Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball

History

1906–12: Early years

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 its first game but lose 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 reins 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.

During the 1914–15 season, Illinois won their first-ever Big Ten title, going 16–0 (12–0). They were retroactively named as the national champion of that season by the Helms Athletic Foundation and were also retroactively listed as the top team of the season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. They would earn another Big Ten title during the 1916–17 season, sharing it with Minnesota.

1936–47: Douglas Mills era

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. This team was retroactively ranked as the best team in the country by Premo-Porretta.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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 Division I men's 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.

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 year

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.

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'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.

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.

1996–2000: 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.

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.

2012–17: John Groce era

John Groce was hired by the new athletic director Mike Thomas on March 28, 2012. During the 2012–13 season, the Illini were the Maui Invitational champions and later made the NCAA tournament, losing their second game to the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 63–59. The Illini spent eight weeks nationally ranked in the NCAA Division I rankings, and for two weeks were ranked as high as 10th in the country.

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. 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–present: Brad Underwood era

On March 18, 2017, Brad Underwood was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman. 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, Andrés 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.

Championships

Conference championships

† – Conference co-champions

Postseason history

NCAA Division I Tournament

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

The Fighting Illini have appeared in the NCAA tournament 36 times. Their combined record is 49–37.

National Invitational Tournament

The NIT began seeding the tournament with the 2006 edition.

Facilities

Kenney Gym (1905–1925)

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 (1925–1963)

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.

State Farm Center (1963–)

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.

Prairie Capital Convention Center (2015)

In November 2015, the arena hosted the team for five games while renovations to the State Farm Center were completed.

Rivalries

Indiana Hoosiers

Illinois and Indiana's rivalry started because the teams share a state border and they are located about 153 miles (246 km) apart. The two teams first met in 1906, and have played at least once annually since 1947. Indiana leads the all-time series 96–94.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Numerous on-court and off-court factors have played into the creation of the rivalry between Illinois and Iowa. The two schools share a state border and are located about 242 miles (389 km) apart, and they share recruiting ground. Among the off-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 were recruiting Deon Thomas, and resulted in recruiting restrictions and a one-year post-season ban for Illinois. Illinois leads the all-time series 96-77.

Northwestern Wildcats

Illinois and Northwestern first met on March 7, 1908, with an Illinois victory, 18–13. The teams have continued to compete annually with the exception of 12 seasons. Illinois leads the all-time series 146–46.

Missouri Tigers

Illinois and Missouri meet once a year at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis; the rivalry has a sporadic but long history. The meeting is traditionally held over the students' holiday break near the end of December, and is nationally televised. Illinois leads the all-time series 36–20.

Notable players, coaches, and associates

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers

*As a member of the 2008 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team (see Redeem Team)

NCAA All-Americans

Illinois has had a total of 35 players who have claimed All-American status.

† = Consensus All-American

Illinois All-Century Team

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.

† Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

‡ National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

§ Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee

Statistical leaders

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

Source for all statistical leaders

Illini in the NBA and professional basketball

High school honors

Jordan Brand Classic

The following six Jordan Brand Classic participants have played for Illinois:

Nike Hoop Summit

The following 9 Fighting Illini have played in the Nike Hoop Summit:

McDonald's All-Americans

The following 14 McDonald's All-Americans have played for Illinois:

Mr. Basketball

The following 17 Mr. Basketball award winners have played for Illinois:

International honors

Illinois honored players

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, along with their career years in terms of spring semesters. As of 2025, a total of 36 players have had their jersey honored.

To have an honored jersey hung in the State Farm Center, a player must have achieved one of the following criteria:

1) National Player of the Year

2) Enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame

3) Big Ten Player of the Year

4) Consensus All-American (consensus teams before 1929 are retrospective and thus not considered; see "Consensus teams" section of NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans)

5) Illinois All-Century Team member

6) Individual whose pioneering efforts made a significant impact on Illinois and international basketball

Dike Eddleman Award

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 time. The following list includes Illini basketball players who earned the award.

Head-to-head Big Ten records

Men's basketball records at Kenney Gym and Huff Hall

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