Don’t look now, but Illinois is making another deep run into the NCAA tourney. I use the word “another” lightly. It’s been forever since the Illini have been this good. I remember the last time… I remember the time before. Those two Final Four Illinois teams are among my favorite college basketball teams of all time.
Deron Williams, Luther Head, and Dee Brown… that was the core the last time Illinois made a run. They were just showing the Illinois Arizona game on TV the other day. That comeback in the tourney… it doesn’t get much better than that. I remember the Final Four too. We were actually in Connecticut at the time cheering the Fighting Illini on, against Louisville I believe. Of course, then was the final against North Carolina. I was in South Beach for that one, and man did the Tarheels jump us. However, I had watched this team all year, and I knew they weren’t going out that easily. They played their asses off to comeback in that one, of course, coming up just a bit short. I made one of my biggest bets at halftime of that game and cashed it, even though the Illini didn’t win the game. I just loved those guards, and in the tourney, good, experienced guard play… it goes a long way. That was a fun year. That was 19 years ago!!!
The first Illini team I fell in love with was of course the Flying Illini; I was 12 years old at the time. Stephen Bardo, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson, Lowell Hamilton, Marcus Liberty… that was the squad. Man I remember that shot Nick Anderson hit against Indiana in Assembly Hall, and the look on Bobby Knight’s face afterwards. Yeah, Lou Henson… I liked him as coach. Unfortunately, in that Final Four appearance, it was Michigan that did the deed; man did I hate Sean Higgins for that late tip in. Yes, both the 2005 & 1989 Illinois teams made the Final Four, and yes, they both came up short. In fact, Illinois in total has made 5 Final Fours, and every single time, have come up short. Zero national championships. The 2024 version still has a chance to change that.
After beating Iowa State on Thursday night in Boston, their reward is to play the best team in the country in UCONN, with a Final Four trip on the line. On one side of things, if Illinois can beat them, they can beat anybody. On the other side of things, the Huskies are favored by 8.5 points over the Illini in this Elite Eight matchup. Shannon, Domask, Hawkins… very good players, and they’ll need to be if the 6th Final Four is in the cards. What’s kind of crazy is that in a year where I’ve watched a ton of college basketball, I haven’t watched that much Illinois; could it be because I can’t bet on them? Whatever the reason, I’m not as emotionally tied to this team they way I was back in 1989, back in 2005. Of course, I will root for them; I want them to do well. It’s just not the same…
Can they do it? Will it finally be Illinois time? UCONN is an absolute load, but… if I could bet on Illinois, I would definitely take the 8.5 points; that’s just too much, even for UCONN, especially against an Illinois team that is this good. I think it’ll be a close game. I think we’ll be on the edge of our seats. I think this thing can go either way. Like I said, IF Illinois can win this game, I think their 1st National Championship is very much a possibility. We don’t have to wait long. See you Saturday late afternoon. Go Illini!
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