2002-03 Illinois Men's Basketball Schedule Announced
August 26, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 26, 2002
CHAMPAIGN, ILL.-The 2002-03 Fighting Illini men's basketball schedule was announced today. Highlighting the slate under third-year head coach Bill Self are eight games against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including two match-ups with national runner-up Indiana and a showdown with Final Eight participant Missouri. The Illini are still working on a regular-season opener to be played in Champaign.
On Dec. 3, Illinois will host an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game at the Assembly Hall for the first time in the four years of the Challenge's existence when the North Carolina Tarheels come to town. This will mark North Carolina's first trip to Champaign since 1987 and will be the first ACC team to visit the Assembly Hall since the Illini defeated Georgia Tech in double overtime in 1989.
The Illini will appear nationally on ESPN for three consecutive Saturdays during the month of December, beginning Dec. 7 against Arkansas in Little Rock. Illinois will face Temple at the United Center in Chicago on Dec. 14, and the Illini and the Missouri Tigers will square off in the annual border war game at the Savvis Center in St. Louis on Dec. 21.
The Illini also host a Big Ten home game away from the Assembly Hall when they take on Northwestern Feb. 22 at the United Center in Chicago.
"We have a good, competitive schedule this year," Self said. "We play some of the premier programs in the nation, but also several home games that will hopefully allow us to grow as a team prior to Big Ten play."
Illinois will appear a total of six times on ESPN, twice on ESPN2, and four times on CBS (with the possibility of a fifth game) during the 2002-03 season.
The Illini begin Big Ten play on the road for the first time since 1999 when the team travels to Minnesota to open the conference slate Jan. 7. It remains the same four Big Ten teams as last season that the Illini will play just once during the 16-game conference schedule: Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn State.
| Date | Opponent | Time (CST) | TV |
| Fri. Oct. 11 | MIDNIGHT MADNESS (at Huff Hall) | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. Oct. 26 | ORANGE & BLUE SCRIMMAGE | 7 p.m. | |
| Tues. Nov. 12 | SPOTLIGHT JAMMERS (Exhibition) | 7 p.m. | |
| Fri. Nov. 15 | EA SPORTS ALL-STARS (Exhibition) | 7 p.m. | |
| Nov. TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Wed. Nov. 27 | ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF | 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Sun. Dec. 1 | WESTERN ILLINOIS | 2 p.m. | TBA |
| Tues. Dec. 3 | NORTH CAROLINA (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Sat. Dec. 7 | vs. Arkansas (at Little Rock) | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tues. Dec. 10 | EASTERN ILLINOIS | 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Sat. Dec. 14 | TEMPLE (Chevrolet Shootout at United Center, Chicago) | ||
| 11 a.m. | ESPN | ||
| Sat. Dec. 21 | vs. Missouri (at Savvis Center, St. Louis) | 4:30 | |
| p.m. | ESPN | ||
| Sat. Dec. 28 | NORTH CAROLINA-GREENSBORO | 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Mon. Dec. 30 | COPPIN STATE | 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Sat. Jan. 4 | OAKLAND | 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Tues. Jan. 7 | at Minnesota | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat. Jan. 11 | WISCONSIN | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+ Regional |
| Wed. Jan. 15 | at Iowa | 8 p.m. | ESPN+ Local |
| Sat. Jan. 18 | at Indiana | 3 p.m. | CBS |
| Wed. Jan. 22 | PURDUE | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Sat. Jan. 25 | at Penn State | 11:15 a.m. | ESPN+ Regional |
| Wed. Jan. 29 | MICHIGAN | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ Local |
| Sun. Feb. 2 | at Michigan State | Noon | CBS |
| Sun. Feb. 9 | OHIO STATE | Noon | CBS |
| Sat. Feb. 15 | at Purdue | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ Local |
| Tues. Feb. 18 | MICHIGAN STATE | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat. Feb. 22 | NORTHWESTERN (at United Center, Chicago) | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Tues. Feb. 25 | INDIANA | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat. March 1 | at Michigan | 11:15 a.m. | ESPN+ Regional |
| Wed. March 5 | at Wisconsin | 8 p.m. | ESPN+ Local |
| Sat. March 8 | MINNESOTA | 3:30 or 7 p.m. | ESPN+R or ESPN+L |
| - Or Sun. March 9 | MINNESOTA | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| March 13-16 | Big Ten Tournament (at United Center, Chicago) | ||
| March 20-23 | NCAA Tournament 1st and 2nd Rounds | ||
| March 27-30 | NCAA Tournament Regionals | ||
| April 5, 7 | NCAA Final Four, New Orleans |
Home games in CAPS. All times are Central. Dates and times subject to
change.
TV coverage subject to change.
Big Ten Tournament Schedule; United Center, Chicago (All times Central)
Thursday, March 13 - First Round
Friday, March 14 - Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 15 - Semifinals
Sunday, March 16 - Championship
