College basketball history of the Illini

When Elwood Brown walked onto the hardwood in 1906 to coach the first University of Illinois basketball game, most spectators still considered horse racing and boxing to be superior sports. Today, the notion is laughable to more than one million faithful Illini fans. Since finishing 6-8 in that inaugural season, Illinois has won 866 more times. The blue-and-orange also won the majority of the affairs. Heading into the 2010 season, Illinois possesses an all-time record of 871-626, which correlates to a .582 winning percentage.

The past 104 years boasted much in terms of historical milestones, and the team celebrated its long tradition of excellence in 2006, the program's centennial. The celebration featured the return of a host of past stars in addition to some of the most successful coaches in college basketball history.

In all, Illinois has had 16 different head coaches. Two, though, hold a special place in the hearts of Illinois fans. In 1948, Harry Combes arrived on campus to lead the team. He replaced J. Craig Ruby. Combes led the team to 316 wins over 20 seasons. Illinois won the Big Ten Conference title four times and finished second three times during Combes' era. Two of the young men who played for Combes went on to enjoy even more notoriety among basketball fans in the state. Johnny "Red" Kerry

Despite all of his success, Combes' squads only played four times in the NCAA Tournament. That left Illini fans hoping for more, and they received it in the 1980s. In 1976, Lou Henson took the helm, and he quickly earned a solid reputation, and he did so at a time when the program needed some revitalization. The team finished 10th and ninth in 1974 and 1975, respectively, before Henson took the job. The Illini win total went from eight to 14 in Henson's first season, and the team went 19-11 in 1979. The Assembly Hall, where the Illini play their home games, remained Henson's stomping grounds for 21 seasons. He left the school after the 1996 season with 423 wins to go with 224 losses. He won more games than any other Illini coach, and he remains one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history.

During the Henson era, the Illini recorded some of their top seasons. Despite winning the conference title just once under Henson, Illinois won 20 or more games in 11 different seasons. The fan support came in droves in 1981, when Illinois went 21-8 and earned its first NCAA bid since 1963. Illinois reached the 64-team national championship tournament 11 more times during Henson's era. In 1984, Illinois enjoyed its best season ever. The team went 26-5 and 15-3 in the Big Ten Conference, where the team finished at the top. The 1985 squad matched the 26-game win total, and Illinois enjoyed its best period in school history by reaching the NCAA Tournament eight straight seasons.

No season, though, brought the insanity that arrived in Champaign-Urbana in 1989. I know. I was there. On the heels of a 23-10 season in 1988, November arrived with a lot of excitement among Illinois fans. Led by Kendall Gill, Steven Bardo, Kenny Battle, Lowell Hamilton, Marcus Liberty and Nick Anderson, Illinois started the season on a hot streak and were undefeated well into December. Their dominance earned the team the praise of one and all. Illinois earned its first No. 1 seed in the Associated Press Poll and kept a spot in the top 10 all season. Meanwhile, basketball announced Dick Vitale became a rabid fan of the high-octane squad and its flair for flashy dunks and three-point bombs. Vitale dubbed them the "Flying Illini." And soar they did. Their success was most evident in public, where orange became the vogue fashion color. This was particularly true at the local mall, where hundreds of basketball fans donned their orange-and-blue while shopping for the family Christmas gifts.

The Flying Illini survived the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and the Illini madness grew to a new level as March Madness turned to the Upper Northwest. The 1989 Final Four was slated for Seattle, Washington, and media named it the Battle in Seattle, an homage to Illinois center Kenny Battle, who had dominated the tournament's early rounds to give the team a solid balance to its run-and-gun style.

The Illini, though, faced a major hurdle. It was the same one that forced the team to settle for the runner-up spot in the Big Ten. The Michigan Wolverines, led by guard Rumeal Robinson, kept pace with Illinois throughout the big game, and Michigan survived a last-second Illinois shot in the teams' Final Four matchup. The Wolverines won 83-81 to claim the NCAA championship that season, and the Illini began struggle through some tough times a few seasons later. In 1992, the team went 13-15, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1978. Henson's teams posted winning records for the next four seasons, but he left after the 1996 season, when Illinois finished ninth in the Big Ten and missed the NCAA tournament for just the third time since 1982.

Despite the team's success under Self, he bolted after the 2003 season and left a sour taste in the mouths of Illinois fans when he went to Kansas, the birthplace of the game. The disappointment, though, was short-lived. Despite his anonymity, new head coach Bruce Weber, who had success at Southern Illinois University, took the reins. Meanwhile, the freshman from a few years ago had become seasoned seniors with one goal unmet. Illinois wanted a national title, and Weber gave them a chance with some strong coaching in 2005. Illinois won the Big Ten title for the fourth time in five seasons, and the school set a school record with a 37-2 mark. Again, the thrilling ride led Illinois to the Final Four, and Illinois defeated Louisville 72-57 in the round of four to earn its first-ever berth in the championship game. The road to paradise, though, ended when North Carolina used a late-game rally to claim a 75-70 win.

With the tough loss in the national championship game, more bad news arrived. Williams left for the NBA, where he developed into one of the game's top point guards. Head also went to the NBA, and Illinois, led by Brown and Augustine, dropped a notch on the radar the following season.

Today, the Assembly Hall features more than a dozen jerseys serving as a reminder of the school's great basketball history. The who's who of Illinois stars features several players from the school's strong tournament teams. The jersey collection honors Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head from the 2003 squad and Nick Anderson, Kendal Gill and Kenny Battle from the 1989 squad. Also honored are Ken Norman, Bruce Douglas, Derek Harper, Eddie Johnson, Frank Williams, Deon Thomas, Johnny Kerr, Andy Phillip, Jerry Colangelo and several players who, like Kerr, played in an era before Illinois became the focal point of the school's sports programs. Douglas (1984), Williams (2001), Cook (2003) and Brown (2005) are the only players in school history to be named the Big Ten Player of the Year.