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University of Illinois Athletics

Men's Basketball - NCAA Tournament History

1942
Eastern Region
Regional Semifinal / New Orleans, La. March 20 Kentucky 46, Illinois 44
Regional Third Place / New Orleans, La. March 21 Penn State 41, Illinois 34

1943
Illinois elected not to participate in the NCAA Tournament after three starters were drafted and entered military service following the final regular-season game

1949
Eastern Region
Regional Semifinal / New York, N.Y. March 21 Illinois 71, Yale 67
Regional Final (Final Four) / New York, N.Y. March 22 Kentucky 76, Illinois 47
National Third Place / Seattle, Wash. March 26 Illinois 57, Oregon State 53

1951
East Region
First Round / New York, N.Y. March 20 Illinois 79, Columbia 71
Regional Semifinal / New York, N.Y. March 22 Illinois 84, North Carolina State 70
Regional Final (Final Four) / New York, N.Y. March 24 Kentucky 76, Illinois 74
National Third Place / Minneapolis, Minn. March 27 Illinois 61, Oklahoma State 46

1952
East Region
Regional Semifinal / Chicago, Ill. March 21 Illinois 80, Dayton 61
Regional Final / Chicago, Ill. March 22 Illinois 74, Duquesne 68
National Semifinal / Seattle, Wash. March 25 St. John's 61, Illinois 59
National Third Place / Seattle, Wash. March 26 Illinois 67, Santa Clara 64

1963
Mideast Region
Regional Semifinal / East Lansing, Mich. March 15 Illinois 70, Bowling Green 67
Regional Final / East Lansing, Mich. March 16 Loyola-Chicago 79, Illinois 64

1981
West Region / #4 Seed
Second Round / Los Angeles, Calif. March 14 #4 Illinois 67, #5 Wyoming 65  Box
Regional Semifinal / Salt Lake City, Utah. March 19 #8 Kansas State 57, #4 Illinois 52  Box

1983
West Region / #7 Seed
First Round / Boise, Idaho March 17 #10 Utah 52, #7 Illinois 49  Box

1984
Mideast Region / #2 Seed
Second Round / Milwaukee, Wis. March 18 #2 Illinois 64, #7 Villanova 56  Box
Regional Semifinal / Lexington, Ky. March 22 #2 Illinois 70, #3 Maryland 70  Box
Regional Final / Lexington, Ky. March 24 #1 Kentucky 54, #2 Illinois 51  Box

1985
East Region / #3 Seed
First Round / Atlanta, Ga. March 18 #3 Illinois 76, #14 Northeastern 57  Box
Second Round / Atlanta, Ga. March 20 #3 Illinois 74, #6 Georgia 58  Box
Regional Semifinal / Providence, R.I. March 23 #2 Georgia Tech 61, #3 Illinois 53  Box

1986
Southeast Region / #4 Seed
First Round / Charlotte, N.C. March 14 #4 Illinois 75, #13 Fairfield 51  Box
Second Round / Charlotte, N.C. March 16 #5 Alabama 58, #4 Illinois 56  Box

1987
Southeast Region / #3 Seed
First Round / Birmingham, Ala. March 12 #14 Austin Peay 68, #3 Illinois 67  Box

1988
Southeast Region / #3 Seed
First Round / Cincinnati, Ohio March 18 #3 Illinois 81, #14 Texas-San Antonio 72  Box
Second Round / Cincinnati, Ohio. March 20 #6 Villanova 66, #3 Illinois 63  Box

1989
Midwest Region / #1 Seed
First Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 16 #1 Illinois 77, #16 McNeese State 71  Box
Second Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 18 #1 Illinois 72, #9 Ball State 60  Box
Regional Semifinal / Minneapolis, Minn. March 24 #1 Illinois 83, #4 Louisville 69  Box
Regional Final / Minneapolis, Minn. March 26 #1 Illinois 89, #2 Syracuse 86  Box
National Semifinal / Seattle, Wash. April 1 #3 Michigan 83, #1 Illinois 81  Box

1990
Midwest Region / #5 Seed
First Round / Austin, Texas. March 15 #12 Dayton 88, #5 Illinois 86  Box

1993
West Region / #6 Seed
First Round / Salt Lake City, Utah March 18 #6 Illinois 75, #11 Long Beach State 72  Box
Second Round / Salt Lake City, Utah March 20 #3 Vanderbilt 85, #6 Illinois 68  Box

