We’re Americans, and so we only have room for one team in any given year. The champions get all of the credit, all of the attention and are the ones we remember. So we’re just supposed to forget about the Illini now because they had the gall to go 37-2?
Screw that.
They lost to North Carolina because they couldn’t stop Sean May, and no matter how hard Roy Williams tried to lose the game, Sean wouldn’t let him. So that’s supposed to be our memory of the 2005 Illini?
I don’t think so.
There were too many great moments. Too many “wow, these guys are good” revelations and they just did too much, too well to go down in anything but our amber colored memory banks. This was a team unlike any we’d ever seen. Unselfish, hardworking and they never gave up.
Even when they fell behind by 15 in the second half you knew they’d find a way to claw back into it. And they did.
Suddenly it was 70-70 with 2:32 to go. Two and a half minutes to decide the national title.
But it wasn’t exactly two and a half minutes that either team will put in a time capsule.
Rashad McCants, who apparently had driven home at halftime, came back and took a horrific twisting layup that clanked hard off the backboard and was tipped in by Marvin Williams. That was the last field goal of the night.
Deron Williams missed a three. Luther Head missed a three. Both times Illinois got the ball back. Then Head committed Illinois’ only turnover of the half when he tried to find Dee Brown in the corner, only to have Raymond Felton steal the ball.
Felton was fouled and gave Illinois one last chance when he made only one free throw. Head got another good look at a three and missed and it was over. Painfully, those three three point attempts, one by Williams, two by Head, all looked like they were going in. None did. If one does? Well…we’ll never know.
Some dope wrote yesterday that if James Augustine could score half as many points as Sean May that Illinois would be in good shape.
Let me check my math. Is zero half of 26? It’s not? Well, maybe that was true, then.
It took Illinois 100 years to play for a national title. It might take them 100 more to do it again. Though, that seems unlikely. Regardless, the loss stings even more than it would have because you just don’t know when that chance will come again.
I’ve been watching Illinois and Notre Dame basketball since I was a toddler, and let’s just say I wasn’t surprised, nor thrilled to see on ESPN that those schools are one and three in NCAA Tournament wins without a national title. They’ve combined for 200 years of college basketball and until last night, neither had ever played for the big prize.
But even if it takes them a year or two to rebuild back to Big Ten championship status, I think the 2004-05 Illini have given us enough memories to get us through a mediocre winter or two.
Undisputed Big Ten titles and Final Four trips don’t exactly grow on trees in these parts. We’ll remember these guys.
We’ll remember Bruce Weber, mainly because he’ll still be around, but also because he went from being weird to being quirky pretty darn quick. He’s a hell of a basketball coach, too, and that doesn’t hurt.
We’ll remember Luther Head, not for the missed three and the turnover, but for the way he got better every year and the way he willed himself to four straight balls out efforts, even on a balky hamstring. Of all the guys Illinois will lose the next two years, the toughest to replace will be Luther, he’s got an all-around skill set, that you just don’t see very often.
We’ll remember Deron Williams because when he’s gone we’ll be reminded what it’s like to not have a point guard as fearless or as flawless as he was. Illinois has had some good lead guards over the years, including the great (and I mean that) Derek Harper, and Deron’s easily the best they’ve ever had.
We’ll remember Dee Brown for always being the toughest guy on the court, no matter their size. We also have a hunch that the little man’s going to enjoy a season alone in the spotlight next year, and that the Illini will be a little better than you think.
We’ll remember James Augustine, not for his three dumb fouls last night (and the two phantom ones he got saddled with, too), but for the way he constantly tormented Wisconsin this year. The Illini beat them three times, and Augie was the big reason all three times.
We’ll remember the Reverend Roger Powell for that hellacious missed-three-putback-slam against Louisville, because, we might never see it again, and certainly we’ll never see it in a spot as important as that was. I’ll always remember his dunk in OT against Arizona, too, the one that somehow stayed in the cylinder. And, I doubt we’ll ever find a player who can surpass the dignity that Roger displayed in his Illini career.
We’ll remember Jack Ingram because he just got better every night. He has nothing to be ashamed of for his title game performance. Every time North Carolina looked like they were going to pull away, Jack–of all people–stepped up and made a play. And Jack, you’ll always have Arizona. You’re famous for life for that one.
We’ll remember Nick Smith…well, Nick, maybe time will soften our memory of the way you pouted and regressed in 2005? Or, maybe not.
For the rest of the guys, Bake McBride, Warren Carter and the ones who either didn’t, or couldn’t play this year, their future is still to be determined.
I found myself a lot more upset when it looked like the ship was going down against Arizona than I was last night, and for a while I wondered why. But I figured it out. I didn’t want the season to end. I didn’t want to not be able to watch this team play out the full season. I wanted to see the most unselfish team I’d ever play, play 39 times. Yeah, I was selfish about that.
So even though it didn’t end the way we all wanted it to, we got more than we ever could have dreamed along the way.
They were a joy to watch. Every time. And that’s what we’ll miss the most.
That’s because the Pope has better make-up people.
If the Pizatriots make my shiznit good, ya all know day be for real.
“Suddenly it was 70-70 with 2:32 to go. Two and a half minutes to decide the national title.”
The next Illini possession is what I really wish they could have back. They had the momentum, having just tied the game and Dee getting the rebound on the NC miss.
