Illinois Illini


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The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team will again be led by Bruce Weber who is in his 7th season as the head coach of the team. Last season he coached the team to a 24-10 record and a berth into the NCAA Tournament where they were eliminated by Western Kentucky in the first round.

In the off season, the coaching staff had a highly rated recruiting season as they inked four players, SG Joseph Bertrand (6-5, 185), Tyler Griffey (6-8, 210) Brandon Paul (6-3, 180) and D.J. Richardson (6-3, 180). ESPN gave an average grade of 90.75, Scout Magazine gave the class an average 3.5 out of five stars and Rivals Magazine gave them the same 3.5. This year’s team will be lead by seniors Bubba Chisholm and Dominique Keller and six juniors with five freshmen rounding out the team.

Last June, Jeffrey Jordan, son of Hall of Fame player Michael Jordon, walked off the court to concentrate on school. As a sophomore last season, Jordan - a defensive specialist, averaged 8.4 minutes a game, shot 43% and 33% from three point range and was looking at getting even more playing time from Coach Weber when he made his decision. "I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here," Jordan in a statement. "But I have come to the point where I'm ready to focus on life after basketball." Coach Weber said he would welcome the return of Jordan if he decided to do so.

On August 18, 2009, the ESPN Network announced that Illinois will host ESPN’s College GameDay during the 2009/10 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season and specifically the February 6, 2010 game pitting the Illini vs. Michigan State. This will be the first appearance for the Illini on ESPN College GameDay.

As recently as October 2009, Jeffrey Jordan was talking with coaches and former teammates about a possible return to the team.

A SHORT HISTORY

The fighting Illini men’s basketball team came into existence many years after the woman’s team was established. Roy Riley, the Team Captain and Coach was replaced with the first professional coach for the Illini, Elwood Brown who posted a 6-8 record. The team would go through a series of coaches who mostly stayed on for one year until 1912 when the school hired Ralph Jones for the job. Coach Jones would tally an 85-34 (.714) record and take the Illini to the National Championship in the 1914/15 season as he guided his team to a 16-0 record and their first and last National Championship.

It would not be until 2005, ninety-one years later that the Fighting Illini would appear again in the big dance as the team battled to a 37-2 record tying the NCAA record for most wins in a season. In the Elite Eight, in a game against Arizona, the team found themselves down by 15 with a little over 4 minutes left. Sparked by Luther Head and Deron Williams and Dee Brown, the Illini made the most improbable comeback, sending the game into overtime. The Illini would go on to win by one point to advance into the Final Four and would defeat the Louisville Cardinals to advance to the Big Dance. The team would fall short against the North Carolina Tar Heels who became the NCAA Champions.