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
