Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball

Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
2016–17 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
University	University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Conference	Big Ten
Location	Champaign, IL
Head coach	John Groce (5th year)
Arena	State Farm Center (Capacity: 15,500)
Nickname	Fighting Illini
Student section	Orange Krush
Colors	Orange and Blue[1]
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions
1915
Pre-tournament Helms champions
1915
NCAA Tournament runner-up
2005
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1989, 2001, 2005
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013
NCAA Tournament appearances
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013
Conference tournament champions
2003, 2005
Conference regular season champions
1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005

The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the assembly hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign's campus in Champaign.

The team's head coach is currently John Groce. Through the end of the 2013–14 season, Illinois ranks 11th all-time in winning percentage and 14th all-time in wins among all NCAA Division I men's college basketball programs.

Eras of Illini Basketball

When duty calls

Prior to World War II breaking out, the Fighting Illini men's basketball program had achieved a status which it had never seen prior. Under the direction of head coach and athletic director Douglas Mills, the Illini grouped a team of players, all around 6' 3", into a nearly undefeatable lineup later to be known as "The Whiz Kids". As freshman and sophomores, the 1941–42 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team dominated the Big Ten conference basketball season by posting a 13–2 record, overall finishing with 18 wins and only 5 losses. A starting lineup of freshman and sophomores, Arthur "Jack" Smiley, Ken Menke, Andy Phillip, Ellis "Gene" Vance, Victor Wukovits and Art Mathison, developed a winning attitude that would maintain for the next 15 years, a time period where the Illini would finish no less than third in the conference for 13 of them. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the nation, the 1943 Illinois men's basketball squad opted not to play in the NCAA Tournament when three of its five 'Whiz Kids' were called to duty in World War II

Harry Combes era (1947–1967)

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]

During the 1957–58 season, Mannie Jackson and Govoner Vaughn were inserted into the starting lineup as the first two African-Americans to start and letter in basketball at Illinois.^[3] Combes also oversaw the Illini's move from Huff Hall to Assembly Hall in 1963 and during that same season the Illini won a fourth Big Ten Conference championship under Combes. However, the Illini lost to eventual national champion Loyola (Chicago) in the Elite Eight of the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The following 1964–65 season, saw several upset victories over defending national champion UCLA Bruins and national powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.^[2]

State Farm Center

The State Farm Center was originally opened as Assembly Hall on March 2, 1963 and is known for its unique design. This is where the men and women's basketball teams hold their home games. The architect of the Building was Max Abramovitz and he is an alumnus from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. The stadium has been described as one of the toughest places to play because of the student section dubbed the "Orange Krush" that is located around one of the baskets. It has become customary for the fans of the stadium to wear orange to the games aligning themselves with the fans that started the trend. The stadium is the third largest dome in the state of Illinois following only the United Center and All-State Arena. The Illinois High School Association has also taken advantage of its size hosting numerous events including the men and women's state championships, along with the wrestling state championships. The stadium has also recently been named a landmark and joins Wrigley Field as the only two athletic sites on the list.

Lou Henson era (1975–1996)

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.

Flyin' Illini

The top-seeded and top-ranked 1989 Illini were upset 83–81 in the Final Four on a last second basket by Michigan's Sean 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.

Lon Kruger era (1996–2000)

After longtime coach Lou Henson's departure, Illinois hired Lon Kruger to fill the vacancy for the 1996 season. Lon Kruger the 14th head basketball hired at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. 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.

Bill Self era (2000–2003)

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 53–17 in his two years as Illinois head coach. Self left for Kansas after the 2003 season.^[4]

Bruce Weber era (2004–2012)

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 has had four 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. Utah's selection of Williams at No. 3 overall in the 2005 lottery made him the highest-drafted player in Illinois history.

2003–2004

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.

2004–2005

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 a #1 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.

2005–2006

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 25-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.

2006–2012

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 be 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.

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 bee to 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 lost 12 of their final 14 games and did not compete in any post season play. Weber was fired by Illinois' new AD Mike Thomas after the 2011–12 season after reviewing Weber's body of work. It was determined that the program needed a new leader with more consistent success than Weber showed over his previous 5 seasons.

John Groce era (2012–present)

John Groce was hired by new athletic director Mike Thomas on March 28, 2012.^[5]

In the 2012–13 season the Illini were the 2012 Maui Invitational Tournament Champions and later made the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, losing their second game. The Illini lost 63–59 to the 2013 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Champions Miami Hurricanes.

The Illini spent 8 weeks nationally ranked in the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, and for two weeks were ranked as high as 10th in the country.

In 2014, Groce continued Illinois' success in the month of 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]

To start off the 2015 basketball season, the Illinois faced some injuries and roster changes. The Illini lost starting point guard Tracy Abrams due to a knee injury. He is out for the whole basketball season with an injury. Since the Illini lost their starting point guard to injury, they looked to get a fifth-year transfer. Khalid Lewis, a transfer from La Salle was quick to fix that role.^[7] During the team's summer trip to Europe, Darius Paul got arrested for public intoxication and was suspended indefinitely from the team. This was his second time getting in trouble with the law while at Illinois. John Groce has dismissed him from the team following these actions.^[8] Before the season started the Illini lost another player. Sophomore Leron Black is also expected to miss time in the beginning of the year because of the offseason knee injury. In October, Junior Kendrick Nunn was sidelined eight weeks with a thumb injury.^[9] Illinois's basketball stadium, State Farm Center, is under construction for the beginning of the season. Because of this, Illinois' home games for the first few games were played in Springfield. The Illini started off their season on November 13 against the North Florida Ospreys. This was supposed to be an easier game for the Illini but fell 93-81. Not only did they suffer the loss in the game, but they also suffered another injury. The Illini lost backup point guard Jaylon Tate to a finger injury. He had finger surgery immediately after the game and is out day to day.^[10] The next game they played the North Dakota State Bison. Sophomore Leron Black came back from his offseason surgery and propelled the Illini to an 80-74 victory.^[11] The first road game of the year came against Providence. Illinois played very well but lost 60-59. Illinois had a chance at the buzzer but Redshirt Freshmen Michael Finke missed a dunk as time ran down.^[12] Illinois then played Chattanooga back in Springfield. Illinois fell again 81-77. This dropped them to 1-3 on the season and the worst start for an Illinois basketball team since 1965. This was the fourth time in 110 seasons that Illinois has started off the year 1-3.^[13] To get back on track, Illinois played Chicago State. Illinois struggled but won 82-79 on a buzzer beater three pointer by Freshmen Jalen Coleman-Lands. Illinois avoided another disappointing loss and now stand at 2-3.^[14]

