Memories from the Fighting Illini Run to the 2005 NCAA Championship Game

During the 36 years working in a collegiate sports information office, the 2004-05 Fighting Illini basketball season will always stand at the top as the most memorable. Everyone associated with the Illini that season knew there was potential for something special after a young team won an outright Big Ten title and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2004.

With Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head, James Augustine, Roger Powell Jr. returning as starters, and a strong cast coming off the bench, including Jack Ingram, Nick Smith, Rich McBride, Warren Carter and Shaun Pruitt, Coach Bruce Weber had a deep and talented roster to draw upon.

The Illini began the season ranked sixth in the nation and wouldn’t really be tested until playing Gonzaga in Indianapolis in late November followed by top-ranked Wake Forest in Champaign as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The matchup with the Zags would be played in front of the legendary John Wooden, who would later say it was one of the finer performances he had seen in many years. Wooden showed up at the Illinois practice in Indianapolis the day prior to the game, which was a thrill for everyone involved. The Illini made 14 of 28 3-pointers and turned the game into a rout in the first five minutes and a 58-27 Illini lead at halftime.

The leadup for the matchup against No. 1 Wake Forest four days later only fed into the frenzy that would play out inside the Assembly Hall. I can remember Wake SID Dean Buchan telling me before the game that the atmosphere in the arena was ripe for an ambush of his team, which is exactly what played out.

In perhaps the most explosive half of basketball played by the Illini that season, Illinois shot a blistering 60 percent, including 8-of-16 from 3-point range, to race out to a 54-33 lead at the half. During the game, the Illini had assists on 27 of their 38 baskets. Powell led with 19 points followed by Brown and Head with 16 each, as the Illini led by double-digits the final 28 minutes of the game and were up by as much as 32 in the second half. The final score of 91-73 doesn’t give enough credit to how much of a rout this was.

There was no doubt who would be No. 1 in the next national ranking vote, a spot Illinois would hold the remainder of the regular season and into the national championship game on April 4.

In those days, we offered media availability to our players and coaches every day around practice, and to Coach Weber and selected players after each game. The media attention that season has been unmatched in Fighting Illini history, and I would place it in the conversation for most that any team ever received.

Just about every day, at least 10-15 members of the media would show up to practice to speak with players. It was exhausting, yet the personalities on that team, especially Dee Brown, seemed to thrive on much of it.

As the undefeated season progressed, even more national media began checking in and attending games. Wins against Arkansas, at Georgetown and against Oregon at the United Center in Chicago led into the annual Braggin’ Rights matchup against Missouri in St. Louis, which ended with another Illini victory to improve to 11-0 on the season. 

No matter where the Illini played that season, thousands of fans wearing Orange and Blue found their way into arenas across the nation. The trip to Washington D.C. to play Georgetown was the furthest east the team would play that season, and Illini fans and alumni from up and down the coast found their way to the nation’s capital for the game. While there, the team was invited to visit the office of the Speaker of the House, which had an incredible view from the U.S. Capitol that looked out over the National Mall.

In between Christmas and New Year’s Day, Illinois was scheduled to play in the Las Vegas Invite with a possible intriguing matchup against 22nd-ranked Cincinnati, a team the Illini blew out in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The tournament was played in the Valley High School gym in Las Vegas, that was packed with 2500 fans of both teams. It was another Illini blowout with a 67-45 victory over the Bearcats.

The Illini entered league play with a spotless 14-0 record and the team was getting the rock star treatment on the road. Each hotel the team stayed at was swarming with fans and others trying to get all kinds of photos and items autographed. In an era before NIL, these players could only imagine what kind of prices they could have commanded for endorsements and autograph signings. It would have been insane.

Because of all the attention, a university police office started traveling with the team on all road games. The team started entering and leaving hotels through back entrances, even walking through kitchens to one of the doors not near the main entrance. Floors were being blocked off to non-team members and room phones were turned off to outside calls.

A close call came five games into Big Ten play when the Illini pulled out a 73-68 homecourt win in overtime over No. 23 Iowa. Another major hurdle was lurking at Wisconsin, where the Badgers had a 38-game winning streak. The Illini need to come from behind and scored 14 of the game’s final 15 points to post a 75-65 win and send thousands of Badger fans home in a sour mood. It was the first Big Ten loss at home for Wisconsin under Bo Ryan after 26 straight wins. Senior backup center Jack Ingram knocked down consecutive 3s to cap a 13-2 Illini run and give the Illini a 61-58 lead.

Sometime in January of that season, Coach Weber, and frankly, many of us who were around the team, were noticing that exhaustion was starting to set in with the players. One of the thoughts by Coach was to close off media access for several days. It is really a grind to meet with the media each day, along with going to practice, attending classes and just living life. Everyone, including the sports information staff, and I suspect, the media, appreciated the break and took advantage to regain some energy for the final run.

