THE DAILY ILLINI
2004-05:
10 YEARS LATER TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
GREATEST COMEBACK IN ILLINOIS HISTORY
CATCHING UP WITH THE ‘05 ILLINI TODAY
CURRENT ILLINI REMEMBER ‘05 TEAM
Players and coaches relive regional final against Arizona
Find out what members of the team have been up to since
Champaign natives Rice, Finke share memories of historic run
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Where are they now: 2004-05 Illini basketball team BY NICHOLAS FORTIN STAFF WRITER
It has been an eventful 10 years since the 2004-05 Illinois men’s basketball team made it to the NCAA championship game. Much has changed at Illinois in those 10 years. But what have the players and coaches from that year’s team been up to since then?
DEE BROWN NO. 11 GUARD Brown was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2006 NBA Draft after finishing his senior season at Illinois. He bounced around to the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns before signing with a string of professional basketball teams in Europe. He is currently playing professional basketball in Bulgaria for PBC Lukoil Academic.
DERON WILLIAMS NO. 5 GUARD Williams declared for the draft after the 2004-05 season and was selected third overall by the Utah Jazz. He played his first six seasons with the Jazz before being traded to the New Jersey (now the Brooklyn) Nets. Williams still plays for the Nets. He has had more NBA success than any other 2004-05 Illini. Over his career, he has amassed three NBA All-Star appearances and two All-NBA Second Team selections.
Champaign for his senior season in 200506. After the season, Augustine was drafted in the second round by the Orlando Magic and played in the NBA until 2008. Augustine continued his playing career in Europe and is currently playing for Khimki in Russia.
SHAUN PRUITT NO. 55 FORWARD Pruitt finished his Illinois career in 2008. He played professional basketball in places like China, Greece and Puerto Rico before recently finishing his professional career and moving to Aurora, Illinois.
time, but never got the Illini past the round of 32. Weber was hired by Kansas State in March of 2012 and is still the head coach for the Wildcats. He ammased a 62-38 record at Kansas State, including two NCAA tournament appearances.
LUTHER HEAD NO. 4 GUARD
JACK INGRAM NO. 50 FORWARD
FRED NKEMDI NO. 34 FORWARD
WAYNE MCCLAIN ASSISTANT COACH
Head, like Williams was drafted into the NBA following the 2004-05 season. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets and has played for the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings over the course of six NBA seasons. Head spent one season in the NBA’s Development League and currently plays professionally in Morocco.
RICH MCBRIDE NO. 33 GUARD
ROGER POWELL NO. 43 FORWARD Unlike his former teammates, Powell wasn’t drafted into the NBA, but he didn’t give up on his professional basketball dream. Powell played in the Continental Basketball Association during his first year out of college and tried out for and made the Utah Jazz roster the following season before heading to Europe to continue his professional career. After returning to the U.S., Powell found work as an assistant coach at Valparaiso, where he is currently in his fourth season.
JAMES AUGUSTINE NO. 40 FORWARD Like Brown, Augustine also stayed in
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JONES ILLINOIS ATHLETICS
Ingram played his final year for Illinois in 2004-05. He never played professionally and currently lives in Indiana.
McBride was a sophomore during the Illini’s run to the NCAA Championship in 2005. He returned to the team for his junior and senior seasons before graduating with a degree in sports management. He is currently an assistant coach at the University of IllinoisSpringfield.
WARREN CARTER NO. 41 FORWARD After finishing his collegiate career at Illinois in 2007, Carter went undrafted and didn’t make an NBA roster. He bounced around Europe and is now playing for Aix Maurienne in France.
NICK SMITH NO. 45 CENTER The tallest and winningest player in Illinois history now lives in Florida after finishing his Illinois career in 2005.
Nkemdi finished his Illinois career in 2005 and graduated with a degree in political science. He currently lives in California.
BRIAN RANDLE NO. 43 FORWARD Randle, like Pruitt, finished his Illinois career in 2008 and also went undrafted. He has played professionally in Germany and with multiple teams in Israel. He is currently plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
McClain coached at Illinois until Weber’s departure in 2012 and traveled with Weber to be the director of studentathlete development at Kansas State. He moved back to Champaign after one year at Kansas State and became the head coach at Champaign Central. McClain passed away in October after contracting pneumonia during his battle with lung cancer.
