B4 SPORTS
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012
www.herald-review.com
DECATUR, ILLINOIS
‘It’s a tremendous honor to not only be a Big Ten coach, but to be in a program that I believe is truly one of the top 15 in the country and has a chance to win a national championship. That’s a mouthful, but I believe it can be done.’ Bruce Weber, April 31, 2003
HIGHS Starting three sophomores, the Illini closed with 10 straight wins to lock up the regularseason Big Ten title.
Comeback from 15 points down to Arizona in the regional final was an instant NCAA Tournament classic. Illini were ranked No. 1 for 15 straight weeks.
A 15-0 run start to season is highlighted by 70-60 win over No. 7 Michigan State as Dee Brown goes off for 34 points.
Illinois ranks No. 4 in the nation while holding teams to just 57.1 points per game and reaches 20 wins for the eighth straight year
Illini make it to the Big Ten title game despite being a No. 10 seed before losing to Wisconsin in the final.
Illini go 12-1 in non-conference play and smash Purdue (then ranked No. 12) 66-48 to complete comeback from dismal ’07-’08 year.
Illinois defeats No. 5 Michigan 7873 at the Assembly Hall in the midst of a five-game winning streak that put the Illini at 9-3 in Big Ten play.
For the first time in five years, Illinois wins an NCAA Tournament game, defeating UNLV, 73-62.
Brandon Paul goes off for 43 points as Illinois improves its record at home to 11-0 and 15-3 overall with the 79-74 win over No. 5 Ohio State.
2003-04 26-7 13-3 Big Ten Big Ten champs NCAA Sweet 16
2004-05 37-2 15-1 Big Ten champs NCAA runner-up
2005-06 26-7 11-5 Big Ten 2nd NCAA second round
2006-07 23-12 9-7 Big Ten 4th NCAA first round
2007-08 16-19 5-13 Big Ten 9th
2008-09 24-10 11-7 Big Ten Big Ten 2nd NCAA first round
2009-10 21-15 10-8 Big Ten 5th NIT quarterfinal
2010-11 20-14 9-9 Big Ten 4th NCAA third round
2011-12 17-15 6-12 Big Ten 9th
LOWS Concerns started to arise after Illini shoot 30 perecent in the second half of a 70-51 loss to Providence.
Perfect regular season was spoiled on the last day in 65-64 loss at Ohio State. Matt Sylvester hits a 3 with 5.1 seconds left for Buckeyes.
Ranked in the top 10 much of the season, they lose in the first round of the Big 10 tourney, then to Washington in the NCAA.
As a No. 12 seed, Illinois has Virginia Tech down 13 late in a firstround NCAA game when the Hokies go on a 20-5 surge and win 54-52.
There’s no postseason tournament for the first time since the 1999 team missed out. The Illini are swept by Penn State.
Illinois was never in the game, watching 12th-seeded Western Kentucky go crazy from 3point range as the Illini fall 76-72 in a first-round game.
So much for the nice start as the Illini go 1-5 to close the regular season. And most weren’t even close — losing by 19, 10, 2, 16 and 15 points.
The Illini can not pull out the close ones. They led or were tied in the second half of 11 of its 14 losses.
The Illini will not be in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five years — the worst stretch since the late 1970s when there were 40 teams in the field.
‘We had great success here but in the last four or five years, I don't know if you want to say (that) we’re running in place, or maybe even digressed.’ Mike Thomas, Illinois AD