The Final Four

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#126      
2X2L
I will not be heartbroken if Illini come up short this weekend. I say that to myself at this moment. Tough guy. We shall see.

1989 and 2005 were indeed heartbreakers. Best teams in the land! (1984 at Rupp was really painful)

I kinda feel now as I did about 2006 Bears. Wasn't expecting that team to make it to the Super Bowl. Me of little faith.

ILLINI: WIN IT!

Got two Illini flags flying on my patio for all golfers at the 8th tee to see. I heart Illini!
 
#127      
RabidDawgClassic
Updated Balkan Illini Shirt design. Link to shop is in my signature. These and more are available!

Final Four Where My Vices Orange.jpeg


Final Four Chief Orange.jpeg
 
#128      
Fighter of the Nightman
jrichisamazing said:
I don't think anyone would argue with you about both programs being equal in the mid 2000s. It can't be stressed enough how damaging the 2010s were for the national brand. It's okay to have a rough year here and there, or even a couple rough years. To go 10+ years is going to do some damage.

Thank goodness for Josh Whitman and Brad Underwood.
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That is fair, and I would agree. When I see all of these stats where we are between #10-15 nationally and then you step back and realize that we did SO much damage from 2010 to 2019 as far as prestige, it's honestly amazing we still rank so highly, haha. And fair or unfair, perception definitely lags reality. We Illini fans knew we had rebuilt a good program by 2021 and 2022, but there were still so many haters nationally who still associated us with the pre-2020 version of ourselves ... and I can't blame them. The 2024 Elite Eight run did a ton to change people's perceptions, but breaking through to the Final Four is just on a whole other level.

Even if we can't cut down the nets next Monday, I even think just getting past UConn would go a really long way to even further improving the program's national prestige. You get a ton of exposure in the Final Four, most obviously, but there is this near mystical level of respect casual fans all across the nation give to the "last two standing." I have gone out with my friends so many times over the years to watch college hoops National Championship games, and at least for those 40 minutes, those programs are seen as the co-kings of the mountain top. Sadly (as we know all too well from 2005), the Runner-Up will be quickly forgotten (at least compared to the Champ), but it is still amazing exposure and rewires fans' brains even further to think of us as an elite program. Of course, if we actually did cut down the nets ... that would be better. :cool:
 
#131      
Kernal12
I recall at the 2005 Final Four there was some B10 bonding between the Illinois and Michigan State fanbases, including each team's band playing the other's fight song. Am I correct to assume this is NOT happening this weekend with Michigan, and that most if not all Illini fans will be rooting against Michigan? I know I will be.
 
#132      
STLflyinIllini
Illini2010-11 said:
Really wonder where Andrej would rank on this list, considering he mostly gets the starter minutes when all is said and done.
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I would think above Tomi, maybe above Cadeau. Also w/ Demary's injury, he's probably lower than 11 right now so that would move our guys all up 1 spot.
 
#133      
FreshlySqueezed
sacraig said:
Arizona is very, very similar to us as a program. Their only main advantage over ours is that one championship. There's no reason we shouldn't both be mentioned in that tier that is like half a step below the blue bloods... except our lack of a championship.
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Arizona has been a 1 or 2 seed 17x.

I'm not going to opine on what that says about their actual ranking among programs but it's VERY different than our tournament seeding history (we have been a 1 or 2 seed 5x).

I suspect the regular season success (albeit in an easier PAC-10/12) impacts the national perception.
 
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#134      
Illinidrew
Kernal12 said:
I recall at the 2005 Final Four there was some B10 bonding between the Illinois and Michigan State fanbases, including each team's band playing the other's fight song. Am I correct to assume this is NOT happening this weekend with Michigan, and that most if not all Illini fans will be rooting against Michigan? I know I will be.
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I think I even remember hearing the Krush and Izzone joined forces for each game.
 
