You are probably right. Too many games to make it to the final but having all teams compete no matter their standing is (was) one of the great things about college basketball conference tournaments. Don't forget the 1998-99 Illini team. Although it actually proves your point but that team finished last in the conference but made it to the final game in the Big Ten tournament before losing. And although they fell short I think many people still remember that team for almost doing what no other Big Ten team has done (I think). And most people could see how that team improved over the season to where at the time of the Big Ten Tournament they may have just been the second-best team in the conference. Arguably, of course. They just came up short on getting an NCAA tournament bid despite being in last place in the conference standings.
Illini Basketball
I'd rather play Indiana twice a year than Iowa if we are protecting teams.
Two different Ws... It's like can you find the difference?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
That’s fair, but we all know they’ll understandably get paired with Purdue. Iowa rivalry is a no-brainer from a mutual POV, I think.
Great! Bring it on!
So on a lighter note than police reports.. I was wondering who at this point has access to the facilities. If I could walk in to Ubben, would I just see Ty and DGL playing 1 on 1 again?
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Not to mention three different Ms and two different I logos, assuming Illinois uses the block I. At least Indinia’s logo looks more like a candelabra.
I been a fan since the early 60’s and it has always been IOWA!!I consider Wisconsin our biggest rival
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
It all depends on where you grew up. If you're closer to the Iowa border, they're likely #1 on your list. If you grew up closer to Wisconsin, switch it.
Era matters, too. Iowa was a big rival for those Ayo-led teams, so if that's when you fell in love with Illini basketball, you're more likely to hate them than someone else, etc.
Era matters, too. Iowa was a big rival for those Ayo-led teams, so if that's when you fell in love with Illini basketball, you're more likely to hate them than someone else, etc.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
When I was a young Illini fan , all 9 of the remaining B$G were the biggest rivals.....I maintain that stance still to this day , only change the 9 to 17 now.......I really really do......................
The Iowa hate spans generations. Heck even in the Groce era there were some heated battles. They are definitely our hottest rival.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
I'll be honest, I don't hate Iowa as much. I grew up watching the Bulls religiously, not the Illini. I was a high school senior in '04-'05 and started watching that season; my love grew after I attended the university.
I get the distaste for Pearl but I don't HATE Iowa as much as I don't like Purdue and Northwestern (I want to burn their campus to the ground when I see those Chicago unis). Probably doesn't hurt that I have family who went to Iowa, but you can't pick blood relations.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
This. There is no one right answer. We have a lot of medium rivalries, and they come and go as programs change and as big matchups happen. I wasn't around when the Bruce Pearl thing happened or during the Bobby Knight era. Therefore, that is not going to weigh as heavily for me as it will for others when you are comparing it to, for example, the Eric Gordon saga, or the previous decade of Wisconsin kicking our butts, or the Luka Garza Iowa teams, or the Zach Edey Purdue teams, or Missouri owning us during the Ayo/Kofi era. There is a legitimate argument for any order of Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. Those are our rivals (maybe Wisconsin less so). The animosity you feel towards those programs is subjective and is different for each person.
It makes me think about watching the Blackhawks during the Toews-Kane era. Who was their #1 rival. It changed almost every year. It was the Red Wings. Then the Canucks. Then the Kings. Then the Predators. Then the Blues. Unless you are UM-OSU, UNC-Duke, etc. rivalries are just not a simple static thing.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
The visceral reaction I had reading this
Back a little further Kat!
I think geography matters, but so does who was good while you were there. Kind of like 80% of the music anyone likes is what was popular in their teen years. I live 24 miles from Wisconsin and 141 miles from Iowa, and feel a much stronger rivalry with Iowa. Wisconsin was not great when I was in school, while these guys killed us every time. Core memory for me, even more so than Pearl (who came after I was gone).
And here was Wisconsin's annual records in my formative years:
I’m surprised those NIT second round finishes didn’t bread the utmost contempt.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Very true! I know my current distaste for PU is because of these Edey teams, even though I think Painter is a stand up guy.
A lot of the lower major conferences only have their top 8 make the conference tournament. At least a portion of the reason for this is logistics since they'll typically have the men's and women's tournaments taking place in the same venue on the same day so it's easier to get games in when you just have that many that qualify.
You "kids" have no sense of history. Bruce Pearl and Iowa tried to destroy the Illini program and Lou and Jimmy's reputations. Bobby Knight hated Lou, and thus our loathsome feelings for Indiana, to say nothing of Sampscum and IDKWTI Gordon. Study up on history so it doesn't repeat itself.
I always had a special dislike of Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa. The rest I don't care enough about.
Briefly
UM: goes all the way back to Cazzie Russell
IU: Knight
IA: Pearl
Not sure if this has been mentioned but Mast will miss next season. Big blow for the Huskers, hope his knee holds up.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
OrangeBlue98
- Des Moines, IA
And this GIF is the reason why Iowa should be the #1 public enemy for any Illinois fan.Wisconsin over Iowa... Given the evil that brewed in Iowa?
Bruce Pearl and his criminal behavior kept Illinois from having a real chance of being a "new money" elite program like Arizona and UConn. That waste of carbon took that from Illinois and ruined Jimmy Collins' reputation because he was butthurt over losing a recruit.
Oh, and I'm still waiting for the NCAA to prove all of those "lack of institutional control charges" as they admitted they couldn't.
