully, Illinois would hire former Illini football player Josh Whitman as Athletic Director, the first step in our long road back to basketball relevance.
Don’t get me wrong as I have nothing against Groce, who seemed like a nice enough guy and is a good coach, as his success at Akron has shown. Ultimately, I felt like there wasn’t much substance beyond cliché statements. Like Weber, he couldn’t get the needed recruits. Unlike Weber, he couldn’t coach up/maximize lesser players, which we were unfortunately getting to commit to us at the time.
My concerns about Groce were confirmed after his first season as dark days were ahead for the Illini. We would not make the tournament in Groce’s remaining four seasons, and Illinois basketball became almost unrecognizable. The talent was not what it used to be, and while I tried to stay positive and watch Illinois basketball, it became too painful. By Groce’s last two years I had checked out all together on the Illini. Illinois basketball was just not the same or worthy of my time as a working adult with more important responsibilities.
Thankfully, Illinois would hire former Illini football player Josh Whitman as Athletic Director, the first step in our long road back to basketball relevance.
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The Incredibly Shrewd Hire of Brad Underwood
While Whitman supported and wanted the good guy Groce to succeed, he made the hard yet wise decision to move on after five years.
I remember watching and listening to Whitman’s press conference following Groce’s firing, saying something to the effect that if we are not careful, 30 years will have passed since we were last good at basketball. Amazingly, I had the same thought a few days before when wondering if Groce would be let go. Whitman’s similar comment confirmed to me that Illinois had the right person to hire its next basketball coach.
Naturally, I began to worry as Illinois did not have a coach lined up immediately, especially when the Indiana job came open following the firing of Tom Crean. By this time I was back living and teaching in Chicago. I remember going to get a coffee during my prep time on a Friday morning and freaking out as I waited for my order in the Dunkin’ Donuts Drive-Thru lane. It had been nearly a week since Groce’s firing.
“Who the hell are we going to hire?” I worried. “And when are we going to hire someone?”
The following day, I was at a family birthday party in the suburbs, watching the second round of the NCAA Tournament with Pat, Uncle Larry and others, of course, when I got a text from who else but my cousin Jimmy, who couldn’t attend on this day.
Inside the text was picture of Whitman sitting on a plane with Head Coach Brad Underwood of Oklahoma State, who had just lost the day before during a tough first-round game against a Michigan team coached by John Beilein. I was impressed how Underwood got Oklahoma State to the tournament, especially after an 0-6 start to conference play, and went toe to toe with the all-time great Beilein.
Amazingly, Whitman had hired Underwood, who had done wonders at Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State the past three seasons after spending much of his career as a JUCO and assistant coach. I didn’t ever think Underwood would be available after just one season in Stillwater, though I was ecstatic and over-the-moon with the hire, which felt sneaky good and quite stealthy on Whitman’s part. For the first time in years, I was excited and optimistic about Illinois basketball.
A couple of days later, I did something I never do. I sent an email to Whitman, expressing my gratitude for this hire
and explaining my love for the University of Illinois and Illini basketball. I wrote how I went to the U-of-I for two reasons, because I knew it was an outstanding institution and that the basketball teams were going to be great when I was a student there, which was the case from 2000-2005. To my shock, Whitman responded a few days later, thanking me for the kind words and ensuring that Underwood was the right man for the job.
I remember watching and listening to Whitman’s press conference following Groce’s firing, saying something to the effect that if we are not careful, 30 years will have passed since we were last good at basketball. Amazingly, I had the same thought a few days before when wondering if Groce would be let go. Whitman’s similar comment confirmed to me that Illinois had the right person to hire its next basketball coach.
Naturally, I began to worry as Illinois did not have a coach lined up immediately, especially when the Indiana job came open following the firing of Tom Crean. By this time I was back living and teaching in Chicago. I remember going to get a coffee during my prep time on a Friday morning and freaking out as I waited for my order in the Dunkin’ Donuts Drive-Thru lane. It had been nearly a week since Groce’s firing.
“Who the hell are we going to hire?” I worried. “And when are we going to hire someone?”
The following day, I was at a family birthday party in the suburbs, watching the second round of the NCAA Tournament with Pat, Uncle Larry and others, of course, when I got a text from who else but my cousin Jimmy, who couldn’t attend on this day.
Inside the text was picture of Whitman sitting on a plane with Head Coach Brad Underwood of Oklahoma State, who had just lost the day before during a tough first-round game against a Michigan team coached by John Beilein. I was impressed how Underwood got Oklahoma State to the tournament, especially after an 0-6 start to conference play, and went toe to toe with the all-time great Beilein.
Amazingly, Whitman had hired Underwood, who had done wonders at Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State the past three seasons after spending much of his career as a JUCO and assistant coach. I didn’t ever think Underwood would be available after just one season in Stillwater, though I was ecstatic and over-the-moon with the hire, which felt sneaky good and quite stealthy on Whitman’s part. For the first time in years, I was excited and optimistic about Illinois basketball.
A couple of days later, I did something I never do. I sent an email to Whitman, expressing my gratitude for this hire
and explaining my love for the University of Illinois and Illini basketball. I wrote how I went to the U-of-I for two reasons, because I knew it was an outstanding institution and that the basketball teams were going to be great when I was a student there, which was the case from 2000-2005. To my shock, Whitman responded a few days later, thanking me for the kind words and ensuring that Underwood was the right man for the job.
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Rapidly Tearing It All Down, Slowly Building It Back Up
Knowing that it was going to take Underwood a few years to get Illinois back going, especially in the days prior to the portal, I gave him much grace during his first two seasons, not watching much Illinois basketball. I do vaguely remember watching on television a game at the United Center against New Mexico State during Underwood’s first season. We lost that game, which really wasn’t close. It was apparent how far away we were that Saturday. New Mexico State was the best team we could get to play us at the United Center, and they were way better than us. That’s how far we had fallen as a program as Underwood had to rebuild our culture from the studs.
