Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I need to distract myself from this season for a bit, so the 2022-23 Illini are NOT an option for this topic. Over your time as a fan, what Illini team was the biggest pleasant surprise for you based on expectations? Additionally, what Illini team left you feeling the most disappointed compared to what you felt "could have been" for that group? My first real memory of watching the Illini with my dad was the Elite Eight loss to Arizona in 2001, so I will have to start with the 2001-02 season, myself:
Pleasant Surprise: 2019-20 ... We had just come off of two losing seasons, and all we really had was hope. After the Miami fake comeback loss at home and the heartbreaker at Maryland, we were 6-3 (0-1) with absolutely no good wins at all. We upset #5 Michigan in December, but later that month we lost to Mizzou in one of the worst performances I can remember, and we got absolutely destroyed in East Lansing to fall to 9-5 (1-2). At that point in January, I don't think many saw us making the Tournament. We then won 7 in a row and started the #RoadWarriors meme, lost four tough games in a row and turned around to win 4 out of 5 to end the year, beating the #18 Hawkeyes at home on the final day of the season to earn a double-bye (Kofi blocking Garza!).
Of course, then the season was cancelled due to COVID, so we never got to see the end. However, after years of misery, this TOUGH team gave us all hope again, and I really felt like they were just hitting their stride. We were probably cruising for anywhere from a #4 to #6 seed in the NCAAs, and I REALLY think we could have made a run.
Biggest Disappointment: 2010-11 ... This was supposed to be the year where the flashy new recruits blended with the old guard plus Weber's amazing coaching to bring us back. We were #13 preseason, and we were 10-1 and ranked #12 when we lost to UIC at the United Center ... even after that unforgivable loss, though, there was SO much season left, and we started off 3-0 in Big Ten play to move to 13-3 overall. We would then lose by two at Penn State due to Talor Battle's 26 points, prompting us to completely limp toward a 9-seed and a Second Round loss in the NCAAs.
And I'm not exaggerating with my word choice of limp ... from January 6th on (our last EIGHTEEN games!!!), we would not win more than one game in a row, and we would not lose more than two games in a row. The disastrous 2012 season would follow (ending in Weber's firing), and our descent into the depths of hell continued. Lol.
Pleasant Surprise: 2019-20 ... We had just come off of two losing seasons, and all we really had was hope. After the Miami fake comeback loss at home and the heartbreaker at Maryland, we were 6-3 (0-1) with absolutely no good wins at all. We upset #5 Michigan in December, but later that month we lost to Mizzou in one of the worst performances I can remember, and we got absolutely destroyed in East Lansing to fall to 9-5 (1-2). At that point in January, I don't think many saw us making the Tournament. We then won 7 in a row and started the #RoadWarriors meme, lost four tough games in a row and turned around to win 4 out of 5 to end the year, beating the #18 Hawkeyes at home on the final day of the season to earn a double-bye (Kofi blocking Garza!).
Of course, then the season was cancelled due to COVID, so we never got to see the end. However, after years of misery, this TOUGH team gave us all hope again, and I really felt like they were just hitting their stride. We were probably cruising for anywhere from a #4 to #6 seed in the NCAAs, and I REALLY think we could have made a run.
Biggest Disappointment: 2010-11 ... This was supposed to be the year where the flashy new recruits blended with the old guard plus Weber's amazing coaching to bring us back. We were #13 preseason, and we were 10-1 and ranked #12 when we lost to UIC at the United Center ... even after that unforgivable loss, though, there was SO much season left, and we started off 3-0 in Big Ten play to move to 13-3 overall. We would then lose by two at Penn State due to Talor Battle's 26 points, prompting us to completely limp toward a 9-seed and a Second Round loss in the NCAAs.
And I'm not exaggerating with my word choice of limp ... from January 6th on (our last EIGHTEEN games!!!), we would not win more than one game in a row, and we would not lose more than two games in a row. The disastrous 2012 season would follow (ending in Weber's firing), and our descent into the depths of hell continued. Lol.