The team is currently coached by Brad Underwood, who was hired on March 18, 2017. Through the end of the 2017–18 season, Illinois ranks 12th all-time in winning percentage and 15th all-time in wins among all NCAA Division I men's college basketball programs.
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team began play during the 1905–06 season with Elwood Brown guiding the team to a 9–8 record as their first coach. Frank L. Pinckney took control of the team before the start of the 1906–07 season. The team would win their first game but would end up dropping the next 10 contests.
Another coaching change led to Fletcher Lane being in charge of the team for the 1907–08 season. After starting the season 14–1 in non-conference, Illinois would finish the season losing five of their 11 conference games, ending the year third in the Western Conference with a 20–6 (6–5) record.
Even though Lane led a successful season, his style of coaching was deemed subpar. Former Illini player Herb Juul was then hired as the head coach of the 1908–09 squad. The Illini would not see the same success as the season prior, finishing the season with a 7–6 (5–6) record. Despite the struggles, Juul became the first coach in Illinois history to return for more than one season. However, the 1909–10 season would be his last as the Illini finished with a 5–4 (5–4) record.
Thomas E. Thompson took the reigns before the 1910–11 season. The Illini would finish fourth in the Western Conference after earning a 6–6 (6–5) record. The 1911–12 season was Thompson's last year as head coach of the Illini after they finished with an 8–8 (4–8) record.
1912–20: Ralph Jones era
Before the start of the 1912–13 season, Illinois hired former Purdue head coach, Ralph Jones. During his three seasons in West Lafayette, Jones compiled a 32–9 record, while also winning the previous two Western Conference titles. During his first season with Illinois, Jones led the Illini to a 10–6 record which was Illinois' second 10-win season in school history.
Before the start of the 1936–37 season, Douglas R. Mills began acting as the head coach and athletic director of the Illinois men's basketball team. In his first season, the Illini finished with a 14–4 (10–2) record, which was good enough to share the Big Ten title with Minnesota.
Before World War II broke out, the Fighting Illini men's basketball program had achieved a status that had never been seen prior. Mills grouped a team of players, all around 6-foot-3, into a nearly undefeatable lineup later known as the "Whiz Kids". The 1941–42 freshman and sophomore lineup of Arthur Smiley, Ken Menke, Andy Phillip, Gene Vance, Victor Wukovits, and Art Mathisen dominated the Big Ten by posting a 13–2 conference record and winning the conference title outright. It would be their first unanimous Big Ten championship since 1915.
The Illini finished 1942–43 season with a 17–1 (12–0) record, winning their second-straight Big Ten title. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the nation, they opted not to play in the 1943 NCAA tournament after three of their five starters were called to duty in World War II. At the end of the season, they were named Premo-Porretto Pre-Associated Press Poll national champions.
The 1946–47 season, would be Mills' last season as the head coach of the Illini. The team ended the season with a 14–6 (8–4) record, finishing one game behind Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings. Under Mills, the Illini compiled a record of 151 wins and 66 losses while winning three conference championships in the process.
1947–67: Harry Combes era
Champaign High School basketball coach Harry Combes was hired to succeed Doug Mills as Mills left the position to focus on his duties as the athletic director. Through his first five seasons as head coach, Combes led the Fighting Illini to three NCAA Final Four appearances in 1949, 1951, and 1952.[2] During his tenure as coach, Combes increased the Fighting Illini's offensive output by changing their style of play. Combes implemented Full-court press defense, causing turnovers at a high rate which translated into Fast break points.[2]
In 1951, Combes signed the first black player to don an Illinois uniform, 3x All-State point guard Walt Moore of Mount Vernon. Along with teammate and future Illinois standout Max Hooper, Moore led the Rams to back-to-back state championship titles, culminating with a perfect 33–0 record in 1950.
Combes' tenure came to an end as a result of the University of Illinois slush fund scandal. As head coach of the basketball team, he was primarily responsible for the basketball fund, and thus held a key role in the scandal. Assistant basketball coach Howie Braun also lost his job due to the scandal.
1967–74: Harv Schmidt era
Former Illini player Harv Schmidt was hired to fill the head coaching vacancy ten days after Combes' forced resignation. During his tenure, the Illini compiled an 89-77 overall record but went 43-55 in conference play. The team did not have any postseason appearances during his tenure.
