Illinois’ basketball players want to live in this grand moment without letting it overcome them.
This is why they went bowling Wednesday night in nearby Collinsville, Ill.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber borrowed the idea from his mentor, retired Purdue coach Gene Keady, who used to take his Boilermakers bowling as a stress reliever during the team’s downtime in the NCAA Tournament.
Weber has relied on this before to break tension for the Illini. So although Illinois has reached the pinnacle of college basketball for the first time since 1989 and stands just two victories shy of its first national title, the coach wants to keep things simple.
In St. Louis, the spotlight is burning bright on the Illini. Fans are bubbling with enthusiasm over Illinois (36-1) and its national semifinal date with Louisville (33-4) at 5:07 p.m. Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Bowling is a fitting way for this group to pass the time. The characters who make up the Fighting Illini come off as simple folks off the court.
When they step on the court, they become an extraordinary collection of throwbacks. They’re not perfect, but they have been mighty close.
They thrive on sound fundamentals in a modern version of the motion offense Texas Tech coach Bob Knight made famous at Indiana.
“They pass up good shots to take great shots,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in February.
Weber said he has received countless complimentary calls from colleagues and others close to the sport who rave about the Illini’s teamwork.
“They think it’s good for college basketball,” Weber said. “In the era when it’s a dunk or spectacular plays, we have been a little old-school. It has attracted a lot of attention.”
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Safer at home?
No. 1 seed Illinois will travel just 147 miles to St. Louis for the Final Four. Since 1970, seven other teams have played their Final Four games close to their school campuses–and all but two of them have come home champions.
UCLA (1972)
Final Four in Los Angeles
(at L.A. Sports Arena).
Champion: UCLA
N.C. State (1974)
Final Four in Greensboro, N.C. (68 miles from campus).
Champion: N.C. State
UCLA (1975)
Final Four in San Diego
(134 miles from campus).
Champion: UCLA
Rutgers (1976)
Final Four in Philadelphia
(68 miles from campus).
Champion: Indiana
Purdue (1980)
Final Four in Indianapolis
(61 miles from campus).
Champion: Louisville
Kansas (1988)
Final Four in Kansas City, Mo.
(39 miles from campus).
Champion: Kansas
Michigan State (2000)
Final Four in Indianapolis
(222 miles from campus).
Champion: Michigan State
–ORLANDO SENTINEL, REDEYE
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Edited by Chris Malcolm (ccmalcolm@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
