Illinois-Purdue Tickets | Schedule
On Sunday, Jan. 10, when the Fighting Illini host No. 20 Purdue it will be Lou Henson Bobblehead night at State Farm Center. The first 6,000 fans to enter State Farm Center will receive a scratch-off card, with 1,500 fans receiving a Lou Henson bobblehead doll commemorating the court naming and Coach Henson's enshrinement into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Illini and Boilermakers will tip at 5 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by Big Ten Network. The doors at State Farm Center will open at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale at FIGHTINGILLINI.com or at the Illinois Athletics Ticket Office at State Farm Center.
Henson was hired at Illinois on April 5, 1975. What followed was a legendary 21-year career in charge of the Orange and Blue. He amassed a 423-224 record, highlighted by 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, a total of 15 postseason bids, and eleven 20-win seasons. Illinois basketball was one of the nation's most dominant programs during Henson's tenure, earning a top-5 seed in the NCAA Tournament seven straight years from 1984 through 1990.
Henson's Illini won the 1984 Big Ten Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. His most successful season came with the Flyin' Illini, who won a then-school record 31 games and advanced to the 1989 NCAA Final Four. Henson ranks fifth all-time among Big Ten coaches in both total wins (423) and conference wins (214).
Over his entire career, Henson won 779 games; ranking 16th on the all-time NCAA wins list, and 11th all-time among coaches with at least 10 years spent in Division I. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to record 200-plus wins at two DI schools, totaling 423 at Illinois and 289 at New Mexico State. He also stands as one of just 14 coaches to lead two different teams to the Final Four.
The Dec. 2 home opener vs. Notre Dame marked the dedication of Lou Henson Court at State Farm Center, permanently honoring Fighting Illini Basketball's all-time winningest coach. Henson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Nov. 20.