#135      
OnlyOrange
Kernal12 said:
I recall at the 2005 Final Four there was some B10 bonding between the Illinois and Michigan State fanbases, including each team's band playing the other's fight song. Am I correct to assume this is NOT happening this weekend with Michigan, and that most if not all Illini fans will be rooting against Michigan? I know I will be.
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Highly unpopular opinion, but I do hope they win it if the Beloved doesn't. I use the term "hope" very loosely, as my interest becomes nearly nil if we get eliminated.

I don't have the same hatred for Michigan basketball that I do for Michigan football.

The conference NEEDS a natty to quiet the haters.
 
#138      
chrisRunner7
Illini2010-11 said:
Really wonder where Andrej would rank on this list, considering he mostly gets the starter minutes when all is said and done.
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Ask and you shall receive. Lol, CBS went ahead and demoted Jake and put Andrej back into the starting lineup.

www.cbssports.com

March Madness 2026: Ranking every starter for the Final Four teams from No. 1-20

From Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg to UConn's Solomon Ball, here's where every player lands
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com

Both lists underrate Mirkovic IMO.
 
#139      
the juiceman cometh
FreshlySqueezed said:
Arizona has been a 1 or 2 seed 17x.

I'm not going to opine on what that says about their actual ranking among programs but it's VERY different than our tournament seeding history (we have been a 1 or 2 seed 5x).

I suspect the regular season success (albeit in an easier PAC-10/12) impacts the national perception.
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I also think to some extent it's the way their biggest successes were grouped closely together. Three of their five Final Fours, and their one Championship, came in a 7 year period from 1994 to 2001. In that same general time-span of mid-90s to early-aughts they won several conference titles, and made a bunch of Sweet Sixteens and Elite Eights. That kind of success over about a decade, in a period of time that people who are old enough to be established in sports media will remember, leaves an indelible mark in the social consciousness in a way that going to the Final Four 3 times spread out over the course of 35+ years doesn't.
 
#140      
Fly Illini Fly!
OnlyOrange said:
Highly unpopular opinion, but I do hope they win it if the Beloved doesn't. I use the term "hope" very loosely, as my interest becomes nearly nil if we get eliminated.

I don't have the same hatred for Michigan basketball that I do for Michigan football.

The conference NEEDS a natty to quiet the haters.
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My interest is basically zero if we lose, but if we win, that’s why I’d prefer Michigan beats Arizona.
 
#141      
Mr. Tibbs
Arizona has been a 1 or 2 seed 17x.

I'm not going to opine on what that says about their actual ranking among programs but it's VERY different than our tournament seeding history (we have been a 1 or 2 seed 5x).

I suspect the regular season success (albeit in an easier PAC-10/12) impacts the national perception.
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yea , it’s totally due to them being the best team within 400-500 miles of Tucson most years - either them or Gonzaga has been 1-2 most years out west .
 
#142      
OrangeBlue98
I mean, Mirk donned a cowboy hat and climbed on the lockers. Let the kids have fun.
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In this boat as well. There are a few things to not particularly care for regarding Morez and his entourage, but being goofy in a post game interview isn’t really on that list.
 
#143      
Combo
Curbelo Fanboy said:
I was a high school senior in 1989. That team was THE BEST team in the country by a solid margin when fully healthy. All regular season losses were while Kendall Gill was out with a foot injury & in the semi final Kenny Battle was hobbled a bit with a sprained ankle.

I will say forever that if we escape Michigan, we were taking Seton Hall to the woodshed in the final. There is no way in the world we were losing that game.

I'd say that 1989 team on it's best day was a solid double digits better than anyone else. Just a little off at the wrong time.
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Fantastic point! Many people are aware that Kendall was out for our four losses during the regular season. However, most forget that Hamilton was injured and had to leave early in the FF game and Battle was playing with a sprained ankle.
 