Championships

National Championships

Year	Coach	Awarding body	Record
1915	Ralph Jones	Helms Athletic Foundation, Premo-Porretta Power Poll	16–0
National Championships			1

Big Ten Regular Season Championships

Year	Coach	Overall Record	Big Ten Record
1915	Ralph Jones	16–0	12-0
1917§	Ralph Jones	13–3	10–2
1924§	J. Craig Ruby	11–6	8–4
1935§	J. Craig Ruby	15–5	9–3
1937§	Douglas R. Mills	14–4	10–2
1942	Douglas R. Mills	18–5	13–2
1943§	Douglas R. Mills	17–1	12–0
1949	Harry Combes	21–4	10–2
1951	Harry Combes	22–5	13–1
1952	Harry Combes	22–4	12–2
1963	Harry Combes	20–6	11–3
1984§	Lou Henson	26–5	15–3
1998§	Lon Kruger	23–10	13–3
2001§	Bill Self	27–8	13–3
2002§	Bill Self	26–9	11–5
2004	Bruce Weber	26–7	13–3
2005	Bruce Weber	37-2	15-1
Big Ten Regular Season Championships			17

§ – Conference Co-champions

Big Ten Tournament Championships

Year	Coach	Opponent	Score	Site	Record
2003	Bill Self	Ohio State	72–59	Chicago	27–5
2005	Bruce Weber	Wisconsin	54-43	Chicago	37-2
Big Ten Tournament Championships				2

Coaching history

Coach	Years	Record	Conference Record	Conference Titles	NCAA Appearances
Elwood Brown	1906–1907	6-8	3-6
Frank L. Pinckney	1907–1908	1-10	0-8
Fletcher Lane	1908–1909	20-6	6-5
Herb V. Juul	1909–1910	12-10	10-10
T. E. Thompson	1910–1912	14-14	10-13
Ralph R. Jones	1912–1920	85-34	64-31	2
Frank J. Winters	1920–1922	25-12	14-10
J. Craig Ruby	1922–1936	148-95	94-74	2
Douglas R. Mills	1936–1947	151-66	88-47	3	1
Harry Combes	1947–1967	316-150	174-104	4	4
Harv Schmidt	1967–1974	89-77	43-55
Gene Bartow	1974–1975	8-18	4-14
Lou Henson	1975–1996	423-224	214-164	1	12
Lon Kruger	1996–2000	81-48	38-28	1	3
Bill Self	2000–2003	78-24	35-13	2	3
Bruce Weber	2003–2012	210-101	89-65	2	6
John Groce	2012–	62–40	24–30		1
Totals		1710-925	901-668	17	30

Statistical leaders

All-time leaders

• Points: Deon Thomas (2,129)
• Assists: Bruce Douglas (765)
• Rebounds: James Augustine (1,023)
• Steals: Bruce Douglas (324)
• Blocks: Nnanna Egwu (201)

Season leaders

• Points: Don Freeman (668, 1966)
• Assists: Deron Williams (264, 2005)
• Rebounds: Skip Thoren (349, 1965)
• Steals: Kenny Battle (89, 1989)
• Blocks: Derek Holcomb (86, 1979)

Game leaders

• Points: Dave Downey (53, 1963)
• Assists: Demetri McCamey (16, 2010), Tony Wysinger (16, 1986)
• Rebounds: Skip Thoren (24, 1963)
• Steals: Bruce Douglas (8, 1984)
• Blocks: Derek Holcomb (11,1978)

Career milestones

1,500 points

Years	Player	Points
1991–94	Deon Thomas	2,129
1994–97	Kiwane Garris	1,948
2003–06	Dee Brown	1,812
2000–03	Brian Cook	1,748
1999–02	Cory Bradford	1,735
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	1,718
1978–81	Eddie Johnson	1,692
2010–13	Brandon Paul	1,654
1978–81	Mark Smith	1,653
1989–93	Andy Kaufmann	1,533

200 three-point field goals

Years	Player	Three-pointers
1999–02	Cory Bradford	327
2003–06	Dee Brown	299
2010–13	D.J. Richardson	278
1993–96	Richard Keene	237
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	236
2004–07	Rich McBride	216
2010–13	Brandon Paul	211
2002–05	Luther Head	209

500 assists

Years	Player	Assists
1983–86	Bruce Douglas	765
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	733
2003–06	Dee Brown	674
2003–05	Deron Williams	594
1994–97	Kiwane Garris	502

750 rebounds

Years	Player	Rebounds
2003–06	James Augustine	1,023
2008–11	Mike Davis	909
1983–86	Efrem Winters	853
1991–94	Deon Thomas	846
1978–81	Eddie Johnson	831
1963–65	Skip Thoren	830
2000–03	Brian Cook	815
1971–73	Nick Weatherspoon	803
1961–63	Dave Downey	790

150 blocks

Years	Player	Blocks
2012–15	Nnanna Egwu	201
1991–94	Deon Thomas	177
2008–11	Mike Tisdale	176
1979–81	Derek Holcomb	174
1979–82	James Griffin	156

Source for all statistical leaders^[15]

Individual honors

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

The following 4 Fighting Illini have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame:

Year	Player	Inducted as a
1960	Henry Porter	Contributor
1961	Andy Phillip	Player
1971	Abe Saperstein	Contributor
2004	Jerry Colangelo	Contributor

Consensus All-American

Player	Year(s)
Ray Woods	1915, 1916 & 1917
Clyde Alwood	1917
Earl Anderson	1918
Chuck Carney	1920 & 1922
Bill Hapac	1940
Andy Phillip	1942 & 1943
Walt Kirk	1945
Rod Fletcher	1952
Dee Brown	2005 & 2006