1974–75: Gene Bartow years
Gene Bartow would later sign a five-year contract to replace Schmidt in 1974, but he left after one season in which the Illini finished last place in the conference to replace John Wooden at UCLA.
1975–96: Lou Henson era
In 1975, after having taken New Mexico State (and future Illinois assistant coach Jimmy Collins) to the 1970 Final Four, Lou Henson moved to the University of Illinois to replace Gene Bartow, after Bartow left Illinois to replace the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. Henson would lead the Fighting Illini back to their glory after having a number of difficult years following the Illinois slush fund scandal (where Illinois was hit with severe penalties for infractions that other Big 10 schools had in years prior been punished much more leniently (according to Sports Illustrated) at the time). In 21 years at Illinois, Henson garnered 423 wins and 224 losses (.654 winning percentage), and with a record of 214 wins and 164 losses (.567) in Big Ten Conference games. The 214 wins in Big Ten games were the third highest total ever at the time of his retirement. At Illinois, Henson coached many future NBA players, including Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Steve Bardo, and Kiwane Garris.
Early 1980s
In 1981, Illinois made strides in its return to the national spotlight with a 21–8 record, a third-place Big Ten finish and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The team received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament and beat Wyoming, 67–65, in Los Angeles to advance to the regionals in Salt Lake City, where Illinois lost to Kansas State, 57–52. During this season, the Fighting Illini led the Big Ten in scoring for the second consecutive season and were again led by Eddie Johnson and Mark Smith. Guards Craig Tucker and Derek Harper arrived to add backcourt punch, and Harper began his Illini career being named First-Team Freshman All-America by ESPN and ABC.
The top-seeded and top-ranked 1989 Illini were upset 83–81 in the Final Four on a last second basket by Michigan'sSean Higgins, ending the school's deepest run in the tournament at that time. Illinois had beaten the Wolverines by 12 and 16 points in two previous meetings that season. The 1988–89 Illinois Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin' Illini" by Dick Vitale during an ESPN broadcast that season. The team also gained national prominence for its athletic players, such as NCAA slam dunk champions Kenny Battle and Kendall Gill, as well as Lowell Hamilton, Nick Anderson, Marcus Liberty, and Stephen Bardo.
1990s
The early 1990s Illini were dominated by players such as guards Andy Kauffman, Richard Keene, and Kiwane Garris, as well as centers Shelly Clark and Deon Thomas. Thomas was at the center of a report of misconduct by Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball assistant coach Bruce Pearl, who alleged that Thomas had been offered cash to attend Illinois. The Illini were suspended from postseason play for one season for unrelated violations uncovered during the investigation.
1996–00: Lon Kruger years
After longtime coach Lou Henson's departure, Illinois hired Lon Kruger to fill the vacancy for the 1996 season. Kruger was the 14th head basketball coach in program history. During his four-year tenure he compiled a 59–38 record. He immediately made an impact at Illinois leading them to a 22–10 record and a second round NCAA tournament appearance in his first year. This created excitement because of the ninth-place finish the Illini had taken just before his arrival. Kruger inherited players such as Victor Chukwudebe, Jerry Hester, Kevin Turner, Jerry Gee, Matt Heldman, Brian Johnson, Kiwane Garris and Cleotis Brown. During his four seasons at Illinois, three of which resulted in NCAA Tournament berths, (all three of which saw the Illini eliminated in the 2nd round) Kruger became the only Big Ten coach to successfully sign three consecutive Illinois Mr. Basketball winners, inking Sergio McClain, Frank Williams, and Brian Cook between 1997 and 1999.Several times during his coaching tenure the Illini were predicted to be at the bottom of the Big Ten, however he overcame adversity each time performing far better than expected.