As Illinois struggled during Underwood’s first two seasons, I didn’t watch much but followed the box scores, emphasizing patience to myself and others. Things looked a bit shaky at the start of Underwood’s third season, though the 2019-20 team would break through in the middle of the season and establish itself as an NCAA Tournament team. To this day, I regret not watching more of that team. Unfortunately, Illinois would not get to play in the NCAA Tournament due to its cancellation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Illinois struggled during Underwood’s first two seasons, I didn’t watch much but followed the box scores, emphasizing patience to myself and others. Things looked a bit shaky at the start of Underwood’s third season, though the 2019-20 team would break through in the middle of the season and establish itself as an NCAA Tournament team. To this day, I regret not watching more of that team. Unfortunately, Illinois would not get to play in the NCAA Tournament due to its cancellation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Consistent Yet Disappointing Returns to the NCAA Tournament
After three seasons of Underwood laying the foundation, I finally began paying attention during the 2020-21 season, which was a hard year to watch as there were no fans in the stands post-Covid. I remember watching Illinois lose to eventual national champion Baylor early in the year but then beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Illini were clearly an NCAA Tournament team in my opinion, though, maybe not a real threat, at least I thought. Honestly, it was hard to gauge as these post-Covid games sometimes felt more like scrimmages without the feel of a college crowd. However, the Illini really came together late that season, defeating Michigan on the road in a top five matchup, and then winning the Big Ten Tournament, leading to a surprising #1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Players like Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosumnu, Adam Miller, Kofi Coburn, Jacob Granderson, Andre Curbelo and Giorgi Bezhanishvili had made Illinois basketball fun to watch again. At the very least, Illinois was starting to regain its toughness as a basketball program.
Of course, we all knew what happened next, the shocking second-round loss to #9 seed Loyola (Chicago). When I was a student, losing to a Loyola (Chicago) would have been unfathomable. To lose to the Ramblers in the NCAA Tournament, and not even be competitive, was and still is the worst loss in the history of Illinois men’s basketball. Underwood seemed to make no adjustments this game, and Illinois seemed content playing a flat game while Loyola did nothing special. After waiting for nearly ten seasons to see Illinois back in the tournament, I had never been so frustrated by an Illini tourney performance, unable to watch the rest of the second round the following two days. It wasn’t that Illinois lost or got upset; it was how the Illini lost. The team looked spooked, disinterested, and lethargic as a physically inferior but highly intelligent player Cameron Krutwig dominated us. Upon reflection, I feel that Illinois just was not ready for this moment as a program.
Sadly, that shocking Loyola loss would hang over the Illini the next few seasons. Despite winning a share of the Big Ten title in 2021-22, #4 seed Illinois barely survived a first-round scare against #13 Chattanooga (I still don't know how we stole that victory) before being whipped by #5 Houston in the second round. The next year the Illini seemingly had serious chemistry and attitude issues despite a boatload of talent and were out of the tournament before it barely started, losing as a #9 seed to #8 seed Arkansas.
With more investment watching the program, and each disappointing tournament loss, I was growing more frustrated as a fan. While Underwood had gotten Illinois back to the tournament three straight seasons, the results when it mattered were disappointing. Illinois was getting the reputation of being a team that came up short in the postseason.
Underwood's 2023-24 team would be his most enjoyable team to date, with much better chemistry and success due to the shrewd transfer portal pickup of Southern Illinois' Marcus Domask and the legendary season of Terrance Shannon, Jr., who overcame sketchy legal issues to lead the Illini back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois would reach the Sweet Sixteen as a #3 seed, upsetting #2 Iowa State, before facing an all-time team, #1 seed UCONN, during the Elite Eight. After tying the game at 23 late in the first half, the Illini were embarrassed in a most unbelievable way. UCONN went on an unprecedented 30-0 run to send Illinois home with its tails between its legs. Even though Illinois was just 40 minutes away from a Final Four, the Illini felt 40 years away after UCONN handled us so easily.
Sadly, last year was another season that left fans wanting more. Illinois loaded up with another tantalizing, new team rich with talent, including eventual back-to-back first-round picks Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley and promising freshman Morez Johnson, Jr.. The Illini looked like a serious Final-Four threat early in the season but struggled near the end. While earning a #6 seed and defeating #11 seed Xavier in the first round, the Illini were never close during a double-digit loss to #3 seed Kentucky in the second round. While battling a nasty stomach flu, I sensed during the first four minutes of this game that the Illini weren't going to defeat Kentucky on this day; thus, I watched the rest of the game rather indifferently, ready for another very good but not great season to come to an end.
Then came the surprising departures of Johnson and Tre White in the transfer portal, players I would have loved to have back in Orange and Blue this season. Once again, Illinois was rebuilding on the fly, though we retained key pieces in Tomislav Ivicic, Kylan Boswell, Jake Davis and Ben Humrichous. When would our luck run out trying to construct rosters this way? I understood that losing players was the new reality of the portal and NIL, but Illinois always seemed to have so many departures under Underwood, prior to these changes to college basketball.
After eight seasons, including five-straight NCAA appearances, it was apparent that Underwood had restored Illinois to relevancy. He could recruit and turn over a roster as good as any coach in the country, with his adaptability his best attribute as a Head Coach. He was trying new things to win, dominating with a big in Cockburn, going to a positionless team that could switch from the one to the five, employing booty ball with Domask, bringing in international recruits, and then embracing positional size, as seen in the Illini being the tallest team in the country this season.
Still, the lurking question was when would Illinois break through and get to a Final Four?
Then came a pair of freshman and a season out of nowhere.
Of course, we all knew what happened next, the shocking second-round loss to #9 seed Loyola (Chicago). When I was a student, losing to a Loyola (Chicago) would have been unfathomable. To lose to the Ramblers in the NCAA Tournament, and not even be competitive, was and still is the worst loss in the history of Illinois men’s basketball. Underwood seemed to make no adjustments this game, and Illinois seemed content playing a flat game while Loyola did nothing special. After waiting for nearly ten seasons to see Illinois back in the tournament, I had never been so frustrated by an Illini tourney performance, unable to watch the rest of the second round the following two days. It wasn’t that Illinois lost or got upset; it was how the Illini lost. The team looked spooked, disinterested, and lethargic as a physically inferior but highly intelligent player Cameron Krutwig dominated us. Upon reflection, I feel that Illinois just was not ready for this moment as a program.
Sadly, that shocking Loyola loss would hang over the Illini the next few seasons. Despite winning a share of the Big Ten title in 2021-22, #4 seed Illinois barely survived a first-round scare against #13 Chattanooga (I still don't know how we stole that victory) before being whipped by #5 Houston in the second round. The next year the Illini seemingly had serious chemistry and attitude issues despite a boatload of talent and were out of the tournament before it barely started, losing as a #9 seed to #8 seed Arkansas.
With more investment watching the program, and each disappointing tournament loss, I was growing more frustrated as a fan. While Underwood had gotten Illinois back to the tournament three straight seasons, the results when it mattered were disappointing. Illinois was getting the reputation of being a team that came up short in the postseason.