NCAA Men's Basketball All-American

Key to abbreviations:

AP Associated Press, Arg Argosy, Ath Athletic Publications, BN Basketball News, BT Basketball Times, BKW Basketball Weekly, BW Basketball Writers of America, Col Colliers, Con Converse, CSAF Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation, Helms Helms Foundation, INS International News Service, K Kodak, Look Look magazine, MSG Madison Square Garden, NABC National Association of Basketball Coaches, NEA Newspaper Enterprise Association, Omaha Omaha World Newspaper, PM Pic Magazine, SN Sporting News, True True Magazine, UP United Press, W Wooden

1st First Team, 2nd Second Team, 3rd Third Team, HM Honorable Mention

1915 Ray Woods – 1st (Helms)

1916 Ray Woods – 1st (Helms)

1917 Ray Woods – 1st (Helms), Clyde Alwood – 1st (Helms)

1918 Earl Anderson – 1st (Helms)

1920 Chuck Carney – 1st (Helms)

1922 Chuck Carney – 1st (Helms)

1937 Harry Combes – 2nd (Omaha)

1938 Lou Boudreau – 1st (MSG), Louis Dehner – 3rd (Con)

1939 Louis Dehner – 1st (MSG), 3rd (Con)

1940 Bill Hapac – 1st (Helms, Con)

1942 Andy Phillip – 1st (Helms), 2nd (PM), 3rd (Con), Jack Smiley – HM (SN), Art Mathisen – HM (SN), Ken Menke – HM (SN, Con), Gene Vance – HM (SN)

1943 Andy Phillip – 1st (Con, PM, Helms, SN, AP, UP, NEA, Look,), Jack Smiley – 3rd (Con), Art Mathisen – HM (Con), Gene Vance – HM (Con)

1944 Walt Kirk – HM (Con)

1945 Walt Kirk – 1st (Helms, Con), 2nd (AM), HM (Con)

1946 Jack Burmaster – HM (SN), Bob Doster – HM (SN)

1947 Andy Phillip – 1st (True, NABC), HM (Con), Jack Smiley – 3rd (Helms), HM (Con), Gene Vance – HM (Con)

1948 Dwight Eddleman – 2nd (AP), 3rd (Con, True), Jack Burmaster – HM (Con)

1949 Bill Erickson – 1st (Helms, Col, NABC), 3rd (SN, UP), 4th (Con), Dwight Eddleman – 1st (Con), 2nd (AP, UP)

1950 Bill Erickson – HM (Con)

1951 Don Sunderlage – 2nd (Helms, SN), 3rd (UP, Con), HM (AP), Ted Beach – HM (Con), Rod Fletcher – HM (Con)

1952 Rod Fletcher – 1st (Look, Con, Helms), 2nd (AP, UP, INS, NABC, Col, Ath), John Kerr – HM (AP, UP, Con), Irv Bemoras – HM (UP, Con), Jim Bredar – HM (UP, Con), Bob Peterson – HM (UP)

1953 Irv Bemoras – 2nd (Con, Helms, Look), HM (AP), Jim Bredar – 2nd (Con, Helms, Look, INS), 3rd (AP), John Kerr – HM (AP, INS, Con)

1954 John Kerr – 2nd (Helms), 3rd (Look, AP, UP), 4th (Con)

1955 Bill Ridley – HM (AP, Con), Paul Judson – HM (INS, Con), George Bon Salle – HM (Con)

1956 Paul Judson – 2nd (Con), 3rd (NABC, UP, NEA), HM (INS), Bill Ridley – 2nd (Con), 3rd (NABC, UP, AP), Bruce Brothers – HM (Con), Harv Schmidt – HM (Con)

1957 Harv Schmidt – 2nd (Con), George Bon Salle – 2nd (NABC) HM (Con), Don Ohl – HM (AP, Con)

1958 Don Ohl – 2nd (Con), 3rd (Helms), Govoner Vaughn – HM (Con)

1959 Roger Taylor – HM (Con)

1960 Mannie Jackson – HM (Con), Govoner Vaughn – HM (Con)

1961 Dave Downey – HM (Con), John Wessels – HM (Con)

1962 Dave Downey – HM (Con), Bill Burwell – HM (Con)

1963 Dave Downey – 1st (Helms), 2nd (Con), HM (AP), Bill Small – HM (Con)

1964 Tal Brody – HM (SN, Con), Duane Thoren – HM (Con)

1965 Duane Thoren – 1st (Helms), 2nd (AP, Con), 3rd (UPI, BN, NABC), Bogie Redmon – HM (Con), Tal Brody – 1st (Helms), 2nd (SN, Con)

1966 Don Freeman – 1st (Helms), 2nd (Con, BN), HM (UPI), Rich Jones – HM (Con)

1967 Jim Dawson – HM (Con), Dave Scholz – HM (Con)

1968 Dave Scholz – 1st (Helms), HM (Con)

1969 Dave Scholz – 1st (Helms), 3rd (AP), HM (Con)

1970 Mike Price – HM (Con)

1972 Nick Weatherspoon – HM (Con)

1973 Nick Weatherspoon – 1st (CASF, Helms), HM (Con)

1974 Jeff Dawson – HM (Con)

1975 Rick Schmidt – HM (Con)

1977 Audie Matthews – HM (Con), Levi Cobb – HM (Con)

1983 Derek Harper – 2nd (AP, Con), 3rd (BN)

1984 Bruce Douglas – 3rd (UPI)

1987 Ken Norman – 2nd (AP, BW, SN, K), 3rd (BT, NABC), HM (UPI)

1988 Nick Anderson – HM (SN), Kenny Battle – HM (SN)

1989 Nick Anderson – HM (AP, UPI, SN), Kenny Battle – HM (AP, UPI, SN), Kendall Gill – HM (SN)

1990 Kendall Gill – 1st (UPI), 2nd (BKW), 3rd (AP, SN, NABC)

1994 Deon Thomas – HM (AP)

2001 Frank Williams – 1st (W), 3rd (AP, NABC), Cory Bradford – HM (AP)

2002 Frank Williams – 2nd (NABC) HM (AP)

2003 Brian Cook – 2nd (SN), 3rd (AP, NABC, BT)

2004 Dee Brown – HM (AP)

2005 Dee Brown – 1st (W, BW, SN) 2nd (AP, NABC, BT), Luther Head – 2nd (AP, NABC, BW), Deron Williams – 1st (W), 2nd (NABC, SN), 3rd (AP)

