2008-2009 Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Preview:
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball program has proven itself to be one of the best in the nation in the last 10 years. Head coach Bruce Webber debuted his first season with Illinois by getting a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and taking the team all the way to the finals. Although suffering a loss in the finals at the Big Ten Tournament last year, the 2008 Illini are likely to make a strong comeback under Webber. Assembly Hall will be rocking as usual this season as Illinois fans hope for another stunner of a season.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI INFORMATION:
Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Stadium: Assembly Hall
Conference: Big Ten Conference
Rivals: Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines
Mascot: The Chief
Notable Alumni: Kendall Gill, Deron Williams, Brian Cook
The Fighting Illini first began playing intercollegiate basketball in 1906. As of 2007, Illinois has a long list of accolades including one mythical national championship in 1915, 5 Final Four appearances, 2 Big Ten Tournament titles, and an incredible 17 regular season conference titles. Who can forget their 2005 NCAA Tournament run? After going an NCAA record 37-2 for the season, Illinois would play one of the most exciting games in the history of the tournament against Arizona. The Illini would have to come from a 15 point deficit with only 4 minutes left in the game to win by just one point.
The Fighting Illini have been a great team from the very start. The Whiz Kids - Andy Phillip, Gene Vance, Ken Manke and Jack Smiley - swept the Big Ten title by three games in 1942. In 1943, the team went 17-1, and Illinois was on the map as a basketball state. Though the team has never captured an NCAA championship, the Illini have made themselves true contenders every year, and are one of the msot consistent teams to have ever played college hoops.
The Illinois Fighting Illini play their home games at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois. Assembly Hall was opened in 1963 and holds nearly 17,000 spectators. The dome is one of the most striking sports venues in America. At one point, Assembly Hall was one of only two such edge-supported domes in the entire world. This venue gets loud and is one of the great venues in which to watch college basketball. Buy Illinois Fighting Illini basketball tickets today and don’t miss any of this Big Ten action!
See Also:
Illinois Fighting Illini Big 10 Tournament tickets
Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Tournament tickets
Illinois Fighting Illini Final Four tickets
Illinois Fighting Illini Football tickets