1. 2004-05 season
37-2 Overall
15-1 Big Ten
National Championship Runner-Up
AP Final Ranking: 1st
There are innumerable aspects of this team to cover. First off, the 2004-05 Illini finished the season with 37 wins and didn't lose a game until the regular season finale at Value City Arena versus the Ohio State Buckeyes. At the time, the Orange and Blue tied the record for most victories in a season.
Above all else, the team was noted for its impeccable ball movement on offense and led the nation in assists. A constant flow of passes allowed for open looks from the three-point line on every play. Led by a three-guard starting lineup, Illinois did not rely upon sheer size and height like many other teams in order to dominate, but rather skill and teamwork.
Illinois averaged 77.0 points per game while allowing 61.1 points per game, for an average point differential of nearly 16 points.
As mentioned in an earlier slide, Arizona bested the Illini in the 2001 Elite 8. In the same round four years later, the Wildcats were trouncing the No. 1 seed Illini by as many as 15 points late in the second half. Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head fueled an improbable comeback to take down Arizona in overtime.
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