2006 Dee Brown – 2nd (AP, BW, NABC)

• National Player of the Year

Ray Woods – 1917

Chuck Carney – 1922

Andy Phillip – 1943

Dee Brown – 2005

• NCAA All-Decade Team

Dwight "Dike" Eddleman – 1940s

• Bob Cousy Award

Dee Brown – 2006

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award

Dee Brown – 2006

• NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team

Jim Bredar – 1952

Johnny "Red" Kerr – 1952

Luther Head – 2005

Deron Williams – 2005

• NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player

Nick Anderson – 1989

Deron Williams – 2005

• Big Ten Player of the Year

Andy Phillip – 1943

Dwight "Dike" Eddleman – 1949

Don Sunderlage – 1951

Johnny "Red" Kerr – 1954

Jim Dawson – 1967

Bruce Douglas – 1984

Frank Williams – 2001

Brian Cook – 2003

Dee Brown – 2005

• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

Bruce Douglas – 1985 & 1986

Stephen Bardo – 1989

Dee Brown – 2005

• Big Ten Freshman of the Year

Cory Bradford – 1999

Brian Cook – 2000

D.J. Richardson – 2010

• Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player

Brian Cook – 2003

James Augustine – 2005

• Olympian

Deron Williams – 2008 & 2012

• National Coach of the Year

Bruce Weber – 2005

• Big Ten Coach of the Year

Lou Henson – 1993

Bruce Weber – 2005

McDonald's All-Americans

The following 13 McDonald's All-Americans have played for Illinois:^[16]

Year	Player	High School	Hometown
1980	Derek Harper	North Shore (FL)	Royston, Georgia
1982	Bruce Douglas	Quincy Senior High School	Quincy, Illinois
1982	Efrem Winters	King College Prep	Chicago
1985	Lowell Hamilton	Providence St. Mel School	Chicago
1986	Nick Anderson	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1987	Marcus Liberty	King College Prep	Chicago
1989	Deon Thomas	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1992	Richard Keene	Collinsville High School	Collinsville, Illinois
1997	Marcus Griffin	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1998	Frank Williams	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1999	Brian Cook	Lincoln Community High School	Lincoln, Illinois
2002	Dee Brown	Proviso East	Maywood, Illinois
2010	Jereme Richmond	Waukegan High School	Waukegan, Illinois

Mr. Basketball

The following 13 Mr. Basketball award winners have played for Illinois:

Year	Player	High school	Hometown
1982	Bruce Douglas	Quincy Senior High School	Quincy, Illinois
1986	Nick Anderson	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1987	Marcus Liberty	King College Prep	Chicago
1989	Deon Thomas	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1994	Jarrod Gee	St. Martin de Porres	Chicago
1997	Sergio McClain	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1998	Frank Williams	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1999	Brian Cook	Lincoln Community High School	Lincoln, Illinois
2002	Dee Brown	Proviso East	Maywood, Illinois
2009	Brandon Paul	Warren Township High School	Gurnee, Illinois
2010	Jereme Richmond	Waukegan High School	Waukegan, Illinois
2014	Leron Black	White Station High School	Memphis, Tennessee

Fighting Illini in the Pros

Fighting Illini Playing Overseas

Position	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Hometown	Years with Illinois	Professional Team	Country
PF	James Augustine	6'10"	235	Midlothian, Illinois	2003–2006	PBC CSKA Moscow	Russia[17]
SG	Joseph Bertrand	6'5"	200	Sterling, Illinois	2009–2014	Island Storm	Canada[18]
C	Brian Carlwell	6'11"	265	Maywood, Illinois	2006–2008	Perry Lakes Hawks	Australia[19]
SG	Cory Bradford	6'3"	200	Memphis, Tennessee	1999–2001	Cafeteros	Colombia[20]
C	Warren Carter	6'9"	220	Dallas, Texas	2003–2007	Chorale Roanne	France[21]
PF/C	Brian Cook	6'9"	234	Lincoln, Illinois	1999–2003	Chiba Jets	Japan[22]
PF	Mike Davis	6'9"	225	Alexandria, Virginia	2008–2011	Best Balıkesir	Turkey[23]
F	C.J. Jackson	6'8"	265	Buena Vista, Georgia	2006–2009	Denain	France[24]
PF	Dominique Keller	6'7"	230	Port Arthur, Texas	2008–2010	Mineros de Caborca	Mexico[25]
F	Damir Krupalija	6'9"	232	Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	1998–2002	Keravnos B.C.	Cyprus[26]
G	Alex Legion	6'5"	200	Detroit	2008–2010	Arkadikos B.C.	Greece[27]
PG	Trent Meacham	6'2"	195	Champaign, Illinois	2007–2009	ASVEL Basket	France[28]
PF	Brian Randle	6'8"	220	Peoria, Illinois	2003–2008	Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.	Israel[29]
G	Rayvonte Rice	6'5"	234	Champaign, Illinois	2013–2015	Tezenis Verona	Italy[30]
SG	D. J. Richardson	6'3"	195	Peoria, Illinois	2008–2013	Spirou Charleroi	Belgium[31]
SG	Jamar Smith	6'3"	185	Peoria, Illinois	2006–2007	Baloncesto Málaga	Spain[32]
PG	Ahmad Starks	5'9"	175	Chicago	2015	Eco Örebro	Sweden[33]

Fighting Illini in the NBA D-League

Position	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Hometown	Draft Year	Pick	Current D-League Team
PG	Demetri McCamey	6'3"	200	Bellwood, Illinois	2011	Undrafted	Austin Spurs

