Champagne, ill. - After 9:20 pm. At the Central Time on Sunday, the floor of the State Agriculture Center finally started to be cleaned. Illinois men's basketball players fell short, some in groups and some reflecting the reality of the moment itself. He had a blue shirt commemorating his part in the Big Ten Championship and a piece of net was carefully cut. behind them? Confetti, carnage and one hell of a long season.
Eight hours before Lou Henson Court at State Farm Center began to slowly empty from a sea of orange and blue students bent on celebrating a portion of the Big Ten regular-season championships—yes, which Illini called Had felt so wrong a year ago - the chances of any celebration resembling this particular madness were bleak... at best.
Earlier in the afternoon, head coach Brad Underwood sat in his recliner at home and began to close his eyes. As he recalled, Wisconsin was up 10 in a game against Nebraska where Illinois needed the Cornhuskers to win, even with a shot at claiming part of the conference championship. Underwood insists he doesn't watch Big Ten games live. He was not turning on that TV in any case. But he is also not oblivious to his surroundings. He started following her on her phone before it started flying.
When Underwood was trying to find some peace of mind before that night's regular-season finale against Iowa, his team gathered to see if he would even have a shot at winning a portion of the league title. Badgers, who acquired a share earlier this week. Then the Nebraska living in the basement gave Illinois the gift of hope and stunned the Badgers in Madison.
The stage was set and the stakes were simple: beat the Hawkeyes and get a share of the Big Ten for the first time as Dee, Deron and Luthor ended the era of Illini Big Ten dominance (four titles in five years) with the most impressive. Weather in the history of the program.
"We revealed it," said center Kofi Cockburn. “We were watching the game together as a team. When the game ended, everyone was so high. Trent kept reminding us, 'Yo, don't get too high. We still have to go here and get the work done. He made sure we were level headed, we weren't too high. We reminded everyone not to rise too high or go too low. We were there to do what we do. We knew we were capable of winning. At the end of the day, it's about getting out there and getting things done.
“We all saw it and watched the final seconds of the game. We were really happy that we got a chance to come here and do this."
Then, Illini did.
The details of the Illini (22-8, 15-5 Big Ten) 74-72 win over Iowa were nearly lost in a mass celebration on the court. The Illini erased a 15-point deficit in the first half, led by Cockburn's 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Coleman Hawking's (9 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and Iowa megastar Keegan Murray's big from 2-off). Contributed to the scale. -13 shooting while protected by Hawkins) and Andre Kurbello (14 points, 4 rebounds, six assists).
The Hawkes had a chance to win the game on a corner 3-pointer by Chris Murray, which was dangerously close before eventually falling, and appropriately, a get-tom rebound by do-it-all senior Trent Frazier. , who stretched out their arms and opened the floodgates. a celebration. The students ran to the floor. Chairs were crushed. The shoes were left around the court as collateral damage. Cockburn jumped into the arms of students he had probably never met. Underwood took the director of basketball operations, Joy Biggs, in his arms before hugging his coaching staff.
Underwood and his team were somewhere in the middle of the court, completely surrounded. Then Underwood turned the talk into a spirited rally and started another wave of frenzy.
"These trophy presentations are not over," Underwood roared into the microphone. "We're bringing some more back to Champaign. ...Last thing: let the party begin!"
Madness hit as part of the conference title for the first time since 2005 and as the No. 1 seed at the following week's Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.
Underwood will remember athletic director Josh Whitman's massive bear hug that "almost broke my neck" and the sweltering heat of a floor full of people. But as Underwood tried to find the words to describe the moment, he leaned back in his chair and explored the depths of his mind with the 30,000-foot view.
"There's a beauty to everything here, and I've been blessed to be a part of it in my career: There are so many people involved," Underwood said. "College athletics is the single greatest sport because it creates memories that last a lifetime. Everyone who was on that floor tonight, who was a student, will remember that moment for a lifetime. We all would because we were participants, But they were there. They were part of it. For me, that's everything. This is our community, this is our university, this is our state. This is a great group of people that they really got to see and touch Maybe they already do it at one of the Green Street establishments. You can enjoy that moment and share it with them. For me, that's what it is."
There's so much about Illinois to finally getting to the moment that it's hard to get down to any one certain thing. Illinois has made no secret that it does not agree with the outcome of last season's Big Ten Championship decision. Michigan, which played fewer games due to COVID cancellations, won the conference via a league-vote winning percentage metric. Illinois, which had won more, wanted to claim the title.
But beyond that, there is immediate history. Illinois held the program record for most losses in a season with 21 during the 2018–19 season. Players have come and gone; Some professional and some on portal. This past offseason, Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls) and Giorgi Bezhanishvili (NBA G-League) remained supporters. Former four-star recruit Adam Miller was transferred to LSU. The three assistant coaches moved on to another job. Cockburn even made a brief foray into the transfer portal, and Frazier considered a professional career.
"I thought we had a really good team in our early years," Frazier said. “To win games and championships, your culture has to be established. I thought it was not set yet. We were still rebuilding and trying to figure things out. As time went on, we kept getting people from the culture, better players and people who bought Coach Underwood. Living with it through the ups and downs makes it worth it. ,
None of this, of course, is to be accounted for this year.
Carbello, considered one of the team's center points, has played just 16 games and missed two months. Veteran Jacob Grandison did not play Sunday after suffering a shoulder sprain against Penn State on Thursday. Illnesses and injuries have plagued this team from the start.
With last week's loss to Ohio State, it seemed like an outcome like this had become a dream. Nevertheless, opportunities continued to mount to win a share of the title, and Illinois finally responded.
"These are funny, man," Underwood said. "These are really, really fun. It doesn't get old. I can't be prouder of the locker room. I've probably never been like this in a year. I know I never have. Just so many different ones." Things. If you don't have character you don't face it. You don't face it if you don't have substance and yes, you have to have really good players."
The celebration was full of photographs. Everyone had a story and a way to celebrate. Frazier and d'Amonte Williams found each other to embrace in five, sometimes painful seasons of victories. Illinois alum Chester Frazier arrived at center court to celebrate. Then came the netting and perhaps the most touching moment.
Cockburn, her all 7 feet and 285 pounds, climbed the top of the ladder and passed out into a sea of students. He went through the senior night concerts about three hours ago and has to consider his future and if the coming weeks include another season in Illinois. But the student body put forward its stand.
"One more year," he began. "One more year!"
"I almost said it too," Cockburn said. "That was special, man. Just all those feelings and all those things that were going through my mind in that moment, cutting that net and feeling so proud. Just felt right. I love being here." Everyone I am associated with here has made me feel really special and told me how much I mean to this show. That moment was special man. I don't know how to answer that question because That moment was so special. In that moment, I was so happy to know that so many people wanted me to come back."
Even if there isn't another year, it always is. Illinois isn't planning on being the only trophy from this season, but there has to be a sense of recognition to finally win a chunk of the thing. The Illini have been on a fiery streak through the conference with 44 wins in Big Ten play over the past three years. It is the biggest three-year run in the school's history and the sixth winning three-year run of any Big Ten event.
It comes with a banner.
"Getting a banner, it's really special," Cockburn said. "It's been a while since the Illinois team did this. I don't know how many sacrifices we made before coming here, but I know we've made a lot of sacrifices since we got here.
"Nothing to take away from the banner, but these guys are really special. They're winners. I don't care what they've been doing here for the first three years. We've had the most in the Big Ten in the last three years. Won more matches and that's something special. It's something to embrace. These guys are going to go out as winners and champions. Whatever happens, they are winners."