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Illinois Basketball: 5 teams the Illini need to play in the NCAA tournament

By Rees Woodcock

Michigan guard Eli Brooks (55) makes a layup against Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) and center Kofi Cockburn (21) during the first half Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
Michigan guard Eli Brooks (55) makes a layup against Illinois guard Trent Frazier (1) and center Kofi Cockburn (21) during the first half Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. /
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5. Kansas Jayhawks

The final team on the list of the top five teams I want Illinois basketball to play in the NCAA tournament is the Kansas Jayhawks. This would be a fun game to watch, but there is more to the Jayhawks than just a competitive game.

This slide kind of fits into the same mold as the third slide with Lon Kruger. But when Kruger left Illinois, it was for the NBA and the Atlanta Hawks. This was a clear upgrade for a shot at the NBA. It was a different scenario for current Kansas coach, Bill Self.

Kruger left for the Hawks, so Illinois had to find a new head coach. They looked for a solid second-tier head coach who was doing great things. Self was the answer out of Tulsa.

Self came into the Illinois program and was an immediate success on the court and with recruiting. He got to an Elite 8, Sweet 16 and the second round in his three seasons in Champaign. He also recruited the team that went to the 2005 national title. So, there is an appreciation for what Self brought Illinois.

Despite having an appreciation for what Self brought to Illinois, it would be so sweet to take him down. He left the Illini to take the Kansas job after Roy Williams left the Jayhawks to take the North Carolina Tar Heels job. This, in turn, bit the Illini in the butt because the Tar Heels would beat Illinois in the 2005 national title.

The chain effect of the coaching hires hurt Illinois. Beyond that, Illinois matched up against Self in the 2011 NCAA tournament. The Illini were the No. 9 seed and got the second round to face No. 1 Kansas. The Jayhawks struggled a little bit but would come away with the win.

Next. 4 big statistics from the Illini win over Ohio State. dark

Overall, it would just be great to see Illinois take down Self. While he gave us some great memories and players during his three seasons with the Illini, he left us high and dry for a “better” job. Let’s show him it was a mistake.

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