2011-2012 Illinois Fighting Illini College Basketball Preview:
The Fighting Illini will be building off an NCAA tournament appearance last year which showed fans what the players were capable of. After beating UNLV in the first round, the squad proved they had heart in a second round defeat and are looking to take the bitter taste out of their mouth this season.
Illinois was 11th overall in assists per game last year, which shows they like to be unselfish with the ball. This season will see the return of senior Jean Selus, a 6' 2" guard who helped the team achieve victory in crucial games last year. A number of freshmen will also be in the spotlight - in fact, the Illini will feature six new additions, including wunderkind Ibby Djimde, a 250 pound forward who will be posting down low and grabbing crucial rebounds.
On defense the team looks prepared to stop opponents from getting to the rim with 7' 1" Meyers Leonard and 6' 11" rookie Nnanna Egwu, both of whom will be putting their long arms up to block some shots. All in all, the season appears to be in the more than capable in the hands of the players.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL INFORMATION:
Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Stadium: Assembly Hall
Conference: Big Ten Conference
Rivals: Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines
Fighting Illini: 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
Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Ticket Information:
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