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University of Illinois Athletics

Fighting Illini Men's Basketball History

1* National Title
1915
* Illinois was retroactively named national champion for 1915 by the Helms Athletic Foundation. 

5 NCAA Final Fours
1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005

35* NCAA Tournament Appearances
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
* Illinois elected not to participate in the 1943 NCAA Tournament after three starters were drafted and entered military service following the final regular-season game … Illinois would have participated in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, but it was canceled one week prior due to COVID-19.

18* Big Ten Regular Season Championships
1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2022
* Illinois led the Big Ten in wins while playing the full conference schedule in 2021, but because of an uneven number of games played, finished as runner-up by a winning percentage differential of .024

4 Big Ten Tournament Championships
2003, 2005, 2021, 2024

Winningest Seasons – By Total Wins
1. 37 2005
2. 31 1989
3. 29 2024
4. 27 2001
5. 26 2006
26 2004
26 2002
26 1985
26 1984
10. 25 2003

Winningest Seasons – By Win Percentage
1. 1.000 16-0 1915
2. .949 37-2 2005
3. .944 17-1 1943
4. .861 31-5 1989
5. .846 22-4 1952
6. .840 21-4 1949
7. .839 26-5 1984
8. .818 18-4 1956
.818 18-4 1953
10. .815 22-5 1951

Winningest Big Ten Seasons – By Total Wins
1. 16 2021
2. 15 2022
15 2005
15 1984
5. 14 2024
14 1989
14 1953
8. 13 2020
13 2004
13 2001
13 1998
13 1987
13 1951
13 1942

Winningest Big Ten Seasons – By Win Percentage
1. 1.000 12-0 1943
1.000 12-0 1915
3. .938 15-1 2005
4. .929 13-1 1951
5. .867 13-2 1942
6. .857 12-2 1952
7. .833 15-3 1984
.833 10-2 1949
.833 10-2 1937
.833 10-2 1917