Underwood's 2023-24 team would be his most enjoyable team to date, with much better chemistry and success due to the shrewd transfer portal pickup of Southern Illinois' Marcus Domask and the legendary season of Terrance Shannon, Jr., who overcame sketchy legal issues to lead the Illini back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois would reach the Sweet Sixteen as a #3 seed, upsetting #2 Iowa State, before facing an all-time team, #1 seed UCONN, during the Elite Eight. After tying the game at 23 late in the first half, the Illini were embarrassed in a most unbelievable way. UCONN went on an unprecedented 30-0 run to send Illinois home with its tails between its legs. Even though Illinois was just 40 minutes away from a Final Four, the Illini felt 40 years away after UCONN handled us so easily.
Sadly, last year was another season that left fans wanting more. Illinois loaded up with another tantalizing, new team rich with talent, including eventual back-to-back first-round picks Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley and promising freshman Morez Johnson, Jr.. The Illini looked like a serious Final-Four threat early in the season but struggled near the end. While earning a #6 seed and defeating #11 seed Xavier in the first round, the Illini were never close during a double-digit loss to #3 seed Kentucky in the second round. While battling a nasty stomach flu, I sensed during the first four minutes of this game that the Illini weren't going to defeat Kentucky on this day; thus, I watched the rest of the game rather indifferently, ready for another very good but not great season to come to an end.
Then came the surprising departures of Johnson and Tre White in the transfer portal, players I would have loved to have back in Orange and Blue this season. Once again, Illinois was rebuilding on the fly, though we retained key pieces in Tomislav Ivicic, Kylan Boswell, Jake Davis and Ben Humrichous. When would our luck run out trying to construct rosters this way? I understood that losing players was the new reality of the portal and NIL, but Illinois always seemed to have so many departures under Underwood, prior to these changes to college basketball.
After eight seasons, including five-straight NCAA appearances, it was apparent that Underwood had restored Illinois to relevancy. He could recruit and turn over a roster as good as any coach in the country, with his adaptability his best attribute as a Head Coach. He was trying new things to win, dominating with a big in Cockburn, going to a positionless team that could switch from the one to the five, employing booty ball with Domask, bringing in international recruits, and then embracing positional size, as seen in the Illini being the tallest team in the country this season.
Still, the lurking question was when would Illinois break through and get to a Final Four?
Then came a pair of freshman and a season out of nowhere.
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The Incredible, Improbable Season We've Been Waiting For!
I am not going to lie, my expectations for Illinois basketball were not all that high at the beginning of this season. While Underwood had compiled another roster that was intriguing on paper, the Illini just didn’t seem quick or athletic enough to me. Depth at the guard position seemed lacking. I was skeptical that all these international players would be able to adapt to the Big Ten, even though Kasparas and Tomi had great years last season. At best, this team seemed like it could get to the Sweet Sixteen. At worst, Illinois would be done at some point in the opening weekend.
Near the beginning of this basketball season, I made a tough personal decision, stepping away from my job as a middle school teacher to focus on my mental health and find a better balance in my life. The decision came very quickly and unexpectedly, leaving me in shock and with a lot to process at the end of last calendar year. After thirteen years of pouring my heart and soul into something I loved, I felt broken and directionless, though it was the right decision for my wonderful students and me.
As the Illini tipped off in 2025-26, I was trying to come to terms with the recent change in my life, leaving a profession that I feel was a calling. Consequently, I didn’t watch as much Illinois or college basketball as I usually do at the beginning of seasons, missing the anticipated Texas Tech and Alabama games.
I finally tuned in to the Illini the day after Thanksgiving, the UCONN game on Black Friday. While I thought Illinois looked more like they belonged on the court with UCONN than they did in the Elite Eight two years ago, the Huskies basically controlled the game. The Illini didn’t pose too much of a threat, until the last seven or eight minutes. I did pay attention to the freshman Wagler, whom I was surprised had been starting all season instead of more-heralded international recruit Mihailo Petrovic. While Wagler only played 13 minutes against UCONN, he held his own against the physical Huskies and at least looked like he could be on the court despite his skinny frame. The same went for Mirkovic, who seemed to be a bit clunky yet still demonstrated he had talent and potential during limited minutes.
Things started to change for me after Illinois beat Ohio State, lost to Nebraska and then defeated Tennessee in December. I was intrigued looking at the stats of how well Wagler was playing, specifically how efficient he was. I finally made the decision to refocus on the Illini, beginning with the Missouri game days before Christmas, which was an absolute blowout in favor of Illinois. I came away from that game thinking Wagler was going to be a star and that he might not be around after this season.
By the New Year, I was watching every Illinois game again and starting to sense that this Illini team had something in this Keaton kid, which became apparent following his 46-point performance at Purdue. This Illinois team was playing wonderful team ball, with Mirkovic another player who did not look like a typical freshman. As Illinois won 12 straight games, I was impressed how this team had not really slipped up in Big Ten play, even with Kylan Boswell out with a broken hand. Illinois was not losing to teams they shouldn’t lose to. For the season, Illinois wouldn’t lose to a team outside of the NCAA Tournament. The consistency, chemistry and versatility of this team were appealing, even though transfer Andrej Stojakovic had yet to find his niche and Tomi was not playing as strong as last year.
Even as Wagler’s profile grew and teams got more physical with him, the kid did not lose poise. He was still scoring, maybe not as efficiently, and driving this Illinois offense. Suddenly, I started thinking that Illinois may have a once-in-a-lifetime freshman here, an out-of-nowhere player to help this team make an unexpected run, kind of like Marquette did all of these years ago with Wade, an unheralded recruit who took the Golden Eagles to the Final Four during his junior season. Was Wagler the Illinois version of Wade? Their last names did start with a W after all!
With each passing game, I became more impressed with Illinois’ chemistry, as guys were playing winning roles, especially Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Ben Humrichous. While not always recognized, Tomislav was making a lot of sacrifices as Wagler and Mirkovic became the focal points, arguably the best coaching decision of the Underwood era.
After years of dreaming of Illinois making an unexpected Final Four run, I was getting a sneaky suspicion by the end of January that this could be the team to do it. The Illini had much more maturity than I expected, especially when relying on two freshman in Wagler and Mirkovic. This Illinois team was just not playing down to inferior opponents. The Illini were always solid and often spectacular, especially when it was hitting threes.
Then came February, when teams really started getting physical with Wagler and the team struggled to close out games. The Illini played well at Michigan State but fell in overtime, resulting in a third-straight loss in East Lansing during which we were the better team but had to fight the Spartans and the officiating. Illinois could not hold onto big leads against Wisconsin and UCLA, losing to both teams in overtime. In a prime-time matchup against Michigan, Illinois looked inferior to the loaded Wolverines, made worse by Morez now playing for the Maize and Blue. The only positive thing to take from that game was that while Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg tried to bully Wagler, the Illini freshman did not cower or back down, still getting to the rim when he wanted to, despite being at a serious disadvantage in weight and muscle.