MARCUS ARNOLD NO. 44 FORWARD JAY PRICE ASSISTANT COACH After finishing his collegiate career in 2007, Arnold played professional basketball overseas. He currently lives in Chicago.
CALVIN BROCK NO. 15 GUARD Following his Illinois career, Brock played professionally in Germany and Lithuania. He currently lives in Chicago.
BRUCE WEBER HEAD COACH Weber continued to coach at Illinois until he was fired in 2012. He led Illinois to four more NCAA tournament appearances in that
Price was an assistant coach at the University until 2012 and has since become the Associate Director of Development for the University of Illinois’ business school. He is also the head girl’s basketball coach at St.Thomas More High School.
TRACY WEBSTER ASSISTANT COACH Webster has bounced around between coaching opportunities since leaving Illinois in 2007. He has been an assistant coach at Kentucky, the interim head coach at DePaul and an associate head coach at Tennessee.
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The comeback: Illinois vs. Arizona Relive the game that sent the 2004-05 Illini to the Final Four
covered in orange. Illinois beat coach Bruce Pearl’s UW-Milwas truly a magical season: a 29-0 waukee team 77-63 on Thursday, March 24, start, a No. 1 ranking for 15 straight in what was not an easy game. Immediateweeks, a Big Ten championship and ly afterward, the focus turned to the Elite Eight. The team would play the winner of a Final Four appearance. Illinois fans still want to talk about the the Arizona-Oklahoma State matchup and 2004-05 Illini. Luther Head, Dee Brown, Der- watched part of the game at the arena but on Williams. 37-2, NCAA runner-up. Until the left for the hotel before it was over. Illini win a national title — if they ever do Third-seeded Arizona needed an off-bal— no team will be talked about throughout ance 15-foot jumper from guard Salim Stoudamire to go through the net with 2.8 seconds Central Illinois like the ’05 Illini. One game from that season is talked about left to get past the Cowboys. Oklahoma State more than any other: Illinois vs. Arizona, — led by guard John Lucas III and forward NCAA regional final, winner headed to the Joey Graham — had been the slight favorite. The Illinois-Arizona matchup pitted the Final Four in St. Louis. Illini fans talk about the Illinois-Arizona Illini’s guard trio of Brown, Williams and game like Duke fans talk about the Laettner Head against a formidable duo of Stoudamire shot, like Indiana fans talk about Alford’s and Hassan Adams, who averaged 18.4 and seven 3-pointers in ’87, like NC State fans 12.7 points per game, respectively. The Wildtalk about the Lorenzo Charles put-back cats, who had reached the AP top 10 numerdunk. ous times during the season, also featured a No, it wasn’t the championship game. Don’t 6-foot-11 Channing Frye in the paint. bring up the championship game. It only Illinois head coach Bruce Weber didn’t makes fans bitter. watch the rest of the Arizona-Oklahoma They want to talk about the regional final State matchup until later that evening, after between their beloved Illini and the Arizona the game had already concluded. He and his Wildcats. They want to talk about one of the staff broke down the tape that night at the greatest comebacks in NCAA history. hotel down the street and went to work put*** ting together a gameplan. Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, was *** cold. Forward James Augustine remembers The media frenzy surrounding the regionwarming up for practice prior to Illinois’ al finals was nothing new for the Illini. Any Sweet 16 matchup with UW-Milwaukee in team that spends 15 weeks at No. 1 in the sweats. It might have had to do with the ice country is bound to cause a raucous wherrink under the court, but regardless, it was ever it goes. the coldest gym he ever remembers being in. Illinois’ head manager that season, Matt The arena, which opened in 1980, played McCumber, remembers the craziness of it host to the “Chicago regional” of the 2005 all, especially the second half of the season. NCAA tournament, despite not technically “We had to get full-time security halfbeing in Chicago. Why it was chosen over way through the year,” said McCumber, who the newer and much largnow works as the director er United Center in Chicaof student-athlete developgo really didn’t make sense ment for Weber at Kansas even then. State. “If that’s what the But it didn’t matter to IlliBeatles felt like, we felt like nois fans. What mattered we were the Beatles.” By the end of the seawas that they wouldn’t have to take a flight to see son, the team was entering their team. Illinois’ first and hotels through the kitchen, second round games were avoiding lobbies. played at the RCA Dome But for the players, it in Indianapolis, followed was business as usual in by the Sweet Sixteen and MATT MCCUMBER Rosemont. FORMER HEAD MANAGER Elite Eight in Rosemont, “Once you’re on the road, and if Illinois made it to the you’re doing the same Final Four, it would be at things, you’re on a schedthe Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. ule,” Augustine said. “Practice, hang out, Rare is it that a team has three closer sites watch video, you’re not doing outside stuff in the NCAA tournament, and even rarer when you’re on the road.” does it happen in a year in which the team Weber had the team focused on Arizona is talented enough to make it all the way. and stopping Stoudamire and Adams. But it Illinois fans took advantage of it. There was Friday night, the off day between the were flocks of them in Indianapolis, and by Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, when an unexpectthe time the Sweet 16 matchup with UW- ed visitor showed up. Milwaukee tipped off, Allstate Arena was Bill Murray had been at the UW-MilwauBY SEAN HAMMOND
It
SPORTS EDITOR
“It was crazy. It was the coaches, the players, the managers and Bill Murray.”