Fighting Illini in the NBA

Position	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Hometown	Draft Year	Pick	Current NBA Team
C	Meyers Leonard	7'1"	245	Robinson, Illinois	2012	11th	Portland Trail Blazers
SG	Brandon Paul	6'4"	200	Gurnee, Illinois	2013	Undrafted	Philadelphia 76ers
PG	Deron Williams	6'3"	209	The Colony, Texas	2005	3rd	Dallas Mavericks

Fighting Illini in the NBA[34]
NBA Draft Selections
Total selected:	68
Lottery Picks in Draft:	3
1st round:	15
Notable Achievements
Olympic Gold Medal Winners:	1 player twice
NBA Champions:	4
Naismith Basketball-Hall-of-Famers:	4

Illinois honored players

All-Century Team

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 voting by fans on www.fightingillini.com and the Illinois Basketball Centennial Committee. The honorees were feted during the Illinois Basketball Centennial Reunion Weekend, Jan. 28-30, 2005.^[35]

• Ray Woods (1915–17)
• Chuck Carney (1920–22)
• Andy Phillip (1942–43, 1947)
• Gene Vance (1942–43, 1947)
• Dwight "Dike" Eddleman (1947–49)
• Johnny "Red" Kerr (1952–54)

• Dave Downey (1961–63)
• Duane "Skip" Thoren (1963–65)
• Don Freeman (1964–66)
• Nick Weatherspoon (1971–73)
• Eddie Johnson (1978–81)
• Derek Harper (1981–83)
• Bruce Douglas (1983–86)
• Ken Norman (1985–87)
• Kenny Battle (1988–89)
• Nick Anderson (1988–89)
• Kendall Gill (1987–90)
• Deon Thomas (1991–94)
• Frank Williams (2000–02)
• Brian Cook (1999–03)

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 33 men's players have their jersey honored. To have his jersey honored, a player must have met one of the following criteria:

• National Player of the Year
• Enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame
• Member of an American Olympic team
• Big Ten Player of the Year
• First- or second-team Consensus All-America
• Illinois All-Century Team Member
• Individual whose pioneering efforts made a significant impact on Illinois and international basketball

No.	Player	Pos.	Career	National POY	National HOF	US Olympian	Big Ten POY	Consensus All-American	Illinois All-Century	Basketball Pioneer
1	Ray Woods	G	1915–17	Y					Y
2	Chuck Carney	F	1920–22	Y					Y
19	Bill Hapac	F	1938–40					Y
47	Andy Phillip	F	1942–43, 1947	Y	Y		Y		Y
25	Gene Vance	G	1942–43, 1947						Y
14	Walt Kirk	G	1942–43, 1947					Y
40	Dwight "Dike" Eddleman	F	1947–49			Y	Y		Y
33	Bill Erickson	G	1947–50					Y
11	Don Sunderlage	G	1949–51				Y
37	Rod Fletcher	G	1950–52				Y
22	Johnny "Red" Kerr	C	1952–54				Y		Y
35	Govoner Vaughn	F	1958–60							Y
30	Mannie Jackson	G	1958–60							Y
23	Jerry Colangelo	G	1960–62		Y
40	Dave Downey	F	1961–63						Y
35	Duane "Skip" Thoren	C	1963–65						Y
12	Tal Brody	G	1963–65							Y
15	Don Freeman	F						Y
24	Jim Dawson	G	1965–67				Y
12	Nick Weatherspoon	F	1971–73						Y
33	Eddie Johnson	F	1978–81						Y
12	Derek Harper	G	1981–83						Y
25	Bruce Douglas	G	1983–86						Y
33	Ken Norman	F	1985–87					Y	Y
33	Kenny Battle	F	1988–89						Y
25	Nick Anderson	F	1988–89						Y
13	Kendall Gill	G	1987–90					Y	Y
25	Deon Thomas	F/C	1991–94						Y
20	Frank Williams	G	2000–02				Y		Y
34	Brian Cook	F	2000–03				Y		Y
4	Luther Head	G	2002–05					Y
5	Deron Williams	G	2003–05			Y		Y
11	Dee Brown	G	2003–06	Y			Y	Y