Entering its first game of the Big Ten Tournament, Illinois quickly blew double-digit leads in both the first and second halves to Wisconsin, getting punked by the Badgers’ talented but punky guard Nick Boyd and losing in overtime. At the end of the season, Illinois was 0-4 in overtime games, suggesting that this team wouldn’t be able to close out close games. While Underwood scoffed at the team’s overtime record, apparently Illinois players realized something was off, with Mirkovic, a freshman of all people, suggesting to the senior Boswell that the team have a players-only meeting. Once again, how many freshman in college basketball have such awareness? Not many. For all of Big Mirk's quirky yet lovable eccentricities, he clearly had a great pulse and mature intuition about where the team was at heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Near the beginning of this basketball season, I made a tough personal decision, stepping away from my job as a middle school teacher to focus on my mental health and find a better balance in my life. The decision came very quickly and unexpectedly, leaving me in shock and with a lot to process at the end of last calendar year. After thirteen years of pouring my heart and soul into something I loved, I felt broken and directionless, though it was the right decision for my wonderful students and me.
As the Illini tipped off in 2025-26, I was trying to come to terms with the recent change in my life, leaving a profession that I feel was a calling. Consequently, I didn’t watch as much Illinois or college basketball as I usually do at the beginning of seasons, missing the anticipated Texas Tech and Alabama games.
I finally tuned in to the Illini the day after Thanksgiving, the UCONN game on Black Friday. While I thought Illinois looked more like they belonged on the court with UCONN than they did in the Elite Eight two years ago, the Huskies basically controlled the game. The Illini didn’t pose too much of a threat, until the last seven or eight minutes. I did pay attention to the freshman Wagler, whom I was surprised had been starting all season instead of more-heralded international recruit Mihailo Petrovic. While Wagler only played 13 minutes against UCONN, he held his own against the physical Huskies and at least looked like he could be on the court despite his skinny frame. The same went for Mirkovic, who seemed to be a bit clunky yet still demonstrated he had talent and potential during limited minutes.
Things started to change for me after Illinois beat Ohio State, lost to Nebraska and then defeated Tennessee in December. I was intrigued looking at the stats of how well Wagler was playing, specifically how efficient he was. I finally made the decision to refocus on the Illini, beginning with the Missouri game days before Christmas, which was an absolute blowout in favor of Illinois. I came away from that game thinking Wagler was going to be a star and that he might not be around after this season.
By the New Year, I was watching every Illinois game again and starting to sense that this Illini team had something in this Keaton kid, which became apparent following his 46-point performance at Purdue. This Illinois team was playing wonderful team ball, with Mirkovic another player who did not look like a typical freshman. As Illinois won 12 straight games, I was impressed how this team had not really slipped up in Big Ten play, even with Kylan Boswell out with a broken hand. Illinois was not losing to teams they shouldn’t lose to. For the season, Illinois wouldn’t lose to a team outside of the NCAA Tournament. The consistency, chemistry and versatility of this team were appealing, even though transfer Andrej Stojakovic had yet to find his niche and Tomi was not playing as strong as last year.
Even as Wagler’s profile grew and teams got more physical with him, the kid did not lose poise. He was still scoring, maybe not as efficiently, and driving this Illinois offense. Suddenly, I started thinking that Illinois may have a once-in-a-lifetime freshman here, an out-of-nowhere player to help this team make an unexpected run, kind of like Marquette did all of these years ago with Wade, an unheralded recruit who took the Golden Eagles to the Final Four during his junior season. Was Wagler the Illinois version of Wade? Their last names did start with a W after all!
With each passing game, I became more impressed with Illinois’ chemistry, as guys were playing winning roles, especially Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Ben Humrichous. While not always recognized, Tomislav was making a lot of sacrifices as Wagler and Mirkovic became the focal points, arguably the best coaching decision of the Underwood era.
After years of dreaming of Illinois making an unexpected Final Four run, I was getting a sneaky suspicion by the end of January that this could be the team to do it. The Illini had much more maturity than I expected, especially when relying on two freshman in Wagler and Mirkovic. This Illinois team was just not playing down to inferior opponents. The Illini were always solid and often spectacular, especially when it was hitting threes.
Then came February, when teams really started getting physical with Wagler and the team struggled to close out games. The Illini played well at Michigan State but fell in overtime, resulting in a third-straight loss in East Lansing during which we were the better team but had to fight the Spartans and the officiating. Illinois could not hold onto big leads against Wisconsin and UCLA, losing to both teams in overtime. In a prime-time matchup against Michigan, Illinois looked inferior to the loaded Wolverines, made worse by Morez now playing for the Maize and Blue. The only positive thing to take from that game was that while Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg tried to bully Wagler, the Illini freshman did not cower or back down, still getting to the rim when he wanted to, despite being at a serious disadvantage in weight and muscle.
Entering its first game of the Big Ten Tournament, Illinois quickly blew double-digit leads in both the first and second halves to Wisconsin, getting punked by the Badgers’ talented but punky guard Nick Boyd and losing in overtime. At the end of the season, Illinois was 0-4 in overtime games, suggesting that this team wouldn’t be able to close out close games. While Underwood scoffed at the team’s overtime record, apparently Illinois players realized something was off, with Mirkovic, a freshman of all people, suggesting to the senior Boswell that the team have a players-only meeting. Once again, how many freshman in college basketball have such awareness? Not many. For all of Big Mirk's quirky yet lovable eccentricities, he clearly had a great pulse and mature intuition about where the team was at heading into the NCAA Tournament.
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A Dream Final Four Run When Everything Clicked at Once!
Entering the NCAA Tournament as a #3 seed, the Illini still looked like a team that should get out of the opening weekend, with a favorable draw against #14 seed Penn and most likely a less-dangerous #6 seed in North Carolina. However, a run to the Final Four seemed out of the question, with it feeling that the Illini had peaked too early this season and were too reliant on the long ball that had gone missing as of late.
That feeling was especially apparent during the first half of the Penn game. While Illinois led by eleven at the half, the Illini were settling for and missing too many threes and failing to use its size advantage and get the ball down low, a critique all season. Illinois quickly blew a double-digit lead early in the first half, and except for Mirkovic’s outstanding effort, no one else on the Illini was playing all that well. Big Tomi was not involved, as had been the case the last month of the season, Wagler was struggling and forcing some drives, and the rest of the team was inconsistent, with Stojakovic scoring a bit off the bench but still not seeming as comfortable in this new role while recovering from an ankle injury.