2000–03: Bill Self years
Illinois picked Tulsa coach Bill Self from a list of numerous candidates, including popular assistant Jimmy Collins, to succeed Kruger, who moved on to the NBA to coach the Atlanta Hawks. Bill Self was hired to the Illini coaching staff as the 15th head coach in the history of the program. He spent his previous seven years as the head coach of Oral Roberts University and Tulsa University where he compiled an overall record of 129–71. In 2001, his first season at Illinois, Self coached his new Fighting Illini squad to a 27–8 record, a share of the Big Ten title, and a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That 27-game winning season in Self's first year was the second most winning season in school history at that time. McClain, Cook and preseason Big Ten player of the year Cory Bradford led the Illini to the Elite Eight, where they fell to eventual finalist Arizona in a much disputed contest. The Illini were accused of being overly physical most of the season, especially McClain and pesky guards Sean Harrington and Lucas Johnson (younger brother of former Illini forward Brian Johnson). The '01 Illini team also included Robert Archibald, Damir Krupalija and Marcus Griffin. With mostly the same core, Illinois followed up the season with impressive 2002 and 2003 campaigns, but fell in the Sweet 16 in 2002. He was the first head coach in the Big Ten, since 1912, to lead his team to conference championships in each of his first two seasons. It was also the first time Illinois won back-to-back titles in 50 years. Self, also, had an overall record of 78–24 in his three years as Illinois head coach. Self left for Kansas after the 2003 season.[4]
2003–12: Bruce Weber era
Bruce Weber served as the head coach of Illinois basketball for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012.
After Bill Self left, Illinois AD Ron Guenther hired Weber to coach the Fighting Illini on April 30, 2003. Weber came from Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale and was touted as a loyal coach, which was valued by the Illinois AD after both Kruger and Self left Champaign with relatively short tenures. In his five seasons as head coach at SIU, Weber took the Saluki program to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference, winning league titles in 2002 and 2003. He posted records of 28–8 and 24–7 in his last two seasons, leading the Salukis to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2002 with wins over Texas Tech and Georgia at the United Center in Chicago. His .689 (62–28) winning percentage in MVC play ranked 12th in the long history of the league. Weber earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors following the 2003 season.
Illinois totaled 210 victories under Weber from 2004 to 2012. He ranks third on the Illinois career coaching wins list. He won 67.5 percent of his games while in charge of the Fighting Illini (210–101). Under Weber, the Illini had two Big Ten Championships (2004, 2005), two runner-up finishes (2006, 2009) and seven upper-division finishes.
Illinois had five players selected in the NBA draft under Weber, as Deron Williams (No. 3, Utah Jazz) and Luther Head (No. 24, Houston Rockets) were taken in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, and James Augustine (No. 41, Orlando Magic) and Dee Brown (No. 46, Utah Jazz) were chosen in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft. Meyers Leonard was chosen 11th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA draft following Weber's final season. Utah's selection of Williams at No. 3 overall in the 2005 lottery made him the highest-drafted player in Illinois history.
It took just one season for Weber to etch his name in the Big Ten and Illinois record books after leading the Fighting Illini to its first outright Big Ten title in 52 years during the 2003–04 season. In leading his young team that featured just one senior on the roster, Weber became just the third coach in the history of the Big Ten to win an outright title in his first season. Illinois had to win 10 straight to end the regular season to claim the championship, including six-straight wins on the road. Illinois' 26 wins in 2003–04 tied the fourth-winningest season in school history. Weber also led the Illini to the Sweet 16 with NCAA Tournament victories over Murray State and Cincinnati.
Weber's second year at Illinois, the 2004–05 season, will be remembered as one of the greatest in Fighting Illini history, finishing 37–2 as the National Runner-Up in the NCAA tournament. In a remarkable year where Illinois celebrated its centennial season of basketball, the Illini reeled off 29 straight wins to start the year, tying the 12th-best start in NCAA Div. I history and the third-best start in Big Ten history. Illinois also secured its second-straight outright Big Ten championship with a 15–1 league record, as Weber became the first coach in Big Ten history to win consecutive outright titles in his first two seasons. Illinois then added a Big Ten tournament championship in addition to its regular season title. The Illini were ranked No. 1 in the nation for 15 straight weeks, including a first-ever No. 1 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.
They gained the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and prevailed in one of the most memorable games in NCAA history against Arizona. Down 15 points with around 4 minutes left, the Illini rallied with a run led by Luther Head and Deron Williams. The game was sent into overtime and the Illini pulled off a one-point win to advance to the 2005 Final Four in St. Louis. It was the Fighting Illini's first Final Four Appearance since the 1988–89 season. Against the Louisville Cardinals in the national semifinal game, the Illini posted their final victory of the season. All of the five Illini starters–Deron Williams, Luther Head, Dee Brown, James Augustine, and Roger Powell, Jr.–would eventually play in the NBA. Williams and Brown both joined the Utah Jazz roster, while Luther Head went on to play for the Sacramento Kings.