Season-by-season records

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Elwood Brown (1905–1906)
1905 - 06	Elwood Brown	6 - 8	3 - 6	4th
Frank L. Pinckney (1906–1907)
1906 - 07	Frank L. Pinckney	1 - 10	0 - 8	5th
Fletcher Lane (1907–1908)
1907 - 08	Fletcher Lane	20 - 6	6 - 5	3rd
Herb Juul (1908–1910)
1908 - 09	Herb Juul	7 - 6	5 - 6	4th
1909 - 10	Herb Juul	5 - 4	5 - 4	4th
Herb Juul:		12 - 10	10 - 10
T.E. Thompson (1910–1912)
1910 - 11	T.E. Thompson	6 - 6	6 - 5	4th
1911 - 12	T.E. Thompson	8 - 8	4 - 8	5th
T.E. Thompson:		14 - 14	10 - 13
Ralph Jones (1912–1920)
1912 - 13	Ralph Jones	10 - 6	7 - 6	5th
1913 - 14	Ralph Jones	9 - 4	7 - 3	3rd
1914 - 15	Ralph Jones	16 - 0	12 - 0	1st(T)	Helms and Premo-Porretta National Champions[36]
1915 - 16	Ralph Jones	13 - 3	9 - 3	2nd(T)
1916 - 17	Ralph Jones	13 - 3	10 - 2	1st(T)
1917 - 18	Ralph Jones	9 - 6	6 - 6	4th(T)
1918 - 19	Ralph Jones	6 - 8	5 - 7	5th
1919 - 20	Ralph Jones	9 - 4	8 - 4	3rd
Ralph Jones:		85 - 34	64 - 31
Frank Winters (1920–1922)
1920 - 21	Frank Winters	11 - 7	7 - 5	4th(T)
1921 - 22	Frank Winters	14 - 5	7 - 5	4th(T)
Frank Winters:		25 - 12	14 - 10
J. Craig Ruby (1922–1936)
1922 - 23	J. Craig Ruby	9 - 6	7 - 5	4th(T)
1923 - 24	J. Craig Ruby	11 - 6	8 - 4	1st(T)
1924 - 25	J. Craig Ruby	11 - 6	8 - 4	3rd(T)
1925 - 26	J. Craig Ruby	9 - 8	6 - 6	5th(T)
1926 - 27	J. Craig Ruby	10 - 7	7 - 5	4th(T)
1927 - 28	J. Craig Ruby	5 - 12	2 - 10	9th(T)
1928 - 29	J. Craig Ruby	10 - 7	6 - 6	5th(T)
1929 - 30	J. Craig Ruby	8 - 8	7 - 5	4th(T)
1930 - 31	J. Craig Ruby	12 - 5	7 - 5	5th
1931 - 32	J. Craig Ruby	11 - 6	7 - 5	5th
1932 - 33	J. Craig Ruby	11 - 7	6 - 6	5th(T)
1933 - 34	J. Craig Ruby	13 - 6	7 - 5	4th
1934 - 35	J. Craig Ruby	15 - 5	9 - 3	1st(T)
1935 - 36	J. Craig Ruby	13 - 6	7 - 5	3rd(T)
J. Craig Ruby:		148 - 95	94 - 74
Douglas Mills (1936–1947)
1936 - 37	Douglas Mills	14 - 4	10 - 2	1st(T)
1937 - 38	Douglas Mills	9 - 9	4 - 8	8th(T)
1938 - 39	Douglas Mills	14 - 5	8 - 4	3rd
1939 - 40	Douglas Mills	14 - 6	7 - 5	4th(T)
1940 - 41	Douglas Mills	13 - 7	7 - 5	3rd(T)
1941 - 42	Douglas Mills	18 - 5	13 - 2	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1942 - 43	Douglas Mills	17 - 1	12 - 0	1st
1943 - 44	Douglas Mills	11 - 9	5 - 7	6th
1944 - 45	Douglas Mills	13 - 7	7 - 5	3rd
1945 - 46	Douglas Mills	14 - 7	7 - 5	5th(T)
1946 - 47	Douglas Mills	14 - 6	8 - 4	2nd(T)
Douglas Mills:		151 - 66	88 - 47
Harry Combes (1947–1967)
1947 - 48	Harry Combes	15 - 5	7 - 5	3rd(T)
1948 - 49	Harry Combes	21 - 4	10 - 2	1st	NCAA 3rd Place
1949 - 50	Harry Combes	14 - 8	7 - 5	3rd(T)
1950 - 51	Harry Combes	22 - 5	13 - 1	1st	NCAA 3rd Place
1951 - 52	Harry Combes	22 - 4	12 - 2	1st	NCAA 3rd Place
1952 - 53	Harry Combes	18 - 4	14 - 4	2nd
1953 - 54	Harry Combes	17 - 5	10 - 4	3rd(T)
1954 - 55	Harry Combes	17 - 5	10 - 4	2nd(T)
1955 - 56	Harry Combes	18 - 4	11 - 3	2nd
1956 - 57	Harry Combes	14 - 8	7 - 7	7th
1957 - 58	Harry Combes	11 - 11	5 - 9	8th(T)
1958 - 59	Harry Combes	12 - 10	7 - 7	5th(T)
1959 - 60	Harry Combes	16 - 7	8 - 6	3rd(T)
1960 - 61	Harry Combes	9 - 15	5 - 9	7th
1961 - 62	Harry Combes	15 - 8	7 - 7	4th(T)
1962 - 63	Harry Combes	20 - 6	11 - 3	1st(T)	NCAA Elite Eight
1963 - 64	Harry Combes	13 - 11	6 - 8	6th(T)
1964 - 65	Harry Combes	18 - 6	10 - 4	3rd
1965 - 66	Harry Combes	12 - 12	8 - 6	3rd(T)
1966 - 67	Harry Combes	12 - 12	6 - 8	7th(T)
Harry Combes:		316 - 150	174 - 104
Harv Schmidt (1967–1974)
1967 - 68	Harv Schmidt	11 - 13	6 - 8	7th(T)
1968 - 69	Harv Schmidt	19 - 5	9 - 5	2nd(T)
1969 - 70	Harv Schmidt	15 - 9	8 - 6	3rd(T)
1970 - 71	Harv Schmidt	11 - 12	5 - 9	5th(T)
1971 - 72	Harv Schmidt	14 - 10	5 - 9	8th(T)
1972 - 73	Harv Schmidt	14 - 10	8 - 6	3rd(T)
1973 - 74	Harv Schmidt	5 - 18	2 - 12	10th
Harv Schmidt:		89 - 77	43 - 55
Gene Bartow (1974–1975)
1974 - 75	Gene Bartow	8 - 18	4 - 14	9th(T)
Lou Henson (1975–1996)
1975 - 76	Lou Henson	14 - 13	7 - 11	7th(T)
1976 - 77	Lou Henson	16 - 14	8 - 10	6th
1977 - 78	Lou Henson	13 - 14	7 - 11	7th
1978 - 79	Lou Henson	19 - 11	7 - 11	7th
1979 - 80	Lou Henson	22 - 13	8 - 10	6th(T)	NIT 3rd Place
1980 - 81	Lou Henson	21 - 8	12 - 6	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1981 - 82	Lou Henson	18 - 11	10 - 8	6th	NIT 2nd Round
1982 - 83	Lou Henson	21 - 11	11 - 7	2nd(T)	NCAA 1st Round
1983 - 84	Lou Henson	26 - 5	15 - 3	1st(T)	NCAA Elite Eight
1984 - 85	Lou Henson	26 - 9	12 - 6	2nd	NCAA Sweet 16
1985 - 86	Lou Henson	22 - 10	11 - 7	4th(T)	NCAA 2nd Round
1986 - 87	Lou Henson	23 - 8	13 - 5	4th	NCAA 1st Round
1987 - 88	Lou Henson	23 - 10	12 - 6	3rd(T)	NCAA 2nd Round
1988 - 89	Lou Henson	31 - 5	14 - 4	2nd	NCAA Final Four
1989 - 90	Lou Henson	21 - 8	11 - 7	4th(T)	NCAA 1st Round
1990 - 91	Lou Henson	21 - 10	11 - 7	3rd(T)
1991 - 92	Lou Henson	13 - 15	7 - 11	8th
