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Enjoy from my personal collection of NCAA Tournament games. This game makes me feel a bit sad as it was the second-to-last game for Illinois seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine. I remember watching this game on a Thursday night, obviously rooting for my Alma Mater but reminiscing about the Illinois team the season before that lost in the national title game with seniors Deron Williams, Luther Head and Roger Powell, Jr. Watching this 2005-06 Illini season was a bit of a haze as I was living in North Carolina at the time. While Illinois got as high as #6 in the rankings, the Illini just felt so different without Deron, Luther and The Reverend. I remember watching a show that was on ESPN Classic at the time called Classic Now, with one of the pundits picking this Illinois team with Dee and Auggie to win the national championship. That prediction got me excited and elevated my hopes for the tournament. While Illinois would get by a pesky Air Force team coached by a former NBA Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik, the Illini would fall in a memorable second-round game against a Washington team featuring Brandon Roy.
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