kee game, not far behind the Illinois bench. lar big men the Illini had faced all season. Weber had bumped into Murray at the hotel “We did not expect (Frye) to play as well as and asked him to come talk to the team. After he did,” Weber said. “He had a career night. the team meal on Friday, Murray addressed We were more worried about the guard play.” the team. At halftime, Stoudamire hadn’t made a Murray kept it light-hearted. He had a field goal, but Frye had 10 points on 5-of-7 miniature basketball he tossed at players shooting. Illinois led 38-36 behind 11 points during his talk to keep them on their toes. from Brown and nine from Powell. Somebody asked him to do Carl Spackler, *** his character in Caddyshack, which he did. The second half was much of the same — At the same time, it was serious. Mur- nothing came easy. With 11:50 to play, Arizoray compared the grind of a basketball sea- na led 53-50. Within the next five minutes of play, that lead was extended son to the grind of making a movie, how hard it is to to double-digits. stick through it. He talked For the first time all year, about how important this the Illini were out of sync. team was to Illinois fans, All season long, even in its how much making it to the lone loss, Illinois led for most of its games. Final Four would mean. “It was crazy,” McCumBut as Arizona extended ber said. “It was the coachits lead, the team was posies, the players, the managtive during timeouts. ers and Bill Murray. In my “Everybody was calm in wildest dreams, I never the huddle,” said McCumthought that would happen.” BRUCE WEBER ber, the manager. “They setFORMER HEAD COACH *** tled me down, and the othMemories fade over 10 ers who weren’t playing.” years, but one thing Weber Trailing by 11, Powell remembers is he didn’t get much sleep. It missed a three, to which CBS announcer had been an emotional couple of weeks for Jay Bilas — as blunt as he is today — said, Weber, who had lost his mother Dawn two “Roger Powell is not a 3-point shooter.” Stoudamire followed it with a pair of made weeks prior at the age of 81. She passed away during Illinois’ quarterfi- free throws to extend Arizona’s lead to 73-60. nal game in the Big Ten tournament against On Illinois’ next possession, Brown mishanNorthwestern. And yet, Weber was back on dled a pass from Williams and dribbled it the sidelines for the semifinal matchup the off his own foot out of bounds. Fighting for next day. Through the next few weeks, he a rebound, Powell fouled Arizona’s Jawann pushed his personal emotions aside and McClellan with 4:04 to play. McClellan hit focused on the task at hand. two free throws to go up 75-60. The CBS cameras showed the Illinois “Over that four-week period, I didn’t get much sleep at all,” Weber said. “In the NCAA bench, where players sat stoic, staring at tournament, you’re surviving on fumes and the floor. The crowd was quiet. adrenaline, just trying to get to the next day.” A three from Williams sparked some life Saturday, March 26 against Arizona in the into the Illini. Augustine fouled out with 3:26 Elite Eight was the biggest game of their to play. After a media timeout, McClellan hit lives. Allstate Arena was once again packed another pair of free throws. Then Head got with orange, just a sliver of Arizona red in a three to fall from the right wing. Adams turned it over and Brown capitalized secone corner. Illinois started its usual five — Brown, onds later with a put-back for two, at which Williams, Head, Augustine and forward Rog- point Arizona called timeout up 77-68 with er Powell. Lute Olsen started Stoudamire, 2:43 to play. Adams, Frye, guard Mustafa Shakur and The slumbering crowd stirred. forward Ivan Radenovic. With 1:20 left, Head stole a pass for a layThe first half was a back-and-forth affair. in. 77-70. A few possessions later, Arizona Illinois jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Arizo- extended the lead to 80-72 on two Shakur na countered with a 12-2 run. Through the free throws. “This is where really good teams salt first three games of the NCAA tournament, Illinois had trailed fewer than two minutes away games at the free throw line,” Bilas remarked on the broadcast. of play. Illinois came down court, and Head hit a Augustine remembers that nothing came three with 0:54. 80-75. easy against Arizona. “We had to work extra hard to get what we Arizona broke Illinois’ press, but just over wanted,” Augustine said. half court, Shakur had the ball slapped away It was apparent from the early going that by Brown. It fell to Williams, who threw a Frye was going to be a challenge. Augustine remembers him as one of the more muscuSEE ARIZONA | 6
“We did not expect (Frye) to play as well as he did. He had a career night.”