And then came the second half, where things started turning for Illinois during this Final Fur run. Illinois opened its three-point shooting through post touches, with Mirkovic feeding Wagler for a step-in trey. Illinois finally got the forgotten man Tomi involved, with the talented Croatian coming to life and scoring nine points in the second half. Mirkovic dominated, Wagler responded and looked like an All-American, Tomi woke up, the defensive effort intensified, and Illinois cruised to a 35-point victory.
In the second round Illinois seemed to catch a break in #11 seed VCU, which rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to shock North Carolina in overtime of its first-round game. Personally, I thought VCU was a more difficult matchup for an Illini team that struggled containing quick guards. While Illinois was the physically superior team, the Illini perimeter defense worried me.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong as Illinois came out against VCU with a defensive fervor I hadn’t seen all year long. After grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring the first points of the game, big Tomi set the defensive tone, with a nasty two-handed stuff of a driving VCU player at the rim. Illinois was moving its feet like crazy and diving for loose balls, with Jake Davis going all out for one, leading to an easy bucket in transition. On offense, the Illini started feeding the ball inside, with Mirkovic again kicking outside for several threes,and jumped out to a double-digit lead.
While things got scary as VCU quickly cut into and even took the lead, a different Stojakovic emerged off the bench, getting to the rim at will and carrying the Illini to a seven-point halftime lead. Mixed within his offensive explosion was a beautiful two-handed dunk at the rim, a crazy bank shot while fading away, an and-one layup where he recovered a lost dribble and scored, and a beautiful isolation fadeaway in the lane that died on the rim and dropped in. This Stojakovic was who Illinois fans were expecting all season long.
Like the Penn game, Illinois came out like defensive gangbusters and made post touches a priority in the second half. Mirkovic dribbled from inside the free throw line and fed Tomi for a dunk and later hit a three off an Illini offensive board. Wagler stepped up its play and canned a few threes. On one end, Big Z blocked a dunk attempt on VCU’s big center, hustled down court and threw down a nasty one-hand slam. The Illini were engaged and dominating on both ends, with a respective steal and block leading to a fastbreak dunk for Stojakovic and nifty reverse lefty layup by Wagler. Pretty quickly, the VCU game was over, with Illinois winning by 21 points and heading to the Sweet Sixteen looking like a much different team.
Of course, the Illini’s Sweet Sixteen test would be its hardest game yet, the defensive-minded Houston Cougars in Houston, Texas, of all places. In years past the Illini would have been physically dominated by a Houston-type team; however, this year’s Illini were suddenly different. Illinois came out and scored its first two points on a Tomi tip in off a missed Boswell layup. The Illini struggled offensively but were even more active defensively than the VCU game, gang rebounding with all five players crashing the paint. Wagler’s off-the-ball defense was at a whole another level as Houston bricked shot after shot. The defensive game plan was brilliant in the first half, letting confused Houston big Jo Jo Tugler make decisions with the ball and freshman center Chris Cenac attempt to make open baseline jumpers, which he did not.
While Illinois spent the first half feeling out the Cougars, the Illini looked like the superior team, with Stojakovic once again proving the difference and providing automatic offense off the bench, including an immediate duck-and-under layup at the rim, a remarkable fadeaway shot that barely touched net at the shot clock expired, and a corner three ball. While only up two at the break, Illinois would come out with yet another wonderful second half.
Like his first two tournament games, Wagler rose to the occasion out of the hiatus, hitting a ridiculous three off a nasty crossover and then ripping an offensive board from a Houston defender before playing through the Cougars’ body and finishing a tough layup. For the first time all season, the classy Wagler woofed a bit at an opponent, signaling a player who seemed possessed out there and would not let the Illini lose. There was definitely something different about this version of the Illini, I thought. I really liked what I was seeing. We weren't getting punched in the face or backing down. We were the bully doing the figurative punching for once!
While Illinois continued to put the screws to Houston defensively, the Illini suddenly found its offense. Davis would hit a tough sidestep three and score on a cut off the dunker’s spot following a great pass from Mirkovic, who would be rewarded with an and-one layup at the rim following crisp ball movement by the Illini. Mirkovic, Wagler and Ben Humrichous would each hit threes, and Illinois was suddenly up 18 points, leaving me to wonder a few things:
Illinois was suddenly looking like a complete basketball team, realizing that championships are won defending, playing to strengths (our incredible size), and making and executing necessary adjustments.
While Illinois struggled with leads all year, the Illini kept Houston at distance, with Tomi hitting a big three and the Cougars getting no closer than seven points. Despite some shaky free-throw shooting late, the Illini dominated the Cougars in what had to be considered the most impressive win of the Underwood era, that is, until two days later.
Like two years ago, the Illini were a game away from the Final Four, with Indianapolis feeling like an actual reality.
Instead of playing an all-time dominant team in UCONN, the Illini were facing a conference foe in #9 seed Iowa that had the most shocking upset of the tournament, defeating #1 seed Florida in the second round. Iowa was clearly a dangerous matchup for the Illini with amazing Head Coach Ben McCollum and star point guard Bennett Stirtz. Big Ten familiarity figured to breed a tight, close, and ugly game, which proved to be the case.
Iowa came out firing, building a 9-0 lead and leading 12-2 at one point, as Illinois looked a bit nervous, committing early turnovers as Iowa picked up its defense and made the Illini uncomfortable. As has been the case the last two games, Stojakovic entered and provided immediate stability off the bench, quickly getting Illinois back in the game with a rebound put back and an and-one layup on a break. It was clear that Iowa had no answer for Andrej, who could get to the rim at will and was just too big, too quick and too strong for the Hawkeyes.
And yet, the Illini struggled offensively throughout the half while Iowa dictated a slow pace. Except for Stojakovic and Wagler, no other Illini was playing all that well, especially Mirkovic, who looked out of sorts. Iowa took a four-point lead into the break, forcing seven Illinois turnovers and limiting the Illini to just one three. Even worse, Illinois seemed to be reverting to an ineffective style of offense, with Wagler and Mirkovic pounding the ball but not necessarily going anywhere, that was playing into Iowa’s hands.
Once again, Illinois came out of the half with the right adjustments, including a renewed elevation of its defense and commitment to post touches. Wagler got into the lane and found big Tomi for a baseline floater to start the half, and Mirkovic scored an old-fashioned three-point play off a broken play. Wagler would soon hit an incrediblly difficult, left-handed layup high off the backboard, plus the foul. The game was now a nip-tuck affair, with no team having a lead of more than one point until there was about six minutes left.