1992 - 93	Lou Henson	19 - 13	11 - 7	3rd(T)	NCAA 2nd Round
1993 - 94	Lou Henson	17 - 11	10 - 8	4th(T)	NCAA 1st Round
1994 - 95	Lou Henson	19 - 12	10 - 8	5th(T)	NCAA 1st Round
1995 - 96	Lou Henson	18 - 13	7 - 11	9th	NIT 1st Round
Lou Henson:		423 - 224	214 - 164
Lon Kruger (1996–2000)
1996 - 97	Lon Kruger	22 - 10	11 - 7	4th(T)	NCAA 2nd Round
1997 - 98	Lon Kruger	23 - 10	13 - 3	1st(T)	NCAA 2nd Round
1998 - 99	Lon Kruger	14 - 18	3 - 13	11th
1999 - 00	Lon Kruger	22 - 10	11 - 5	4th	NCAA 2nd Round
Lon Kruger:		81 - 48	38 - 28
Bill Self (2000–2003)
2000 - 01	Bill Self	27 - 8	13 - 3	1st(T)	NCAA Elite Eight
2001 - 02	Bill Self	26 - 9	11 - 5	1st(T)	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2002 - 03	Bill Self	25 - 7	11 - 5	2nd	NCAA 2nd Round
Bill Self:		78 - 24	35 - 13
Bruce Weber (2003–2012)
2003 - 04	Bruce Weber	26 - 7	13 - 3	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2004 - 05	Bruce Weber	37 - 2	15 - 1	1st	NCAA Runner-Up
2005 - 06	Bruce Weber	26 - 7	11 - 5	2nd(T)	NCAA Round of 32
2006 - 07	Bruce Weber	23 - 12	9 - 7	4th(T)	NCAA Round of 64
2007 - 08	Bruce Weber	16 - 19	5 - 13	9th(T)
2008 - 09	Bruce Weber	24 - 10	11 - 7	2nd(T)	NCAA Round of 64
2009 - 10	Bruce Weber	21 - 15	10 - 8	5th	NIT Quarterfinals
2010 - 11	Bruce Weber	20 - 14	9 - 9	4th	NCAA Round of 32
2011 - 12	Bruce Weber	17 - 15	6 - 12	9th
Bruce Weber:		210 - 101	89 - 65
John Groce (2012–present)
2012 - 13	John Groce	23 - 13	8 - 10	7th (T)	NCAA Round of 32
2013 - 14	John Groce	20 – 15	7 – 11	8th (T)	NIT 2nd round
2014 - 15	John Groce	19 – 14	9 – 9	7th (T)	NIT 1st round
2015 - 16	John Groce	15 – 19	5 – 13	12th
John Groce:		77 - 61	29 - 43
Total:		1744-958
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Fighting Illini have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 30 times. Their combined record is 40–31.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Results
1942		Elite Eight Regional 3rd Place Game	Kentucky Penn State	L 44–46 L 34–41
1949		Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Yale Kentucky Oregon State	W 71–67 L 47–76 W 57–53
1951		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Columbia NC State Kentucky Oklahoma A&M	W 79–71 W 84–70 L 74–76 W 61–46
1952		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Dayton Duquesne St. John's Santa Clara	W 80–61 W 74–68 L 59–61 W 67–64
1963		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Bowling Green Loyola–Chicago	W 70–67 L 64–79
1981	#4	Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#5 Wyoming #8 Kansas State	W 67–65 L 52–57
1983	#7	First Round	#10 Utah	L 49–52
1984	#2	Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#7 Villanova #3 Maryland #1 Kentucky	W 64–56 W 72–70 L 51–54
1985	#3	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#14 Northeastern #6 Georgia #2 Georgia Tech	W 76–57 W 74–58 L 53–61
1986	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Fairfield #5 Alabama	W 75–51 L 56–58
1987	#3	First Round	#14 Austin Peay	L 67–68
1988	#3	First Round Second Round	#14 UTSA #6 Villanova	W 81–72 L 63–66
1989	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	#16 McNeese State #9 Ball State #4 Louisville #2 Syracuse #3 Michigan	W 77–71 W 72–60 W 83–69 W 89–86 L 81–83
1990	#5	First Round	#12 Dayton	L 86–88
1993	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 Long Beach State #3 Vanderbilt	W 75–72 L 68–85
1994	#8	First Round	#9 Georgetown	L 77–84
1995	#11	First Round	#6 Tulsa	L 62–68
1997	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 USC #14 Chattanooga	W 90–77 L 63–75
1998	#5	First Round Second Round	#12 South Alabama #4 Maryland	W 64–51 L 61–67
2000	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Penn #5 Florida	W 68–58 L 76–93
2001	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#16 Northwestern State #9 Charlotte #4 Kansas #2 Arizona	W 96–54 W 79–61 W 80–64 L 81–87
2002	#4	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#13 San Diego State #12 Creighton #1 Kansas	W 93–64 W 72–60 L 69–73
2003	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 WKU #5 Notre Dame	W 65–60 L 60–68
2004	#5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#12 Murray State #4 Cincinniati #1 Duke	W 72–53 W 92–68 L 62–72
2005	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	#16 Fairleigh Dickinson #9 Nevada #12 Milwaukee #3 Arizona #4 Louisville #1 North Carolina	W 67–55 W 71–59 W 77–63 W 90–89 OT W 72–57 L 70–75
2006	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Air Force #5 Washington	W 78–69 L 64–67
2007	#12	First Round	#5 Virginia Tech	L 52–54
2009	#5	First Round	#12 WKU	L 72–76
2011	#9	Second Round Third Round	#8 UNLV #1 Kansas	W 73–62 L 59–73
2013	#7	Second Round Third Round	#10 Colorado #2 Miami (FL)	W 57–49 L 59–63