With all that Illinois accomplished during the season, Weber swept the 2005 National Coach of the Year awards, claiming the following: the Naismith Award, the most prestigious coaching award in college basketball; the Henry Iba Award, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association; and, the Adolph F. Rupp Cup. Weber was also named National Coach of the Year by the NABC, Associated Press, The Sporting News, Basketball Times, CBS/Chevrolet, Victor Awards and Nike Championship Basketball Clinic.
Despite losing three starters and 63 percent of its scoring from the 2004–05 NCAA runner-up squad, Weber directed the 2005–06 Illini to a third-consecutive 4829-win season, a runner-up finish in the Big Ten, the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and a ranking among the nation's top 17 teams throughout the entire season. The Illini spent the majority of 2005–06 ranked in the Top 10 and recorded 26 wins on the year to tie the fourth-winningest season in school history. The Illini were given a number 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they beat Air Force in the opening round, before falling to the University of Washington in the second round.
The 2006–07 team finished with a record of 23–12 (9–7) and finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten. With a depleted roster that had six different players combine to miss a total of 58 games due to injury, the Illini still advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They were awarded a 12 seed and lost in the opening round to Virginia Tech.
The 2007–08 season was one of the worst seasons in Illinois history, highlighted by a string of close losses. The lone bright spot came as Illinois came on strong to win four of its last five and five of its final seven games, which culminated with a runner-up finish at the Big Ten tournament. Weber's Illini became the first No. 10 seed in the tournament's history to advance to the title game, winning three games in three days with victories over Penn State, No. 17 Purdue, and Minnesota to reach the championship game vs. No. 8 Wisconsin. However, with an overall record of 16–19 (5–13), the Illini were not selected to participate in postseason play.
Weber's 2008–09 UI squad was one of the most improved teams in the country finishing with a record of 24–10 (11–7). With 10 more regular season victories than it achieved the year before, Illinois posted the third-biggest turnaround in NCAA Division I and the second-biggest turnaround among BCS programs on the year. The Illini recorded 24 wins, ranking as the 10th winningest season in school history. Illinois was the Big Ten runner-up, earned a No. 5 seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and finished the year ranked 24th in the Pomeroy rankings. The Illini lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to the 12th-seeded Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
During the 2009–10 season, the Illini finished 21–15 (10–8) and finished 5th in the Big Ten. The team was widely considered to be "on the bubble" for the NCAA tournament and missed the tournament field by a narrow margin. The Illini competed in the NIT, falling at home to the Dayton Flyers in the NIT Quarterfinals.
Illinois rebounded in 2010–11 to finish 20–14 (9–9) and tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The Illini were selected to join the NCAA tournament as a #9 seed, where they defeated the #8 seeded UNLV Rebels setting up a matchup with the #1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks and former coach Bill Self. Kansas proved to be too much for the Illini, and the season came to an end in the round of 32.
In 2011–12, Weber's last as coach of the Illini, the team finished 17–15 (6–12), good for 9th in the conference. The team did not compete in the postseason. Illinois' new AD Mike Thomas fired Weber after the 2011–12 season.
The 2013–14 season saw major roster turnover, with nine players leaving and nine players joining the program. This season was one to forget, as the Illini would ultimately miss the NCAA Tournament and lose in the second round of the NIT.
In 2014, Groce continued Illinois' success in November, improving to 21–0 under Groce and 32–0 overall during the past four seasons. Illinois is the only program in the nation with an undefeated November record dating back to 2011.[6] The 2014–2015 season was once again disappointing for the Illini. Illinois finished with a record of 19–14, finishing tied for 7th place in the Big Ten with a record of 9–9. The Illini were then beaten in the first round of the NIT.
The 2015–16 season ended with the fewest total wins in almost 20 years since the 98–99 Lon Kruger crew won only 14 games. Groce's squad finished with a record of 15–19, taking 12th place in the Big Ten and receiving no post-season tournament invitations.
The 2016–17 season was another disappointing season for the Fighting Illini, as they finished the season at 18–14 and 8–10 in the conference, failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. On March 11, 2017, the university announced via press release that Groce had been relieved of his duties as head men's basketball coach. The next day, the team was put into the NIT as a 2-seed. The team was coached during the NIT by interim coach Jamall Walker, making it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by the University of Central Florida.