While Illinois’ offense was better but still not as crisp as it could be, the Illini defense was making it hard for Iowa to score and get rebounds. The Hawkeyes were typically one shot and done, with Stojakovic having a similar effect on the opposite side of the court, stepping up and making things incredibly difficult for Stirtz, who was wearing out having to do everything for Iowa offense. Stojakovic’s sudden transformation into an offensive spark plug and defensive menace is a big reason why Illinois is in the Final Four.
Eventually, Illinois took control by feeding big Tomi on the blocks. Ivisic scored two post-up baskets on back-to-back possessions to make it 56-51 Illinois, and the floodgates seemingly and finally opened. Illinois began getting downhill, with Mirkovic feeding Big Z for a lob dunk, Wagler scoring on a patented push-shot/floater in the lane, Stojakovic attacking the basket for a driving and-one, and Wagler penetrating the lane to feed Stojakovic for another layup. On the other end, Illinois continued to give no ground, limiting Iowa to just six field goals in the second half.
The Illini had finally pulled away. The Illini would salt the game away at the free throw line before Iowa called off the dogs, realizing its miracle run was over. Wagler began dribbling out the clock with Illinois leading 71-59.
As Illinois fans rose to their feet, it was clear why Illinois was heading to its first Final Four in forever. A team renowned for its offensive efficiency and three-point shooting had committed to playing its best defense of the season and using its nation-leading size to dominate on the inside and the boards. Even when things weren’t going well, players were moving on to the next play. There was no better example than Mirkovic, who still scored 9 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and facilitated some needed baskets after a choppy first half during which Iowa keyed in on him.
While the Iowa game was tougher than it needed to be, Illinois did what it had to do, wearing out the Hawkeyes with its size and physicality. As the horn sounded, Illinois’ amazing freshman duo Wagler and Mirkovic embraced in a hug, and my eyes got teary-eyed, recognizing there will probably never be two more impactful freshmen in Illini basketball history. Oh yeah, by the way, Illinois was on its way back to the Final Four for the first time in 21 seasons.
Sure, it would take me 30 minutes to fully process that Illinois had done it, played up to its talent and made the Final Four. After so many years believing other talented Illinois teams would make a surprising run, it was this Illinois team led by two incredible freshman, twin brothers from Croatia, a senior from Champaign, a son of an NBA legend, a former NAIA player, a long-haired glue guy, and a former JUCO ball coach that had finally realized the dream.
That feeling was especially apparent during the first half of the Penn game. While Illinois led by eleven at the half, the Illini were settling for and missing too many threes and failing to use its size advantage and get the ball down low, a critique all season. Illinois quickly blew a double-digit lead early in the first half, and except for Mirkovic’s outstanding effort, no one else on the Illini was playing all that well. Big Tomi was not involved, as had been the case the last month of the season, Wagler was struggling and forcing some drives, and the rest of the team was inconsistent, with Stojakovic scoring a bit off the bench but still not seeming as comfortable in this new role while recovering from an ankle injury.
And then came the second half, where things started turning for Illinois during this Final Fur run. Illinois opened its three-point shooting through post touches, with Mirkovic feeding Wagler for a step-in trey. Illinois finally got the forgotten man Tomi involved, with the talented Croatian coming to life and scoring nine points in the second half. Mirkovic dominated, Wagler responded and looked like an All-American, Tomi woke up, the defensive effort intensified, and Illinois cruised to a 35-point victory.
In the second round Illinois seemed to catch a break in #11 seed VCU, which rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to shock North Carolina in overtime of its first-round game. Personally, I thought VCU was a more difficult matchup for an Illini team that struggled containing quick guards. While Illinois was the physically superior team, the Illini perimeter defense worried me.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong as Illinois came out against VCU with a defensive fervor I hadn’t seen all year long. After grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring the first points of the game, big Tomi set the defensive tone, with a nasty two-handed stuff of a driving VCU player at the rim. Illinois was moving its feet like crazy and diving for loose balls, with Jake Davis going all out for one, leading to an easy bucket in transition. On offense, the Illini started feeding the ball inside, with Mirkovic again kicking outside for several threes,and jumped out to a double-digit lead.
While things got scary as VCU quickly cut into and even took the lead, a different Stojakovic emerged off the bench, getting to the rim at will and carrying the Illini to a seven-point halftime lead. Mixed within his offensive explosion was a beautiful two-handed dunk at the rim, a crazy bank shot while fading away, an and-one layup where he recovered a lost dribble and scored, and a beautiful isolation fadeaway in the lane that died on the rim and dropped in. This Stojakovic was who Illinois fans were expecting all season long.
Like the Penn game, Illinois came out like defensive gangbusters and made post touches a priority in the second half. Mirkovic dribbled from inside the free throw line and fed Tomi for a dunk and later hit a three off an Illini offensive board. Wagler stepped up its play and canned a few threes. On one end, Big Z blocked a dunk attempt on VCU’s big center, hustled down court and threw down a nasty one-hand slam. The Illini were engaged and dominating on both ends, with a respective steal and block leading to a fastbreak dunk for Stojakovic and nifty reverse lefty layup by Wagler. Pretty quickly, the VCU game was over, with Illinois winning by 21 points and heading to the Sweet Sixteen looking like a much different team.
Of course, the Illini’s Sweet Sixteen test would be its hardest game yet, the defensive-minded Houston Cougars in Houston, Texas, of all places. In years past the Illini would have been physically dominated by a Houston-type team; however, this year’s Illini were suddenly different. Illinois came out and scored its first two points on a Tomi tip in off a missed Boswell layup. The Illini struggled offensively but were even more active defensively than the VCU game, gang rebounding with all five players crashing the paint. Wagler’s off-the-ball defense was at a whole another level as Houston bricked shot after shot. The defensive game plan was brilliant in the first half, letting confused Houston big Jo Jo Tugler make decisions with the ball and freshman center Chris Cenac attempt to make open baseline jumpers, which he did not.
While Illinois spent the first half feeling out the Cougars, the Illini looked like the superior team, with Stojakovic once again proving the difference and providing automatic offense off the bench, including an immediate duck-and-under layup at the rim, a remarkable fadeaway shot that barely touched net at the shot clock expired, and a corner three ball. While only up two at the break, Illinois would come out with yet another wonderful second half.
Like his first two tournament games, Wagler rose to the occasion out of the hiatus, hitting a ridiculous three off a nasty crossover and then ripping an offensive board from a Houston defender before playing through the Cougars’ body and finishing a tough layup. For the first time all season, the classy Wagler woofed a bit at an opponent, signaling a player who seemed possessed out there and would not let the Illini lose. There was definitely something different about this version of the Illini, I thought. I really liked what I was seeing. We weren't getting punched in the face or backing down. We were the bully doing the figurative punching for once!
