If you harbor tender sensibilities, you may not want to read further.
This is the story of the least-fortunate basketball program in NCAA tournament history ... the king of the non-champions ... eight decades and three generations of season-ending anguish ... harking back through a time before games were televised and before Bill Garrett led the way to dramatic change as the Big Ten’s first Black star at Indiana (1947-51).
Big Ten members Wisconsin, Ohio State, Maryland and Michigan own titles. Michigan State has two and Indiana five. The conference also shows 16 runner-up finishes, including Illinois in 2005.
This UI history tends to smart, and wordsmith Will Leitch tossed out a “pain list” of schools headed by North Carolina, Michigan, Austin Peay, Kentucky, Arizona and Villanova. Every Illini fan recalls the significance of each.
That’s what Ayo’s Gang (my choice of a nickname) is bucking in Indianapolis entering Sunday’s 11:10 a.m. second-round NCAA tournament game against Loyola Chicago — a history of last-shot disappointments surrounded by multi-year stretches of agonizing whiffs.
In the 49-year period from 1942 through 1990, dating back through a time when conferences were allowed only one participant, the Illini advanced 14 times and were rejected nine times by three points or less.
The following will feature mostly high-ranked Illini teams that had a legitimate shot at a title run.
Way back when
It started in the Elite Eight at Tulane in 1942, when the sophomore Whiz Kids — Andy Phillip, Gene Vance, Ken Menke and Jack Smiley — blew a four-point lead in the last three minutes to Kentucky, 46-44. Who knew that would forever be the trend?
A year later, the Whiz Kids were 12-0 in the Big Ten and rated No. 1 nationally, but the call of military service ended a promising run.
Phillip was a consensus All-American that year, but neither he nor other returning members were quite the same when they got back in 1946-47. They finished second to Wisconsin in the conference.
Two years later, Big Ten champs featuring Dike Eddleman and Bill Erickson were dominated by Alex Groza, Ralph Beard and Kentucky in the Final Four, 76-47.
Boom before eventual bust
Call me crazy, but five UI teams in the 1950s had realistic shots at the crown.
➜ 1951: Illinois avenged an early loss to Indiana, winning 71-65 to cap a 13-1 league audit, and seniors Don Sunderlage and Ted Beach led the team into the Final Four. They had No. 1 Kentucky down most of the way but center Bob Peterson was limited due to foul trouble against 7-foot Bill Spivey, and Wildcat Shelby Linville hit three late goals to win it 76-74.
➜ 1952: Jim Bredar emerged as a jump-shooting tournament star on another Final Four team, but the Illini converted just nine of 24 free throws and St. John’s stalled the last 5:47 to hang on, 61-59.
➜ 1953: Illinois was ranked No. 2 early on, but Indiana claimed the Big Ten title and the NCAA championship. The key game was a 74-70 double-overtime loss at IU in which Illini star John “Red” Kerr shot 6 of 30 (Illinois launched 95 attempts).
➜ 1954: Harry Combes’ Illini were ranked No. 4 at Christmas but couldn’t keep pace with Indiana, which snapped the UI’s eight-game win streak, 67-64 in Bloomington. Indiana fell to Notre Dame in the NCAA Sweet 16.
➜ 1955 and 1956: It was Iowa’s turn with four talented Illinoisans in the lineup — Scharm Scheuerman, Bill Schoof, Carl Cain and Bill Seaborg. They reached the Final Four both years. The ‘56 Illini, featuring fast-breaking guards Paul Judson and Bill Ridley, won 16 straight games but, ranked No. 2, lost at Iowa 96-72 on March 3.
The 1960s and 1970s produced just one Big Ten champion, and the 1963 club featuring Dave Downey and Bill Small fell against eventual champion Loyola 79-64 in the Elite Eight.
Tough ending to successful decade
The 1980s were comparable to the 1950s in that Lou Henson’s clubs were frequently high-ranked but unable to push through the tournament.
First-year guards Derek Harper and Craig Tucker combined for an uncharacteristic 2 of 17 from the field in a dreary 57-52 regional loss to Kansas State in 1981, and the 1983 club had similar troubles in a 52-49 loss to Utah.
In 1984, center Efrem Winters was barely mobile in a 54-51 Elite Eight loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena. That marked the end of tournament teams playing on their home court.
Illinois closed out the 1980s with four memorable and devastating tournament setbacks: at the hands of Alabama (58-56 in 1986), Austin Peay (68-67 in 1987), Villanova (66-63 in 1988) and Michigan (83-81 in the 1989 Final Four).
The Villanova game was particularly hurtful because these younger Flyin’ Illini, who led 48-38 with 9:09 to go, missed five one-and-one free throw opportunities in going 3 of 13 at the line in the last eight minutes. Meanwhile, Villanova cashed five late treys.
When Dayton rallied to nip Illinois 88-86 in 1990, it marked the fifth consecutive ouster by three points or less ... and mostly less.
21st-century shenanigans
Bill Self’s three teams offered the next serious NCAA threats. They were ranked No. 4 in the 2001 Elite Eight when they dropped a foul-marred 87-81 game to Arizona, which attempted an NCAA tournament-record 56 free throws (six Illini fouled out).
Frank Williams and Brian Cook sparked another strong Illini squad that fell to No. 2 Kansas 73-69 in the 2002 Midwest Regional in Madison, Wis.
And Notre Dame cashed a school-record 13 treys to upset the Illini 68-60 in the second round in 2003.
That brings us to Bruce Weber. After his 13th-ranked club fell to Duke 72-62 in 2004, the Illini were No. 1 throughout most of 2004-05 before falling to North Carolina 75-70 in the title game. Center James Augustine played just nine minutes before fouling out, and the Illini attempted a still-standing school-record 40 treys, making 12.
Since 2005, Illinois has sustained four losses by four or fewer points in early NCAA tournament games. Washington and Brandon Roy overcame an 11-point deficit to prevail 67-64 in the final game for Dee Brown and Augustine. Illinois led Virginia Tech 52-42 in 2007 but went scoreless in the last 4:20 to lose 54-52. Western Kentucky eliminated Illinois 76-72 in 2009, and John Groce’s first UI team fell short against No. 5 Miami 63-59 in 2013.
Imagine, 30 NCAA eliminations, and 16 of them by five points or less. Who broke all those mirrors?
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Tate | March Madness filled with plenty of heartbreak for Illini fans - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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