The Illini basketball program will always hold a special distinction when it comes to the Big Ten Tournament. From the event’s inception, in 1998, all the way until 2012, they either advanced to or qualified into the quarterfinal round. No one else can say that.
In fact, there have only been six Big Ten Tournaments in which the Illini didn’t play in a quarterfinal (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and last year were the others).
Here’s your official 2024 Big Ten Tournament Bracket: pic.twitter.com/gXEOZSyI4H
— The Field Pass (@TheFieldPass) March 11, 2024
Overall, the Illini are second all-time in wins, 31, behind only Michigan State, who have 33.
They are third all-time in winning percentage, behind just MSU and Ohio State.
They have three Big Ten Tournament titles (2003, 2005, 2021), tied with Wisconsin for third, behind only MSU and OSU, who each have five.
The Illini also have four runner-up finishes, bringing their total title game appearances to seven.
Finally, you know that #8 vs #9 Thursday morning second round game?
We call that the John Groce Invitational, or John Groce Special, as his era of Illini basketball saw the blue and orange relegated to that contest in four of his five seasons. Who could forget the time that Michigan beat them by 20 in this game…well, actually that happened twice.
The more memorable of the two was 2017 when the Wolverines routed them in their pajamas (ok, it was actually the warm up uniforms), on about three hours of sleep.
Their charter jet skidded off the runway, and this scary event threw everything into disarray. The Wolverines were ESPN 30 for 30 material, as they eventually went on to win that entire tournament.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.