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FANS REFLECT ON 2005 TOURNEY RUN The Daily Illini asked fans to send in their stories about watching the 2004-05 Illinois basketball team make its way to the national championship game. We picked a few of our favorites to share with our readers.
Karla Zaccor I am a 2003 Illinois graduate, and I was in my second year of teaching — on spring break — during the Illinois/Arizona game. I was in the Bahamas, watching the game at a small outside bar. I had already written the game off as a loss when the Illini rallied and I remember hollering and celebrating in that bar. I was living in D.C. for the final game vs.
Dan Bernstein March 26, 2005 - A few hours before the Illinois-Arizona game, my dad and I were sitting in Bennigan’s and my dad received a call from one of his best friends, Randy. Both University of Illinois alumni, Randy and my dad have been longtime followers of Illinois basketball. “Harlan, you won’t believe it,” Randy exclaimed over the phone. “I’ve got an extra ticket to the game tonight.” I thought my dad would say something like, “No way! Let’s do it.” But he didn’t. My dad and I watched every minute of every game together that season. We loved Dee Brown. We loved the beautiful 15-pass possession against Northwestern. If both of
Erik Jinks In 2005, I was managing the nowdemolished IHOP on Green Street across from the Colonial Pantry. My boss was expecting a busy restaurant the night of the Illinois-Arizona game, so of course he scheduled me to work and attempted to ruin what was sure to be an epic night. That shift started with the singular goal of following the game any way possible. My cook laughed as I attempted to unbolt the break room television from the wall and bring it downstairs — I didn’t know anyone with a portable TV. I soon found out that it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, since I couldn’t manage to get good enough
UNC. I went to a bar with some friends to watch the game with a bright orange sweatshirt on. All my friends were rooting for UNC. I got hot and had to take my sweatshirt off, which my friends were happy about because of how bright the sweatshirt was. To their surprise and disappointment, I had a matching bright orange Illinois T-shirt on underneath the sweatshirt!
us weren’t going, none of us were going. He turned it down. Boy, did he make a mistake. To this day, he still gives me a hard time for not telling him to go the game. I don’t blame him. The ‘04-’05 Illini didn’t just make it to the Final Four. They didn’t just win 37 games or make the cover of Sports Illustrated. They inspired people. They brought people together. They brought my dad and I together. Some Illini fans had the opportunity to go to that game; some Illini fans didn’t. Some Illini fans even left the game early. But not many Illini fans turned down a ticket for that game. My dad did, and if you ask him, he’d do it again.
reception for a picture. Having run out of all other options, I was able to convince my busboy to part with his radio for a favor sometime in the future. I knew I would regret it, but I didn’t care. Since nobody in their right mind would be sitting in an IHOP during the game, I was able put the radio on in the lobby and periodically shout out updates to my crew. As the game became more and more intense, we all found ourselves huddled around this little radio, glued to every word. After the win, the rest of the night was a blur. I was oddly happy that my boss made me work that evening. We were able to celebrate the victory together, as a team. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JONES ILLINOIS ATHLETICS
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Rice, Finke reflect on 2004-05 season Arizona in the regional finals. “I saw that comeback they had Despite being young at the against Arizona, I turned the TV time, former Champaign Centen- off and turned it back on and just nial stars and now Illinois basket- remembering they never gave ball players Rayvonte Rice and up,’ Rice said. “(It) made me Michael Finke remember the wanted to be a part of the Illini 2004-05 basketball season like it family.” was yesterday. As he got older, Rice began to While many watched the monu- relish his talent by playing in mental run on TV, Finke and Rice elite camps. His dream finally were in the atmosphere experienc- came true a few years ago. After playing two seaing it first-hand in their hometown. sons at Drake, Growing up, R ice transferred to Illinois Rice went to all of the Illini baswhen coach John ketball camps Groce took over and home games the program. It from kindergarwas a chance ten until eighth for Rice to suit grade. up in orange and “It was crazy, blue for the first Deron (Williams) time and play in and Dee (Brown) front of his homer e a l ly cared town fans and his about Illinois and family. they just loved Finke shares it,” Rice said. a similar view, “Seeing them as RAYVONTE RICE not expecti ng SENIOR GUARD counselors and the miraculous seeing how they 15 -point comeacted and seeing back a ga i nst how Bill (Self) and Bruce (Weber) Arizona. had them behave and act, I just “I remember I was in my house wanted to be a part of that.” and my dad got so mad he went up His fondest memory he can to his room and shut the door and recall of the 2004-05 Final Four was watching it there,” Finke said. team was the comeback against “I walked in there when it was 10 BY TORRENCE SORRELL ON-AIR SPORTS EDITOR
“I turned the TV off and turned it back on and just remembering they never gave up.”
