With the completion of the Pro Bowl marking the official end of this NFL season, the sports spotlight now turns to college basketball.
Selection Sunday is just a little under four weeks away and several teams are beginning to play themselves in and out of the NCAA Tournament.
One team that seems destined to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance is the University of Illinois. The fighting Illini are undefeated with a weak schedule ahead of them.
Most basketball experts think their biggest roadblock was passed this weekend as they defeated Wisconsin at home. Illinois had already snapped the nation’s longest home winning streak by defeating the Badgers in Madison.
But even with a 25-game winning streak and a No. 1 ranking, most people can’t name more than two players on the team.
Dee Brown has become a household name with his athletic ability and highlight reel passes and Luther Head has proven he can fill up the basket. However, every basketball fan can name at least three players from Duke.
I’ve seen Illinois once this year on television, this weekend against Wisconsin. True, they have been on more than that, but not as much as others.
I’ve seen Duke play four games in the last three weeks. I’ve watched Kansas play teams so overmatched that I thought the cheerleaders were going to get some playing time.
I’ve heard so much hype about North Carolina that I suspect they’ll join the NBA soon. What about Illinois? Boston College got more airtime when they were undefeated.
A quick look at the rankings and you’ll see that Illinois, UNC and Kansas are all in the top ten. These teams’ coaches have played musical chairs lately.
The Tar Heels hired former Kansas coach Roy Williams which resulted in Kansas hiring former Illini coach Bill Self to lead the Jayhawks.
Most thought that Illinois got the short end of the stick when they hired Bruce Weber. Not that Weber was a bad coach, but Self had built the Illini program and most wanted him to stay. But who’s laughing now?
Williams is dealing with the throat-slashing antics of Rashard McCants and Self has had to deal with the loss of superstar forward Wayne Simien. Meanwhile, a healthy and happy Illinois team beats all comers.
Illinois has one more formidable opponent in front of them; they travel to Iowa this Saturday.
Of course undefeated teams often fall to unexpected opponents, especially this late in the season.
Remember last year when St. Joseph’s was beat by a Xavier team struggling to make the tournament? Somehow I think you might.
Head coach Bruce Weber has said he doesn’t believe in the theory that a loss will ultimately help his team.
This is the kind of attitude that just might keep Illinois undefeated even through the Big Dance.
Illinois wants to win every game, they leave everything they’ve got on the court, and would like nothing better than to be the first team to go undefeated since Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers in 1976.
Illinois has been by far the most fun team to watch this year (even though they’re never on television).
They run the court at breakneck speed and shoot the three with remarkable accuracy. An Illinois fast break often ends with superb pass and a highflying jam. They also play some airtight defense.
So in a month when you sit down to fill out your bracket and Illinois is still undefeated, don’t pick the upset. They just might have what it takes to become a part of history.
Josh Neaves is a senior secondary education major. He can be reached at [email protected].