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years →	'81	'83	'84	'85	'86	'87	'88	'89	'90	'93	'94	'95	'97	'98	'00	'01	'02	'03	'04	'05	'06	'07	'09	'11	'13
Seeds →	4	7	2	3	4	3	3	1	5	6	8	11	6	5	4	1	4	4	5	1	4	12	5	9	7

NIT results

The Fighting Illini have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times. Their combined record is 8–6. They most recently participated in the 2015 NIT.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1980	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Loyola–Chicago Illinois State Murray State Minnesota UNLV	W 105–87 W 75–65 W 65–63 L 63–65 W 84–74
1982	First Round Second Round	LIU Brooklyn Dayton	W 126–78 L 58–61
1996	First Round	Alabama	L 69–72
2010	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Stony Brook Kent State Dayton	W 76–66 W 75–58 L 71–77
2014	First Round Second Round	Boston University Clemson	W 66–62 L 49–50
2015	First Round	Alabama	L 58–79

Head-to-head Big Ten records

Team	Total Meetings	Overall Record	Home Record	Road Record	Neutral Record
Indiana	175	86-89	51-33	29-54	6-2
Iowa	154	83-71	61-16	21-54	1-1
Maryland	11	5–6	1–1	1–3	3-2
Michigan	167	86-81	55-27	29-50	2-4
Michigan State	117	58-59	37-19	20-37	1-3
Minnesota	187	122-65	71-18	45-45	6-1
Nebraska	18	12-6	9–2	3–3	0-1
Northwestern	172	132-40	67-14	61-26	4-0
Ohio State	180	104-76	61-27	41-47	2-2
Penn State	42	28-14	14-5	11-8	3-1
Purdue	186	87-99	57-35	28-61	2-3
Rutgers	4	4–0	2–0	1–0	1-0
Wisconsin	194	110-84	68-25	39-56	3-3

Fighting Illini home courts

• Kenney Gym (1905–1925) located on the campus of the University of Illinois and is named after Harold E. (Hek) Kenney. The arena opened in 1890 and was originally known as the Men's Gym Annex
• Huff Hall (1925–1963) opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935.
• State Farm Center (1963–present) (formerly Assembly Hall) opened on March 2, 1963 and continues to attract attention for its design and construction. Four hundred feet across, it at one time was one of only two edge-supported domes in the world.

Men's basketball records at Kenney Gym and Huff Hall

Season	Wins	Losses	Win pct.	Total attendance		Season	Wins	Losses	Win pct.	Total attendance
1905–06	6	0	1.000	N/R		1925–26	6	3	0.667	N/R
1906–07	0	4	0.000	N/R		1926–27	8	3	0.727	61,590
1907–08	3	2	0.600	N/R		1927–28	3	5	0.375	48,202
1908–09	5	1	0.833	N/R		1928–29	8	3	0.727	30,139*
1909–10	3	2	0.600	N/R		1929–30	5	4	0.556	49,418*
1910–11	3	2	0.600	N/R		1930–31	7	3	0.700	52,440
1911–12	4	3	0.571	N/R		1931–32	8	2	0.800	57,000
1912–13	6	2	0.750	N/R		1932–33	8	3	0.727	34,500*
1913–14	5	2	0.714	N/R		1933–34	9	1	0.900	55,500
1914–15	9	0	1.000	N/R		1934–35	8	2	0.800	62,000
1915–16	6	1	0.857	16,644*		1935–36	7	3	0.700	78,028
1916–17	9	1	0.900	6,417*		1936–37	7	2	0.778	63,238
1917–18	7	1	0.875	5,066*		1937–38	7	2	0.778	63,600
1918–19	3	5	0.375	10,739		1938–39	9	1	0.900	57,933
1919–20	6	1	0.857	24,250*		1939–40	10	1	0.909	55,513
1920–21	6	4	0.600	34,875		1940–41	8	2	0.800	52,751
1921–22	10	2	0.833	40,112		1941–42	12	1	0.923	65,357
1922–23	6	3	0.667	8,424*		1942–43	10	0	1.000	62,648
1923–24	8	3	0.727	41,848		1943–44	6	4	0.600	29,812
1924–25	9	0	1.000	36,222		1944–45	7	3	0.700	44,951
Kenney Gym Totals	94	39	.707	224,597*		1945–46	11	2	0.846	66,553
Kenney Gym Facts						1946–47	10	1	0.909	77,808*
Fighting Illini played 20 years in Kenney Gym						1947–48	11	1	0.917	78,388
Attendance averaged 2,739 fans per game						1948–49	14	0	1.000	49,036*
Single game attendance record: January 24, 1925 vs. Iowa – 4,725						1949–50	11	2	0.846	83,736
Hosted 3 Big Ten Champions (1915, 1917, 1924)						1950–51	12	1	0.923	75,116
Hosted 1 National Champion (1915)						1951–52	12	0	1.000	57,788*
Produced 6 All-Americans						1952–53	12	1	0.923	79,957*
Developed 2 National Players of the Year						1953–54	10	3	0.769	77,378
						1954–55	9	2	0.818	64,721
Huff Hall Facts						1955–56	12	0	1.000	63,912
Fighting Illini played 38 years in Huff Hall						1956–57	9	2	0.818	68,448
Attendance averaged 7,025 fans per game						1957–58	10	3	0.769	76,032
Single game attendance record: February 22, 1937 vs. Wisconsin – 9,000						1958–59	9	3	0.750	68,292
Hosted 8 Big Ten Champions (1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963)						1959–60	10	2	0.833	74,719
Hosted 3 Final Four teams (1949, 1951, 1952)						1960–61	7	3	0.700	60,457
Produced 33 All-Americans						1961–62	8	4	0.667	75,376
Developed 1 National Player of the Year						1962–63**	9	0	1.000	61,025
Combined Totals	433	116	.789	2,507,959*		Huff Hall Totals	339	77	.815	2,283,362*

Notes:

• *Denotes incomplete or partial records.
• **Played 9 games at Huff Hall but played final 2 games at Assembly Hall.
• (N/R) denotes no records ^[37]

See also

• NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches
• ACC–Big Ten Challenge

References

External links

• Illini Basketball History