Loyola-Chicago among 5 of the greatest NCAA Tournament runs in Illinois history
By Ryan Heckman
The 2004-2005 Illinois Fighting Illini were one heck of a team to watch. If there ever was a “would-have, should-have, could-have” list of National Champion hopefuls, this team would be competing for the top spot.
Illinois began that regular season by winning its first 29 games. They looked unbeatable at times, and why wouldn’t they? This team featured a starting five that all went on to have some sort of professional career, with three of them spending multiple seasons in the NBA.
Point guard Deron Williams wound up being selected third overall by the Utah Jazz a couple of months after their tournament run, and his teammate Luther Head was also a first-round selection, chosen by the Houston Rockets.
Ending the season with only one lone loss and atop the AP Poll, Illinois looked poised to bring home a title. An exciting run including an overtime thriller against the Arizona Wildcats in the Elite Eight brought them all the way to the end — the National Championship.
The Illini took on the North Carolina Tar Heels, who had an impressive roster of their own. Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May and Marvin Williams were the stars of their show, and ultimately came away holding the trophy.
The Tar Heels won by a score of 75-70, sending Illinois home just one victory short of the ultimate goal.