2017–24: Brad Underwood era
On March 18, 2017, Brad Underwood was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman.[7] Underwood previously coached at Stephen F. Austin from 2013 to 2016, before spending one year at Oklahoma State. In Underwood's first season at Illinois, the team won each of their first five contests. After beginning conference play 0–8, they ended the season with a record of 14–18.
While the 2018–19 season featured the debut of key pieces including Ayo Dosunmu, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Andres Feliz, and Alan Griffin, the Illini posted one of the worst records in program history at 12–21 (7–13 in Big Ten). Despite the poor record, Illinois had many memorable moments such as upsetting #9 Michigan State at home and Bezhanishvili scoring 35 points against Rutgers, breaking the Illini record for most points by a freshman in a single game.
The 2019–20 season was the freshman year of highly ranked center Kofi Cockburn. The Illini started the season slow in the first game, barely beating Nicholls State 78–70 in overtime. During the ACC–Big Ten Challenge, Illinois played Miami where they lost 81–79 after they mounted a huge comeback before a charge was called against Dosunmu on the game's final play. The next game they traveled to College Park to play against #3 Maryland. The Illini led by 14 at the half, but Maryland outscored Illinois 34–19 in the second half and won the game by an Anthony Cowan free throw. The Illini next played #5 Michigan at the State Farm Center. They would beat the Wolverines 71–62 to improve to 7–3 on the season. Over the next 12 games, the Illini went 10–2, including Dosunmu's game-winning shot during their second matchup against Michigan to give Illinois a 64–62 lead with half a second left on the clock. Illinois would finish the season with a 21–10 (13–7) record which would be good enough for 4th in the Big Ten. They would also finish ranked 21st in the AP Poll and 22nd in the Coaches Poll.
The 2020–21 season that Underwood finally had mostly his recruits running the team and it certainly showed on the court. After much deliberation, Ayo Dosunmu returned to Illinois for his junior season instead of going to the NBA. He, along with Kofi Cockburn, helped make Illinois into a top-10 team. They went 16-4 (0.800) in the B1G conference but had a worse record than Michigan (14-3, 0.824), and therefore did not earn even a share of the title. This title was disputed as Michigan had failed to play three extra games because of COVID protocols, and only one loss in those three games would have given Illinois the title; Illinois had beaten Michigan by 23 without leading scorer Ayo Dosunmu in Ann Arbor. The team went on to win the Big Ten tournament title, however, after a hard-fought, overtime 91–88 win over OSU. Illinois became a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the 4th time in school history. They were upset by Loyola-Chicago in the 2nd round and finished the season 24–7. Dosunmu became the first player in Illini history to earn 1st-team All-America honors by the AP. Cockburn was named to the AP All-American 2nd-team.
Before the 2021–22 season, Ayo Dosunmu was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, and Adam Miller transferred to LSU, leading to André Curbelo being expected to serve as the primary ball handler. Unfortunately, Curbelo suffered a concussion prior to the season opener that would continue to affect him throughout the season. The team was led by fifth-year players Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams. Kofi Cockburn returned for his junior year but was suspended for the first three games for selling his team jerseys during the off-season. The team tied with Wisconsin for a share of the Big Ten regular season title, with a record of 15-5. Due to the tiebreaker rules, the team was seeded first in the Big Ten Tournament but lost its first game to ninth-seeded Indiana. The team was given the #4 seed in the South region of the NCAA tournament. After a 54-53 victory against Chattanooga, the team lost in the second round to Houston. Cockburn was named to the AP All-American 1st-team.
The roster suffered from some major turnover before the 2022–23 season, with five players transferring out of the program, four players graduating, and Kofi Cockburn electing to stay in the NBA draft (and ultimately going undrafted). Three players transferred into the program and six freshmen were recruited. As a result of the roster changes, the team would be led by Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins. The Illini would secure two major wins in non-conference play, beating #8 UCLA in the Continental Tire Main Event semifinal and #2 Texas in the Jimmy V Classic. Both Zacharie Perrin and Skyy Clark left the program during the season. Ultimately the season was a step back for the program, as due to tiebreaker rules, the team received a seven seed and lost to Penn State in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament. The team then received the #9 seed in the West region and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Arkansas. For the first time since Underwood's second season, the team finished the season unranked in the AP Poll.