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ARIZONA pass to a streaking Brown with the perfect amount of spin to land it in his teammates’ hands. Brown finished with a layup. 80-77. 45 seconds to play. Timeout Arizona. “Oh my,” was all Bilas’ broadcasting partner Dick Enberg could say. Arizona inbounded the ball with less than a minute to play. It was Ingram who tipped the pass from Stoudamire to Head. Head found Brown, who tossed a cross-court pass to Williams. Williams shotfaked, took one dribble left, and let a three fly. The Allstate Arena crowd held its breath as Ingram tipped the pass and then exploded when Williams’ shot went through the net. 80-80.
“It was deafening,” Weber said. Arizona took a timeout with 31.2 seconds to play. Stoudamire found McClellan for an open look, but it didn’t fall, landing in Brown’s hands. Brown reared to throw a long pass to Williams, who was wide open on the other end of the court, but the pass was deflected and fell to Stoudamire with time left. From nowhere, Head flew in and blocked Stoudamire’s shot. A last ditch-heave from Adams was well off the mark. Overtime. *** Overtime was back and forth the entire way. A three from Williams, a couple of twos from Frye. Williams found Powell for two on one possession, then hit another three himself on the next. Ariznoa trailed 90-89 with 11.8
SHIRA WEISSMAN THE DAILY ILLINI
Left: Illinois guard Dee Brown goes up for a layup during Illinois 91-73 win over then-No. 1 Wake Forest. Right: Illinois guard Deron Williams drives to the basket against Wake Forest’s Chris Paul. minutes left in the game.” He asked his father, Jeff, “Are we going to lose?” The elder Finke responded, “Yeah, it’s impossible,” referring to a potential comeback. When the team pulled off what Finke’s father considered the “impossible,” his family met on
the stairs of the house to celebrate. Finke went to many of that season’s games because his friends had season tickets. Another one of his fond memories of the team was when they defeated then No. 1-ranked Wake Forest — a team that was anchored by future NBA point guard Chris Paul.
A decade later, Rice and Finke find themselves suiting up for the Illini; Rice in his last season, Finke in his first. And Illinois is still hoping to get back to the level of success it once had.
to play and the ball. The last play was disorganized. Adams heaved up a three from the top of the key that didn’t even find the rim. The Arizona players fell to the floor, some hiding their heads under their jerseys. The Illinois bench was on the court. “I don’t remember what we were doing,” Augustine said. “I remember running on the court and I feel like I blacked out for a while. Then, we were cutting down the nets.” “I hugged all the coaches,” Weber said. “Seeing those guys run out there, it was such a moment. You couldn’t even hear each other.” The team cut down the nets, Weber taking the ladder last to chants of, “BRUUUUUUUCE.” After the festivities, the team went back to the locker room and
only had a few minutes before the press would swarm in. The room was silent when Weber walked in, and then exploded. Players jumped on him. The coach in Weber was already thinking about the next week. The team would be on its way to St. Louis by Tuesday. The players needed to get back to Champaign. It took a while for things to wrap up at Allstate Arena. When the team left, Weber stayed behind. He had driven separately. He finally had a chance to sit down and take a deep breath. Then he got a call. It was from the team bus. The team was driving down I-57, and there were fans in orange crowding every overpass, cheering as the bus went by below. They had heard there were hundreds assembling to greet them in Champaign.