#144      
Curbelo Fanboy
the juiceman cometh said:
I also think to some extent it's the way their biggest successes were grouped closely together. Three of their five Final Fours, and their one Championship, came in a 7 year period from 1994 to 2001. In that same general time-span of mid-90s to early-aughts they won several conference titles, and made a bunch of Sweet Sixteens and Elite Eights. That kind of success over about a decade, in a period of time that people who are old enough to be established in sports media will remember, leaves an indelible mark in the social consciousness in a way that going to the Final Four 3 times spread out over the course of 35+ years doesn't.
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Yep - before Lute Olsen they made the tourney twice in the mid seventies & prior to that in 1951. That's it. We were wayward for a while in the 70s but had a pretty solid history in the old days in the 40'5 & 50's. But once Lute got them right they have been a fairly big player on the national scene for 40 years. A few dips but lots of highly regarded teams.
 
#145      
Hessel Blvd
He wore stupid sunglasses in the BTN postgame interviews on the B1G QF Friday. I could see from my seats at the UC. All I could think of is attention seeking child. He is a great player, no doubt, but I wonder if his personality would have had a negative effect on the Illini squad (had he not gone portaling).
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dude he's 20. he IS a kid. i was for sure doing stupider stuff at that age... you would feel the same way about mirk/z/tomi's antics if you weren't an Ill fan
 
#146      
alaskaillini
Biggest upsets in NCAA finals

1991 Duke upset UNLV in semis
1985 Villanova over Geogetown. Villanova played a perfect game.
1983 NC State over Houston Lorenzo Charles rebounds air ball and puts it in (like Illinois Michigan 89)

Does not happen very often but it can

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I was going to say that this is setting up a little like 1983 - #1 ranked Phi Slama Jama beats #2 Louisville in the semifinal. Then 6 seed NC State comes along and takes the prize from a much better team suffering the let down of winning what everyone looked at as the real national title game. But we are not nearly the long shot that NC State was. We are the #4 Kenpom team. I hope that Arizona or Michigan look at Saturday's game like a lot of the pundits, because they will be a lot more likely to get their butts handed to them on Monday.
 
#147      
Fighter of the Nightman
Kernal12 said:
I recall at the 2005 Final Four there was some B10 bonding between the Illinois and Michigan State fanbases, including each team's band playing the other's fight song. Am I correct to assume this is NOT happening this weekend with Michigan, and that most if not all Illini fans will be rooting against Michigan? I know I will be.
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Illinidrew said:
I think I even remember hearing the Krush and Izzone joined forces for each game.
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I was in seventh grade at the time, but I have a faint memory of there even being some type of T-shirt swap between games! This sort of cemented MSU as a "not hate-able" Big Ten team for me, and this was the case through all of Bruce's tenure, as Izzo and he always seemed like pals and it created VERY little animosity between our two programs. Pre-Weber firing, Illinois and MSU had remarkably little tension between the fan bases. That at least changed on our end when Weber was fired, and Izzo effectively called out our program as not being of a high enough stature to expect to better than the late Weber years.
 
#148      
Illini in Italy
OnlyOrange said:
Highly unpopular opinion, but I do hope they win it if the Beloved doesn't. I use the term "hope" very loosely, as my interest becomes nearly nil if we get eliminated.

I don't have the same hatred for Michigan basketball that I do for Michigan football.

The conference NEEDS a natty to quiet the haters.
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I have a raging and eternal burning hatred for anything and everything ScUM.
 
#149      
Orange Roughy
Curbelo Fanboy said:
I was a high school senior in 1989. That team was THE BEST team in the country by a solid margin when fully healthy. All regular season losses were while Kendall Gill was out with a foot injury & in the semi final Kenny Battle was hobbled a bit with a sprained ankle.
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I believe Battle was hobbled by a sprained knee...he slipped in warm ups (or something) on a water spot on the court previously.

Hamilton had a severely sprained ankle and was dragging his leg around. Most humans would not have played with that ankle injury.

And imo, Gill was never quite the same after his broken foot...even though he returned (obviously) for the end of the season and did play well.
 
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