Illinois took its 21-0 record on the road to East Lansing to take on the 12th ranked MSU Spartans in what many who covered the national scene would be the last big test until postseason. The number of live TV hits at the Breslin Center was mind-blowing. By now, the Chicago media machine had fully jumped on the bandwagon and were following the Illini wherever we played. The St. Louis media was also following regularly. Include those media markets with all the Downstate media who followed the team made each game a huge media event.

The Illini buried 13 3-pointers during an 81-68 win at one of the most hostile road environments in the nation.

The top-ranked Fighting Illini clinched a share of the Big Ten title with an 84-48 win over Northwestern at the Assembly Hall, when the teamwork on this team was featured during one possession when there were 14 crisp passes that every player touched before ending in a wide-open Dee Brown 3-pointer.

The outright Big Ten championship celebration was held off until the next game, though, when the Illini blasted Purdue, 84-50, setting off a confetti and net-cutting celebration enjoyed by all 16,660 fans in attendance.

This left one regular-season game remaining at Ohio State. Weber knew history was on the line as he led his 29-0 team to Columbus trying to become the first team to enter the NCAA Tournament without a loss since UNLV in 1991. Illini fans snapped up every loose ticket with the hope to finish the regular season with a 30-0 record.

The Illini led 64-58 after a James Augustine layup with 3:23 left – but didn’t score again. This is where the legend of Matt Sylvester was stamped when he sank a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining to give the Buckeyes a one-point lead. A pass was tipped out of bounds with 2.2 seconds remaining and a desperation 3-point attempt by Roger Powell glanced off the rim and left the final scored Ohio State 65, Illinois 64. A subdued locker room followed the game as the team contemplated what had just slipped through their fingers. Just one good possession in the final three minutes would have likely changed the outcome.

Next up was the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. During the Illini victory over Northwestern in the opening game, word quickly spread among a few of us that Coach Weber’s mother, Dawn Weber, had been taken to a local hospital complaining of chest pains prior to the game. Shortly after the game, we all learned that she did not survive, leaving in question whether Coach Weber would be on the sideline the next day against Minnesota. It was an emotional time for the head coach, and everyone close to him. He decided to finish out the tournament on the sideline before a funeral in Milwaukee on the following Monday.

The Big Ten held a moment of silence for Dawn before Illinois went on to beat the Gophers 64-46 in the semifinal. Wisconsin was the matchup in the championship game and the Badgers tried to slow the pace of the game. James Augustine earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds in the three games but leading an Illini defense that held the Badgers to 26 percent shooting (14 of 54 from the field) in a 54-43 win.

After earning the overall No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, Illinois was assigned to the Indianapolis pod for the first and second rounds, which led into the Chicago Regional held at Allstate Arena in Rosement before the final goal of the Final Four in St. Louis. If the Illini took care of business, they would be able to bus to all three sites.

In Indy, the Illini handled Farleigh Dickinson and Nevada. Attention was immediately focused on Rosemont where nemesis Bruce Pearl had led his Wisconsin-Milwaukee squad into the Sweet Sixteen. A 77-63 victory over the Panthers moved the Illini into the Regional Final against second-seeded Arizona.

By now, comedian and Chicago-area native Bill Murray had jumped on the Fighting Illini bandwagon and was in attendance. In between the two games at Rosemont, Murray took some time to meet with the team, answering questions and posing for photos. For many of us, it was a lifetime memory.

In what has gone down as perhaps the greatest game and win in Fighting Illini basketball history, a sold-out All-State Arena crowd that was overwhelmingly wearing Orange and Blue was ready to celebrate. Arizona and head coach Lute Olsen had other ideas and led the favored Illini 75-60 with four minutes remaining as the partisan crowd watched in stunned silence.

It was then that the legendary comeback began. It was four minutes of regulation plus overtime to earn a spot in the Final Four. Things looked so bad for the Illini that NCAA officials began stashing boxes of the Regional Championship t-shirts and hats behind the Arizona bench so they would be within easy reach immediate after an expected Wildcat win.

An Illini comeback for the ages had officials quickly gathering those boxes. Williams knocked down a 3-pointer before two Arizona free throws with 3:26 remaining had the deficit at 14. Brown grabbed an offensive rebound and made a 3 of his own. Head made a steal and layup to make it 77-70 with 1:18 remaining. Arizona made one of two free throws after a foul before Williams made a layup to make it a six-point Wildcat lead.

The final minute was a blur. Arizona’s Mustafa Shakur made two free throws with 1:03 to stretch the lead back to eight points. Head knocked down a three pointer with 54 seconds remaining. Brown knocked the ball away from Shakur and scored a layup on an assist from Williams with 45 seconds remaining to pull within three.

That led to possibly the play of the game. Reserve Jack Ingram, who was in the game because starting center James Augustine had fouled out, knocked away a lobbed inbounds pass that was corralled by Brown, who swung the ball to Williams for his iconic three-pointer that tied the game at 80-80 with 39 seconds still on the clock! The bedlam inside Allstate Center was heard all the way back in Champaign-Urbana. 