Weber hopped in the car and sped south. He caught up to the team right before it arrived in Champaign. The bus pulled into town and drove to the Ubben basketball complex, where it practiced all season. It was one or two in the morning, and the bus could barely get through the parking lot. People in orange were everywhere. “It was pure madness,” Augustine said. “Everybody was there, it was such a happy moment. Those were the people that supported us the whole way.” The celebration lasted an hour or two into the night before the team went back to get some rest. And then it was on to the Final Four.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Memories of 2005 spur hopes for future ALEX ROUX Basketball columnist
W
hen you’re young, you rarely think long-term. I grew up in a golden era of Illinois basketball in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Big Ten titles and NCAA tournament appearances were the norm. I didn’t associate Illinois basketball with anything other than success, since it had been good for as long as I’d been old enough to follow the game. I was 11 when Illinois basketball made it to the national championship in 2005. As a fifth-grader, I got to witness the winningest Illini basketball team in history, as Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head, Roger Powell, James Augustine and the rest of that stacked team took the Illini team to a 37-2 record and to new heights. I lived and died with that team. Growing up in Champaign, I had
a front row seat for the hysteria that envelops a community when a group of college kids turns the school down the street into a basketball powerhouse. I was lucky enough to experience the Final Four in St. Louis as one of 47,000 who watched when Illinois defeated Louisville in the national semifinal, then stumbled just short of the pinnacle of college basketball when it lost to North Carolina in the national title game. After the loss, I couldn’t process the magnitude of what I witnessed. When the confetti rained in St. Louis and the Tar Heels celebrated, my 11-year-old brain tried to rationalize the situation. I was convinced the Illini would be back on this stage soon. Why wouldn’t they be? I already knew that the Final Four the following year would be in Indianapolis, which is even closer to Champaign than St. Louis is! I’d be back at the Final Four next year, I thought, only next time Illinois would cut down the nets. The loss wasn’t that big of a deal. The Illini would be good forever. But Illinois did not make the
2006 Final Four. Rather, in the 10 years since the ’04-’05 season, the Illini have had six NCAA tournament appearances and just three NCAA tournament wins. A decade removed from claiming one of the best college basketball teams ever assembled, this Illinois program, which was arguably elite at the turn of the century, has lost its national relevancy. My immediate thoughts following the national championship were childish and short-sighted, to be sure. Even the best programs rarely make it to the Final Four year after year. Illinois has made it just twice since 1952. But even as an 11-year-old with little knowledge of the intricacies of college basketball beyond what I saw on the court, my notions had some merit behind them. The recent fate of Illinois basketball makes one wonder: Why did the Illini fall off the mountain after nearly reaching the summit, and why couldn’t they build off unprecedented success? Incompetence from a coaching and recruiting perspective defi-
nitely played a huge role. Bruce Weber could coach great talent, but could not sustain a high-level program. He had bad luck along the way, as well. Eric Gordon flipflopped, Jamar Smith threw away a promising career and Jereme Richmond was a knucklehead. But much like his offense’s infamous shot-clock draining possessions sapped any and all momentum, Weber’s downfall was his inability to gain any traction from year-to-year. After 2007, NCAA tournament berths became an every-other-year occurrence. That’s not enough for a hungry fan base like Illinois’ — so often starved by disappointing football seasons. The fans want to win so bad that they take to Twitter to attempt to steer star recruits toward their beloved program. John Groce took over at Illinois after Weber was fired in 2012, and he’s given fans some reason to believe in a return to glory. His charismatic approach and insatiable recruiting appetite has been encouraging, but the on-court results have been inconsistent in
his three years in charge. Groce sees the potential in this school and fan-base. “Why not Illinois?� he asked in his introductory press conference, wondering why Illinois basketball is a national afterthought, while our Big Ten peers consistently win, re-tool and repeat. If Groce gets Illinois back to the Final Four, just imagine the mayhem that would ensue. To see it unfold in 2005 was something special. Even off-campus, Champaign street corners had makeshift kiosks where Final Four shirts flew off the shelves. The Alma Mater statue was draped in an oversized basketball jersey and 25,000 fans showed up at Memorial Stadium for the second-place celebration. Bill Freaking Murray was their honorary bandwagon fan. Just imagine if, no, when the Illini make it back. Then fans can all cheer like 11-year-olds again.
Alex is a junior in AHS. Roux2@dailyillini.com @aroux94
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