I thought for sure they’d run the offense and work the tiring Heels for at least a foul, if not an easy basket, but Deron jacked up that 3 about 10 seconds into the shot clock. Open shot, I can’t really blame him, but that shot would have been there 20 seconds later if they couldn’t get anything better by pressuring them with a solid possession.
I also wish Dee, and maybe even Roger, would have gotten one last shot at a three in the final possessions. Eh, what can you do? It was a great ride.
Boy, it sure feels good to get that title out of the way.
Now I can get busy in the NBA being the next Jamal Crawford.
If you’re lucky, Rashad.
I went to Cincinnati. Can’t even spell my own name.
Brian Randle will be a real addition to the team next year and will soften the impact of the losses from the senior class I think. McBride may turn out to be a real quality player as well.
My question is: Will Deron come back for another year? I think it’s doubtful – but has he indicated anything yet?
As for the Cubs – I don’t think its wise to judge the quality of the current Cubs offense based on their performace against Javier Vazquez! As you noted, even Z got a double! Let’s see how they do against a team that won’t finish at the bottom of the weakest division in the NL and then begin to form conclusions about the quality of this current line-up.
I think Deron is a goner. In the tourney he went from being a potential first rounder to a likely lottery pick. Plus, he has a kid. He needs to buy diapers and stuff.
The real question concerns Dee Brown. Personally, I think he would be foolish to leave early. I love his game and all, but he could probably use that senior year that has helped so many other guys. He’s not quite ready for the NBA.
Not only is he a very good player, but he is a good guy. Class act all the way. I think his mom said a few days ago that he was gonna enter the draft,to answer your question one guy up dude.
Thats Rashad McCants part of a National Championship TEAM to you
Actually I went to michigan
You can say what you want, but I won the national championship.
Fine, our offense will only score 7 runs.
Hey, can I get a little credit here? That should have been me out there last night.
My hair deserves it!!!
Yeah, Roy, yer still a dork!
Don’t you wish that I would just go away? I mean, even I can’t stand my awful columns.
My hair deserves it, too!
I’m not a dork. I am more like Phil Jackson with only one championship. You know, every time my team takes the floor we are saddled with all that gosh darn tootin’ talent.
Sure Matt. Good job with recruiting them. Too bad you just couldn’t coach them.
How far the talent got the USA basketball team in the olympics?
They only had one chance a short practice period after a long season. I have been at this for quite some doggone time myself.
That was me up there…not this anonymous feller, whoever he is.
Roy, I liked your tie, but your highlighter didn’t match too well.
I can give a shit about Roy Williams right now.
Now that Illinois is done, how about a Daily Dose focusing on us if we win tonight? That would make 10 in a row and a pretty damn good win tonight
Wayne, I’ll call you.
Just watch me man. I’ll talk about the baby bulls on my show. And I’ll do it by being extremely annoying.
No Deng, a sick Curry, and a hobbled Hinrich. The Bulls are in trouble.
Sorry, Bulls 9 wins is the end of the line for this train…
So I was pulling for Illinois last night, thaks to this great web site. Sorry I couldn’t help the team.. i was still getting over winning the NIT tourney!
Go Gamecocks 66th best team in the country!
How about the winner of the NIT gets an automatic slot in the round of 16 in the NCAAs? Gives the NITs some value again
Hey, if it gets Notre Dame back in the tourney, I’m all for it.
Actually, better change that to, “The loser of a first round home game with Holy Cross automatically gets and automatic slot in the round of 16 in the NCAAs.”
Andy, seeing how you are ND fan, I dont get why you hate me.
I can’t even spell my own name…but you know, why do you hate me andy?
I got pinched for posession. Yep, coke and grass, didn’t see that one coming.
Digger please!
Sloth, good idea… Another idea would be to do what they do in the Prep Bowl playoffs, where a team from the Pub. Lge/Chi. Cath. Lge enters the Prep Bowl playoffs upon its ouster from the IHSA playoffs… This way you pump up the matchups in the NIT, and its meaning retainst SOME value…
Well – enough of the Illinois news. Great season, great players, etc. etc.
But Andy – they’re replacing the library carpet at the Harvard of the Midwest!!! For the love of God WHY???????
This is just wrong. I demand that they put that carpet back in or I’ll have to stop payment on those lucrative donation checks.
That headache inducing carpet was great for two things. You couldn’t fall asleep with it surrounding you and for some reason it drove the ladies wild and they couldn’t keep their pants on back in the stacks.
Or perhaps it was my supercool early ’90s bouffant? Either way, if I had to suffer with that carpet, so do the saps who follow me at the Harvard of the Midwest.
If Northern sponsored a noontime fund-raiser to pay for new flooring, would someone call it a Carpet Luncher?
Some things jumped out at me from this article:
The carpet is only ~3 decades old. Criminal waste of funding to replace something that clearly has another 50 or so years of use left.
I remember clearly the feeling of dizzyness and vertigo from just strolling to the counter of that place. If we don’t have that anymore – I fear the kids will turn to illegal drugs to replace it. What about the children???
The #1 thing alumni remember is Altgeld Hall??? WTF?? The #1 thing I remember is deflowering some kind lass on the lagoon bridge. Or Dot’s Diner. But apparently remembering a gloomy, gothic administration building really did it for most people. Very disappointing.
I homered tonight, bitches!! Nomar who? You know you miss me.
When you say Harvard of the Midwest, you are really referring to me, you know.
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