Men's Basketball - History - 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.

6 NCAA Final Fours
1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005, 2026

11 NCAA Elite Eights
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1989, 2001, 2005, 2024, 2026

13 NCAA Sweet Sixteens
1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2024, 2026

36* 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, 2026

* 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.	28	2026
5.	27	2001
6.	26	2006
	26	2004
	26	2002
	26	1985
	26	1984

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	2026
	15	2022
	15	2005
	15	1984
6.	14	2024
	14	1989
	14	1953
9.	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

Schedule

Fighting Illini Men's Basketball History

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Men's Track & Field versus NCAA West Preliminaries on May 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM (T) // 7 PM (F) CT

Upcoming Event: Women's Track & Field versus NCAA West Preliminaries on May 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM (T) // 7 PM (F) CT

Upcoming Event: Men's Track & Field versus NCAA West Preliminaries on May 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM (F) // 7:50 PM (T) CT

Upcoming Event: Women's Track & Field versus NCAA West Preliminaries on May 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM (F) // 7:50 PM (T) CT

Upcoming Event: Men's Track & Field versus NCAA West Preliminaries on May 29, 2026 at 1 PM (F) // 5:15 PM (T) CT

Results

Completed Event: Baseball versus [5] Purdue on May 20, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 3

Completed Event: Men's Golf at NCAA Athens Regional on May 20, 2026 , , T11th / 13 | 284-275-286--845 (-7)

Completed Event: Baseball versus [8] Iowa on May 19, 2026 , Loss , 6, to, 10

Completed Event: Men's Golf at NCAA Athens Regional on May 19, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Men's Golf at NCAA Athens Regional on May 18, 2026 ,

Fighting Illini Men's Basketball History

Promotional Background Photo

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