The 2023-24 season would be one to remember. Three pivotal graduate transfers, Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier, and Justin Harmon joined the team, with Domask and Guerrier starting most games. The Illini went on an undefeated trip to Spain and then beat #1 ranked Kansas in a televised exhibition game. The team lost only two games to non-NCAA tournament teams, once to Penn State and once to Maryland. After finishing second in the Big Ten standings, the team ultimately won the Big Ten Tournament, prevailing over Wisconsin. The team was selected to the NCAA tournament as the #3 seed in the East region. For the first time in Underwood's tenure, the team made the Sweet Sixteen, where it beat the #2 seed, Iowa State. For the first time since the 2004–05 season, the team made the Elite Eight, where it lost to #1-overall UConn.
Kenney Gym Annex is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena that is the practice facility for the Fighting Illini gymnastics team. Before the opening of Huff Hall in 1925, Kenney Gym housed the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. It also was home to the Women's Volleyball program from 1974 until 1989, after which the program moved to Huff Hall in 1990.
Huff Hall is a 4,050-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935. Huff Hall is home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini volleyball and wrestling teams. Before the opening of Assembly Hall in 1963, it was home to the basketball team as well.
Assembly Hall opened on March 2, 1963, and hosts the home games for the men's and women's basketball teams. Max Abramovitz, an Illinois alumnus, was the lead architect behind the building of the indoor arena. At the time of its opening, Assembly Hall could hold 16,128 people, making it the largest dome structure in North America until the Houston Astrodome opened in 1965.
In 2008, school officials, led by athletic director Ron Guenther, conducted a study to decide whether to refurbish the Assembly Hall or build a new basketball arena. In 2010, they decided to keep the arena. In 2014, renovations began under the watch of AECOM, an architectural firm based out of Dallas Texas. The estimated cost of the project was estimated to be around $169.5 million and in turn State Farm Insurance decided to buy the naming rights of the stadium.
Ubben Basketball Complex (1998–present)
The 2-story, 40,000-square-foot building is home to the University of Illinois Men's and Women's basketball programs. The facility includes offices, locker areas, weight training facilities and team meeting rooms in addition to the practice basketball courts. The Illinois Champions Campaign was a major catalyst of the $40 million renovation.[8]
Illinois and Indiana's rivalry started because the teams share a state border and they are located about 153 miles (246 km) apart. They have played annually since 1906. Indiana currently leads the series 96–92. The teams have played each other in five top-ten matchups, the first coming in 1952 when 2nd-ranked Illinois beat 4th-ranked Indiana 78–66. The longest winning streak was when Indiana won nine consecutive matchups from 1972 to 1977.
In 2004, during the celebration of the program's 100th year of basketball as a varsity sport, the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced its All-Century Team. The 20-man team was selected after online voting by fans and the Illinois Basketball Centennial Committee. The honorees were feted during the Illinois Basketball Centennial Reunion Weekend, Jan. 28–30, 2005.[53]
Honored jerseys
The University of Illinois has honored its most decorated basketball players in school history by hanging a banner with their name and number from the rafters of State Farm Center. A total of 34 men's players have their jersey honored. To have his jersey honored, a player must have met one of the following criteria:
The University of Illinois Athlete of the Year was first awarded in 1940. The award was annually given to a male student-athlete until it was discontinued in 1973. Revived in 1983, the University of Illinois now recognizes both male and female athletes who have distinguished themselves in athletic achievement. In 1993, the awards were named in honor of former Olympian Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, who participated in basketball, football and track and field in 1943 and 1946–49, earning a combined 11 varsity letters during that timeframe.[54] The following list includes Illini basketball players who earned the award.
Since 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor has been awarded annually at each conference school to a male and female senior student-athlete who demonstrates proficiency in scholarship and athletics. The award has become the top annual award the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics bestows.[55] The following list includes Illini basketball players who earned the award.[56]
Billy Eugene Self Jr. is an American basketball coach. He is the head men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, a position he has held since 2003. During his 20 seasons as head coach, he has led the Jayhawks to 17 Big 12 regular season championships, including an NCAA record 14 consecutive Big 12 regular season championships, some of which were shared (2005–2018). He has also led the Jayhawks to four NCAA Final Four appearances, the 2008 NCAA championship and 2022 NCAA championship. Self was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. At the end of the 2021–22 season, Self had the 18th most wins among Division I coaches in NCAA history and 4th among active head coaches. He is the second-winningest coach in Kansas history, behind only Hall of Famer Phog Allen and is the only coach in Kansas history to lead Kansas to multiple NCAA Tournament National Championships.