Arizona held for a three pointer by McClellan that missed and was rebounded by Brown, who threw a long pass that was intercepted by Arizona’s Salim Stoudamire. It appeared the sharp shooting Stoudamire would get off an open three to possible win the game, only to have Head fly in from the side and swat the shot away sending the game to overtime.

There were many there, including actor Bill Murray, who said it was the loudest crowd they had witnessed. The overtime was as hard fought as the final four minutes of regulation. Williams opened with a three pointer, only to be countered by a layup and dunk by Wildcat center Channing Frye to take back the lead.

A layup by Illini senior Roger Powell, another three by Williams and a layup by Head, who was battling a strained hamstring, gave Illinois an 90-84 lead with 1:57 remaining. The Wildcats scored five straight points to pull within one with 52 seconds left on the clock. Frye blocked a jumper by Head to set up another thrilling finish. After calling timeout with 11 seconds remaining, Arizona’s Hassan Adams was harassed into missing a long three-pointer at the buzzer.

The top of Allstate Center nearly blew off with the reaction of Illinois fans who couldn’t believe what they had just seen. An epic celebration followed on the floor as the Illini players couldn’t believe what had just happened and followed into the locker room. At the NCAA Tournament, the locker room is open to the media following a 10-minute cool-down period, and the exhausted team could only hug and celebrate with each other for those few moments before the media frenzy began.

A few key players are always peeled away from the locker room to appear in separate media room to be available to all the media in attendance. While waiting in the Green Room for Arizona coach Lute Olson to finish answering questions on how the game got away from the Wildcats, the four Illini players and Weber stood still in shock.

At least until Williams blurted out, “What the hell just happened?”

At that point, Brown, Head, Ingram and Williams started sharing their recollections of the final minutes. 

“I thought I fouled Shakur on the steal, but there’s no way I make the layup without the great pass from Deron,” said Brown about the spinning lead pass that gave Dee a clear shot to the basket.

“I just did what Coach taught us on defending inbounds passes,” added Ingram when talking about his deflection that turned into Williams’s game-tying three pointer.

“My leg was so tight, I didn’t think I would make it to the basket,” said Head, when describing his steal and dash to score.

Even then, it didn’t seem possible.

On the bus trip down I-57 back to Champaign, Illini fans loaded each overpass to cheer their team, including many flashing lights from local fire trucks and other emergency vehicles letting the team know the entire state was behind them. Upon return to the Ubben Basketball Practice Facility parking lot, thousands more had gathered to greet the team and help celebrate the incredible victory.

Certainly, a night that everyone involved with never forget.

The Final Four in St. Louis was next with another bus ride scheduled for the team. At the team’s open practice on Friday afternoon, more than 20,000 Illini faithful showed up to cheer on their team, the biggest crowd ever for a NCAA open practice session.

Security at the team hotel was extremely tight with guards on the two floors reserved for the team and staff, while arrangements were again made to have the team enter and leave through a back entrance not available to fans.

St. Louis had become an Illini town, even with nearby Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina making up the remaining field.

Illinois took on Louisville in the first game on Saturday as the Edward Jones Dome was packed to the ceiling. The Illini controlled the game much of the way with Powell making the play of the game by following his own missed 3-point attempt with a tip dunk that caused an Orange and Blue roar.

North Carolina took care of Michigan State in the nightcap to set up the game that basketball fans were hoping for as the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams were meeting on the final Monday of the season.

The day in between games is taken up by a practice, any athletic training rehab that was needed and seemingly endless meetings and photo opportunities with CBS and the assembled media. Luckily, by this time, the Fighting Illini players were handling the media like old pros.

This special season also meant that Bruce Weber would be honored as National Coach of the Year by nine organizations, with five of the presentations taking place in St. Louis starting on Thursday of that week. It was like working in a hurricane with all the planned activities around the team, coach and Final Four.

The feeling of walking through the tunnel to the court before the championship game was a memory that many of us will never forget. Illini fans had snapped up every available ticket and overwhelmingly filled the dome.

The Illini were hampered by foul trouble for Augustine and Ingram, while converting just 12 of 40 3-point field goal attempts. Augustine fouled out in nine minutes of court time while North Carolina’s Sean May was able to have his way in the post. The 75-70 loss to the Tar Heels was not how the season was supposed to end for the Illini, but the year was incredibly memorable for everyone involved. The experience is truly like living and working in the middle of a hurricane until the season ends, when it feels like it crashes into a brick wall and just stops.

The locker room after the game was as subdued as one could expect. After a few minutes of deep thought, players began hugging and supporting their brothers. Following a short cool-down period, we needed to escort Weber and a few players to the postgame press conference. The ending of a season is one of the hardest things that people within the team must deal with. There is only one team that ends with a win on that Final Monday.

 While the team was finishing the season in St. Louis, staff back in Champaign-Urbana were planning for the team’s return, knowing that thousands of fans would want to recognize this historic group.

The weather was nice enough to schedule their return event at Memorial Stadium, where more than 20,000 fans congregated to cheer their team one final time. Many of the players spoke their thoughts, along with Weber and several campus leaders. 

It was a fitting end to an incredible season.

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