1994
Midwest Region / #8 Seed
First Round / Oklahoma City, Okla. March 18 #9 Georgetown 84, Illinois 77  Box

1995
East Region / #11 Seed
First Round / Albany, N.Y. March 17 #6 Tulsa 68, #11 Illinois 62  Box

1997
Southeast Region / #6 Seed
First Round / Charlotte, N.C. March 14 #6 Illinois 90, #11 USC 77  Box
Second Round / Charlotte, N.C. March 16 #14 Tennessee-Chattanooga 75, #6 Illinois 63  Box

1998
West Region / #5 Seed
First Round / Sacramento, Calif. March 12 #5 Illinois 64, #12 South Alabama 51  Box
Second Round / Sacramento, Calif. March 14 #4 Maryland 67, #5 Illinois 61  Box

2000
East Region / #4 Seed
First Round / Winston-Salem, N.C. March 17 #4 Illinois 68, #13 Penn 58  Box
Second Round / Winston-Salem, N.C. March 19 #5 Florida 93, #4 Illinois 76  Box

2001
Midwest Region / #1 Seed
First Round / Dayton, Ohio March 16 #1 Illinois 96, #16 Northwestern State 54  Box
Second Round / Dayton, Ohio March 18 #1 Illinois 79, #9 Charlotte 61  Box
Regional Semifinal / San Antonio, Texas March 23 #1 Illinois 80, #4 Kansas 64  Box
Regional Final / San Antonio, Texas March 25 #2 Arizona 87, #1 Illinois 81  Box

2002
Midwest Region / #4 Seed
First Round / Chicago, Ill. March 15 #4 Illinois 93, #13 San Diego State 64  Box
Second Round / Chicago, Ill. March 17 #4 Illinois 72, #12 Creighton 60  Box
Regional Semifinal / Madison, Wis. March 22 #1 Kansas 73, #4 Illinois 69  Box

2003
West Region / #3 Seed
First Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 20 #4 Illinois 65, #13 Western Kentucky 60  Box
Second Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 22 #5 Notre Dame 68, #4 Illinois 60  Box

2004
Atlanta Region / #5 Seed
First Round / Columbus, Ohio March 19 #5 Illinois 72, #12 Murray State 53  Box
Second Round / Columbus, Ohio. March 21 #5 Illinois 92, #4 Cincinnati 68  Box
Regional Semifinal / Atlanta, Ga. March 26 #1 Duke 72, #4 Illinois 62  Box

2005
Chicago Region / #1 Seed
First Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 17 #1 Illinois 67, #16 Fairleigh Dickinson 55  Box
Second Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 19 #1 Illinois 71, #9 Nevada 59  Box
Regional Semifinal / Rosemont, Ill. March 24 #1 Illinois 77, #12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 63  Box
Regional Final / Rosemont, Ill. March 26 #1 Illinois 90, #3 Arizona 89 (OT)  Box
National Semifinal / St. Louis, Mo. April 2 #1 Illinois 72, #4 Louisville 57  Box
National Championship / St. Louis, Mo. April 4 #1 North Carolina 75, #1 Illinois 70  Box

2006
Washington D.C. Region / #4 Seed
First Round / San Diego, Calif. March 17 #4 Illinois 78, #13 Air Force 69  Box
Second Round / San Diego, Calif. March 19 #5 Washington 67, #4 Illinois 64  Box

2007
West Region / #12 Seed
First Round / Columbus, Ohio March 16 #5 Virginia Tech 54, #12 Illinois 52  Box

2009
South Region / #5 Seed
First Round / Portland, Ore. March 19 #12 Western Kentucky 76, #5 Illinois 72  Box

2011
Southwest Region / #9 Seed
Second Round / Tulsa, Okla. March 18 #9 Illinois 73, #8 UNLV 62  Box
Third Round / Tulsa, Okla. March 20 #1 Kansas 73, #9 Illinois 59  Box

2013
East Region / #7 Seed
Second Round / Austin, Texas. March 22 #7 Illinois 57, #10 Colorado 49  Box
Third Round / Austin, Texas. March 24 #2 Miami 63, #7 Illinois 59  Box

2020
Illinois would have participated in the NCAA Tournament, but it was canceled due to COVID-19

2021
Midwest Region / #1 Seed
First Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 19 #1 Illinois 78, #16 Drexel 49  Box
Second Round / Indianapolis, Ind. March 21 #8 Loyola-Chicago 71, #1 Illinois 58  Box

2022
South Region / #4 Seed
First Round / Pittsburgh, Pa. March 18 #4 Illinois 54, #13 Chattanooga 53  Box
Second Round / Pittsburgh, Pa. March 20 #5 Houston 68, #4 Illinois 53  Box

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 32
NCAA Tournament Record: 42-33 (.560)
NCAA Final Four Appearances: 5