Bruce Brett Weber is a former men's basketball head coach at Kansas State University. Prior to his tenure at Kansas State, Weber was the head coach at Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois.
Daniel "Dee" Brown is an American former professional basketball player and current college coach. Brown played at the University of Illinois from 2002 to 2006, receiving numerous awards and accolades, including the 2005 Sporting News National Player of the Year. Brown was selected in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. Brown played for several international basketball teams from 2007 to 2015.
The 2004–05 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team marked the 100th season of men's basketball at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. After starting the regular season with a record of 29–0 and winning the Big Ten Conference regular season title outright at 15–1, the Illini were Big Ten tournament champions. They advanced in the NCAA tournament to the national championship, marking the school's first appearance in the championship game, but lost to North Carolina, 75–70. They ended the season at 37–2, tying the record for most victories in a season for a men's college basketball team.
The 2007–08 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Bruce Weber's fifth season at Illinois. The team finished with 5–13 conference and 16–19 overall records. A runner-up finish in the Big Ten tournament, and the play of freshman guard Demetri McCamey highlighted the season. Shaun Pruitt was the lone all-Big-Ten honoree; he was named to the all-Big-Ten third team by the press.
The 2006–07 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Bruce Weber's fourth season at Illinois. The team finished with 9–7 conference and 21–10 overall records. The Illini advanced to the semifinal round of the Big Ten tournament and were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on April 4, 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis, Missouri. The North Carolina Tar Heels won their fourth NCAA national championship with a 75–70 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini.
The 2005–06 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Bruce Weber's third season at Illinois. The team finished with 11–5 conference and 26–7 overall records. The Illini lost in its first game of the Big Ten tournament and were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The 2000–01 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by first year head coach Bill Self, the Illini played their home games at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season with a record of 27–8, 13–3 in Big Ten play to win a share of the Big Ten regular season title with Michigan State. They lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament to Indiana. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. They advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Arizona.
The 2003–04 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented 98th season University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the 2003-04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Bruce Weber's first season at Illinois.
The 1947–48 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois.
Bradley Cole Underwood is the current head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. Previously, he served as head coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Dodge City Community College, and Daytona Beach Community College and assistant coach at Western Illinois, Kansas State, and South Carolina.
Chester Frazier is an American college basketball coach from Baltimore, Maryland currently serving as an associate head coach at West Virginia.
The 2018–19 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by second-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini played their home games at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. The Illini finished the season 12–21, 7–13 in Big Ten play, to finish in a three-way tie for 10th place. Due to tie-breaking rules, they received the No. 11 seed in the Big Ten tournament where they defeated Northwestern in the first round before losing to Iowa in the second round.
Quamdeen Ayopo Dosunmu is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Illinois, where he was named a consensus first-team All-American in his junior season.
Efrem Zimbalist Winters is an American former collegiate basketball player. At a height of 6'9" tall, he played at the power forward position.
The Illinois–Iowa men's basketball rivalry is an intra-Big Ten Conference, college sports rivalry between the Illinois Fighting Illini and Iowa Hawkeyes. Multiple factors have played into the creation of the games between the two schools; Illinois and Iowa share a state border and are located about 242 miles (389 km) apart, and they share recruiting ground. The rivalry has been evidenced both on the court and off the court. Among the off the court elements of the rivalry, recruiting of basketball talent has resulted in battles for specific athletes. The most notable battle turned into the Pearl/Thomas Incident which began when both schools sought the services of Deon Thomas and resulted in recruiting restrictions and a one-year post-season ban for Illinois.
The 2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fourth-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini played their home games at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 24–7, 16–4 in Big Ten play to finish in second place. They defeated Rutgers, Iowa, and Ohio State to win the Big Ten tournament and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, they defeated Drexel in the First Round before being upset by No. 8-seeded Loyola–Chicago in the Second Round.
The 2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was a postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big Ten Conference of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season which took place March 10–14, 2021. The tournament was originally to be held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. However, on February 9, the tournament was moved to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana to better deal with testing concerns raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021–22 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fifth-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini played their home games at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 23–10, 15–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a two-way tie for the regular-season championship. As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they were defeated by No. 9 seed Indiana in the Quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South Region, where they defeated Chattanooga in the First Round before losing to Houston in the Second Round.
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