Bruce Pearl
March 24, 2005 4:11 PM
Faster than you can say "lack of institutional control," countless regurgitations have been popping up in all corners of the media regarding the 1989 Bruce Pearl vs. Illinois Affair. The story by-and-large is the juiciest angle to dine upon in the Sweet Sixteen. Thanks to Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament,
Mr. Pearl is getting favorable treatment from most news outlets.
Lest we forget the true facts: Circa summer of 1989, Iowa Assistant Coach Bruce Pearl lost a fierce recruiting war to Illinois for Deon Thomas. Thereafter, a vindictive Mr. Pearl relentlessly called the high school student at all hours day and night—surreptitiously recording the conversations—trying to get Thomas to admit that Illinois Assistant Coach Jimmy Collins offered him cash and a car.
When Pearl thought he had proof on tape that the Illini had done wrong, he turned it into the NCAA which initiated an equally nefarious investigation into Illinois basketball. Yet mad-dog agents, altered transcripts and the like were not enough for the NCAA to prove Pearl's claims. Nevertheless, Illinois was rocked with two years probation for ambiguous "institutional control" issues. At that time, after the Illini had reached the Final Four and prized recruits were streaming in, the inertia to "get Illinois" had reached its peak.
The height of animosity toward the injustice was manifest at the 1990 Iowa game at the Assembly Hall. Bruce Pearl did not travel to Champaign. The Illini exploded to a 48-23 lead at halftime. The scoring barrage only got worse for the Hawkeyes. Spurred on by loud chants to "Run up the score! Run up the score!", Illinois scored 70 in the 2nd half and won 118-85. The 2nd half output by both team (132) remains an Assembly Hall record for most points in one half.
No matter the facts, the Bruce Pearl Affair will always taint the Orange and Blue. Tonight's Sweet 16 contest between Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Illinois is a no-win situation for Illinois fans. A win for Illinois is expected, as a #1 seed should always defeats a #12 seed. A blowout—what the fans are praying for—is highly unlikely because starters must be rested early for Saturday's contest. And a loss would be arguably the worst in Illinois basketball history. On the court, the Illini will face an aggressive, pressing, highly confident Wisconsin-Milwaukee squad that will most likely keep the game close.
- Sweet 16 sour at one site
[denverpost.com] - Wisconsin-Milwaukee Coach Has History of Upsetting Illini
[nytimes.com] - Illinois-Pearl feud back in forefront
[chicagotribune.com] - Ironic matchup rekindles old story with coach Pearl
[sportsline.com] - Weber: Focus on game
[herald-review.com] - Undue Process: The NCAA's Injustice for All
[amazon.com]