While Illinois continued to put the screws to Houston defensively, the Illini suddenly found its offense. Davis would hit a tough sidestep three and score on a cut off the dunker’s spot following a great pass from Mirkovic, who would be rewarded with an and-one layup at the rim following crisp ball movement by the Illini. Mirkovic, Wagler and Ben Humrichous would each hit threes, and Illinois was suddenly up 18 points, leaving me to wonder a few things:
- Who was this Illinois team out of halftime the past three games?
- Who was this coaching staff suddenly prioritizing dominating in the paint rather than just jacking up threes?
- Where had this lock-down defense come from?
Illinois was suddenly looking like a complete basketball team, realizing that championships are won defending, playing to strengths (our incredible size), and making and executing necessary adjustments.
While Illinois struggled with leads all year, the Illini kept Houston at distance, with Tomi hitting a big three and the Cougars getting no closer than seven points. Despite some shaky free-throw shooting late, the Illini dominated the Cougars in what had to be considered the most impressive win of the Underwood era, that is, until two days later.
Like two years ago, the Illini were a game away from the Final Four, with Indianapolis feeling like an actual reality.
Instead of playing an all-time dominant team in UCONN, the Illini were facing a conference foe in #9 seed Iowa that had the most shocking upset of the tournament, defeating #1 seed Florida in the second round. Iowa was clearly a dangerous matchup for the Illini with amazing Head Coach Ben McCollum and star point guard Bennett Stirtz. Big Ten familiarity figured to breed a tight, close, and ugly game, which proved to be the case.
Iowa came out firing, building a 9-0 lead and leading 12-2 at one point, as Illinois looked a bit nervous, committing early turnovers as Iowa picked up its defense and made the Illini uncomfortable. As has been the case the last two games, Stojakovic entered and provided immediate stability off the bench, quickly getting Illinois back in the game with a rebound put back and an and-one layup on a break. It was clear that Iowa had no answer for Andrej, who could get to the rim at will and was just too big, too quick and too strong for the Hawkeyes.
And yet, the Illini struggled offensively throughout the half while Iowa dictated a slow pace. Except for Stojakovic and Wagler, no other Illini was playing all that well, especially Mirkovic, who looked out of sorts. Iowa took a four-point lead into the break, forcing seven Illinois turnovers and limiting the Illini to just one three. Even worse, Illinois seemed to be reverting to an ineffective style of offense, with Wagler and Mirkovic pounding the ball but not necessarily going anywhere, that was playing into Iowa’s hands.
Once again, Illinois came out of the half with the right adjustments, including a renewed elevation of its defense and commitment to post touches. Wagler got into the lane and found big Tomi for a baseline floater to start the half, and Mirkovic scored an old-fashioned three-point play off a broken play. Wagler would soon hit an incrediblly difficult, left-handed layup high off the backboard, plus the foul. The game was now a nip-tuck affair, with no team having a lead of more than one point until there was about six minutes left.
While Illinois’ offense was better but still not as crisp as it could be, the Illini defense was making it hard for Iowa to score and get rebounds. The Hawkeyes were typically one shot and done, with Stojakovic having a similar effect on the opposite side of the court, stepping up and making things incredibly difficult for Stirtz, who was wearing out having to do everything for Iowa offense. Stojakovic’s sudden transformation into an offensive spark plug and defensive menace is a big reason why Illinois is in the Final Four.
Eventually, Illinois took control by feeding big Tomi on the blocks. Ivisic scored two post-up baskets on back-to-back possessions to make it 56-51 Illinois, and the floodgates seemingly and finally opened. Illinois began getting downhill, with Mirkovic feeding Big Z for a lob dunk, Wagler scoring on a patented push-shot/floater in the lane, Stojakovic attacking the basket for a driving and-one, and Wagler penetrating the lane to feed Stojakovic for another layup. On the other end, Illinois continued to give no ground, limiting Iowa to just six field goals in the second half.
The Illini had finally pulled away. The Illini would salt the game away at the free throw line before Iowa called off the dogs, realizing its miracle run was over. Wagler began dribbling out the clock with Illinois leading 71-59.
As Illinois fans rose to their feet, it was clear why Illinois was heading to its first Final Four in forever. A team renowned for its offensive efficiency and three-point shooting had committed to playing its best defense of the season and using its nation-leading size to dominate on the inside and the boards. Even when things weren’t going well, players were moving on to the next play. There was no better example than Mirkovic, who still scored 9 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and facilitated some needed baskets after a choppy first half during which Iowa keyed in on him.
While the Iowa game was tougher than it needed to be, Illinois did what it had to do, wearing out the Hawkeyes with its size and physicality. As the horn sounded, Illinois’ amazing freshman duo Wagler and Mirkovic embraced in a hug, and my eyes got teary-eyed, recognizing there will probably never be two more impactful freshmen in Illini basketball history. Oh yeah, by the way, Illinois was on its way back to the Final Four for the first time in 21 seasons.
Sure, it would take me 30 minutes to fully process that Illinois had done it, played up to its talent and made the Final Four. After so many years believing other talented Illinois teams would make a surprising run, it was this Illinois team led by two incredible freshman, twin brothers from Croatia, a senior from Champaign, a son of an NBA legend, a former NAIA player, a long-haired glue guy, and a former JUCO ball coach that had finally realized the dream.
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When Everything Went Right, the First-Time Ever for the Illini!
For the first time in my life, Illinois had made the Final Four in a year it wasn’t necessarily expected to. The last two weeks had been a testament to many things, including getting some breaks along the way, players accepting and thriving in their roles, and coaches not being fixated with one style of play.
The Illini would not be here without the:
When looking at all of the above that has had to go into this Illinois Final Four run, it seems even more miraculous that Illinois will be playing in a National Semifinal on Saturday.
While the 1989 and 2005 teams were expected to reach the Final Four, this team wasn’t and could have easily bowed out after an uneven end to the regular season. However, this team has done all the little things correctly and given Illinois fans the unexpected Final Four we have been clamoring for. Sure, the talent has always been there, in fact, it's been there for several seasons. Finally, the Illini are living up to its talent to win at the most important time of the season.
After 21 years, Illinois is back in the Final Four, with as unique of a team as the 1989 Flyin’ Illini and the amazing 2004-05 squad. As an Illini fan, I couldn’t be prouder or happier. The wait was long and hard, but this run has been as satisfying as any Illinois Final Four I have experienced.
Thank you Coach Underwood and this wonderful team. Now go leave it all on the court in Indianapolis!
The Illini would not be here without the:
- Halftime adjustments made by the Illini coaching staff.
- Collective commitment to defense and rebounding.
