Enjoy from my personal collection of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball games. I remember watching this game at my apartment, the night before I was to fly back to Chicago for the holidays. I had a bunch of work to complete before my trip so I had this game on the background as I worked away. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Illini control this version of the Braggin' Rights game, which brings me back to a memory of when I was a student at the U-of-I. I was doing a story for a radio broadcasting class about the upcoming Illinois men's basketball season for the 2003-04 regular season. It was Bruce Weber's first season, and the team was hosting a kickoff event/practice in front of the fans at Assembly Hall. After the practice, Weber and Illini players took questions from students in attendance. One student asked then sophomore guard Dee Brown which team he most wants to beat this season. Brown responded, "Missouri." Back to 2005-06, Brown and the Illini would defeat Missouri to go a perfect 4-0 in the Braggin' Rights game. Illinois would win nine straight Braggin' Rights games from 2000 through 2008. :-) 

Enjoy from my personal collection of Illinois basketball games. I believe this game took place on a Thursday night. As I was living in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the time, I did not get to watch as much Illinois basketball this season since the Big Ten Network was not a thing yet. Thus, I would watch any Illini game that was on CBS or ESPN. I remember freaking out about this game for some reason and being pleasantly surprised as the Illini controlled the Hoyas. Both teams had played the season before in Washington, D.C., with the Illini crushing Georgetown on the road. This 2005-06 Georgetown team would actually go farther than the Illini during the 2006 NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual national champion Florida in the Sweet Sixteen. With Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and others, the Hoyas would bounce back to reach the Final Four during the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including a shocking comeback against favored North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Despite losing Deron Williams, Luther Head and Roger Powell, Jr., the Illini would go undefeated in non-conference play in 2005-06, for the second straight season. Sadly, the Illini would not get out of the second round, falling to Washington during a game where the free-throw shooting discrepancy was quite suspect. :-) 

Enjoy from my personal collection of college basketball games. As I was living in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the time of this game, I was pumped to see the Fighting Illini in action for the first time this season. Of course, the last time I had seen Illinois play basketball was the national championship game loss to the Tar Heels. I remember reading a newspaper article the day of this game, with it detailing how Head Coach Bruce Weber and seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine were having a hard time walking into the Dean Dome, looking up to see a North Carolina national championship banner that should have resided in Champaign, Illinois. Watching this game was a bit weird with Illinois missing Deron Williams, Luther Head and Roger Powell, Jr. I was definitely struggling to adjust to Illinois' all lefty frontcourt of Augustine, Sean Pruitt and Brian Randle. From what I remember, Illinois controlled this game against a North Carolina squad that lost all five starters from the championship game. I do remember being impressed with North Carolina freshman Tyler Hansbrough, who rallied the Tar Heels a bit in the second half. While it was great to see the Illini win this game, revenge felt a bit hollow as I could only think "What if we would have beaten UNC in the title game?" One last thing I remember is Illinois wearing these blue uniforms with an awful streak of gray on the front shoulders. For some reason, I just hated how those jerseys looked with that small addition of gray. The Illini uniforms from 2001-2006 were the best in school history in my opinion and didn't need to be tinkered with. I wish the Illini would bust out those retro uniforms one of these seasons. :-)

Enjoy from my personal collection of NCAA Tournament games. Oh, how this game still hurts to this day as it was the last game in the Orange and Blue for Dee Brown and James Augustine. I remember watching this game while on the phone with my Dad, trying to figure out how to do my taxes given that I had lived in two states, Illinois and North Carolina, the previous year. I was quite annoyed as my attention was being taken away from a game during which Washington came out and punched the Illini in the face. Illinois would have an incredible rally and even lead by 10 points at one point in the second half. After finishing my taxes, I remember getting on the phone with my brother to talk about how if Illinois continued to play like this, the Illini could beat #1 UCONN in the Sweet Sixteen. Of course, Washington came back to take the lead. Illinois had a final shot to win the game, but Brown missed a three over the outstretched arms of Washington's Bobby Jones. I will never forget the CBS cameras following Brown running into the locker room for the last time as an Illini. The realization hit me then and stays with me today: one of the greatest eras in Illinois basketball history, the Dee Brown years, had come to an end. :-( Luckily for me, I got to witness three of those amazing four years as a student at the U-of-I. To this day, Illinois has had better basketball players than Dee, but no one player was more important in the program's history than the orange headband-wearing Brown! :-) 

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.