- Shift from prioritizing threes to getting the ball inside and using our size to wear out opponents.
- Unflappable play of Wagler, who has cemented himself as an Illini legend.
- Diversity of Mirkovic and his all-around game, whether it’s scoring, passing, rebounding, defending or just mixing it up.
- Locked-in mindset of Stojakovic, who has been a whole new player this March.
- Reemergence of Tomi, who has salvaged a tough season with four amazing games.
- Attention to detail by ultimate glue guys Davis and Ben Humrichous.
- Positive energy of Big Z, who has provided a spark with timely blocks and dunks and accepted his role with enthusiasm all season.
- Renewed focus of Boswell, who may not be playing his best but has stepped up as a leader after the Big Ten Tournament.
- Steadying approach of Underwood, who has remained relatively calm and even keeled, and has never had such a strong command of an Illini team as he does right now.
- Collective chemistry and personality of a team that genuinely likes and roots for each other’s success.
When looking at all of the above that has had to go into this Illinois Final Four run, it seems even more miraculous that Illinois will be playing in a National Semifinal on Saturday.
While the 1989 and 2005 teams were expected to reach the Final Four, this team wasn’t and could have easily bowed out after an uneven end to the regular season. However, this team has done all the little things correctly and given Illinois fans the unexpected Final Four we have been clamoring for. Sure, the talent has always been there, in fact, it's been there for several seasons. Finally, the Illini are living up to its talent to win at the most important time of the season.
After 21 years, Illinois is back in the Final Four, with as unique of a team as the 1989 Flyin’ Illini and the amazing 2004-05 squad. As an Illini fan, I couldn’t be prouder or happier. The wait was long and hard, but this run has been as satisfying as any Illinois Final Four I have experienced.
Thank you Coach Underwood and this wonderful team. Now go leave it all on the court in Indianapolis!
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Avoiding the Curse of Michael Jordan & Soaking in the Moment
Postscript:
After Illinois defeated Iowa, I received text messages from my brother Tim and cousins Jim and Pat, expressing their excitement.
My reaction was more subdued, saying that Illinois played an ugly game but at least got it done. My brother responded that it is okay to be happy and celebrate a Final Four.
Moments later, Jim and Pat texted Tim, asking if I was happy about the victory. My brother attributed my reaction to the aforementioned "Curse of Michael Jordan." He explained how we grew up watching basketball being played at such a high level, that sometimes our excitement for other teams accomplishing something so rare and special, especially when it is not pretty, is a bit diminished.
By no means was the Illini victory against Iowa pretty, but I knew it wasn't going to be. I needed to get over myself.
After taking a deep breath and feeling fortunate that Illinois survived the Hawkeyes, I was finally hit with an immediate sense of joy. I am sure seeing the Illini cut down the nets and Kylan Bowell slam the Illinois sticker onto the Final Four board during the postgame celebration played a big part in this conversion from tense relief to sheer giddiness.
Brad Underwood had finally got the monkey off his back, and Illinois had finally gotten back to the Final Four!
These moments don't come around often for Illini hoops, so I better enjoy it, which I began doing.
I immediately did something I never do, went out and got a six pack of beer to drink on my own. I then grabbed my framed posters of the 1988-89, 2004-2005, and now 2025-26 teams and took a picture of them with the beer, beginning with six bottles and then two bottles, signifying six games to win, with four wins down and only two more to go.
Seeing this year’s Illinois team next to the team photo of the amazing 04-05 squad and the portrait of Kenny Battle was surreal. How in the world is this possible?
For the rest of the night, I celebrated, tears welling up at some points, screaming for joy at others, the Purdue-Arizona game a blur, as I got one, two, three, four, five and then six Miller Lites deep. I don’t think I have been as happy as a sports fan since Illinois made the title game 21 years ago. This week has been pure bliss, and I haven't been excited about a game like I am for UCONN-Illinois since maybe the Bears played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI.
During a changing time in my professional and personal life, this Illini team and season came out of nowhere and provided me with great joy and perspective about finding good in the bad, living in and enjoying the moment, and being the best possible version of yourself, warts and all.
For that, I will always be grateful and look fondly on this past March, this amazing season, this special group of kids, and this maligned coach who kept at it and brought Illinois back to the Promised Land.
Go Illini!
Finish the job in Indy!
ILL...
...INI!
After Illinois defeated Iowa, I received text messages from my brother Tim and cousins Jim and Pat, expressing their excitement.
My reaction was more subdued, saying that Illinois played an ugly game but at least got it done. My brother responded that it is okay to be happy and celebrate a Final Four.
Moments later, Jim and Pat texted Tim, asking if I was happy about the victory. My brother attributed my reaction to the aforementioned "Curse of Michael Jordan." He explained how we grew up watching basketball being played at such a high level, that sometimes our excitement for other teams accomplishing something so rare and special, especially when it is not pretty, is a bit diminished.
By no means was the Illini victory against Iowa pretty, but I knew it wasn't going to be. I needed to get over myself.
After taking a deep breath and feeling fortunate that Illinois survived the Hawkeyes, I was finally hit with an immediate sense of joy. I am sure seeing the Illini cut down the nets and Kylan Bowell slam the Illinois sticker onto the Final Four board during the postgame celebration played a big part in this conversion from tense relief to sheer giddiness.
Brad Underwood had finally got the monkey off his back, and Illinois had finally gotten back to the Final Four!
These moments don't come around often for Illini hoops, so I better enjoy it, which I began doing.
I immediately did something I never do, went out and got a six pack of beer to drink on my own. I then grabbed my framed posters of the 1988-89, 2004-2005, and now 2025-26 teams and took a picture of them with the beer, beginning with six bottles and then two bottles, signifying six games to win, with four wins down and only two more to go.
Seeing this year’s Illinois team next to the team photo of the amazing 04-05 squad and the portrait of Kenny Battle was surreal. How in the world is this possible?
For the rest of the night, I celebrated, tears welling up at some points, screaming for joy at others, the Purdue-Arizona game a blur, as I got one, two, three, four, five and then six Miller Lites deep. I don’t think I have been as happy as a sports fan since Illinois made the title game 21 years ago. This week has been pure bliss, and I haven't been excited about a game like I am for UCONN-Illinois since maybe the Bears played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI.
During a changing time in my professional and personal life, this Illini team and season came out of nowhere and provided me with great joy and perspective about finding good in the bad, living in and enjoying the moment, and being the best possible version of yourself, warts and all.
For that, I will always be grateful and look fondly on this past March, this amazing season, this special group of kids, and this maligned coach who kept at it and brought Illinois back to the Promised Land.
Go Illini!
Finish the job in Indy!
ILL...
...INI!
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