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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini 1st round performances of the last 20 seasons

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 02: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini brings the ball up court during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 2, 2021 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 02: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini brings the ball up court during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 2, 2021 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS – MARCH 19: Dee Brown #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives against Kyle Shiloh #4 of the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second round game of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament March 19, 2005 at RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – MARCH 19: Dee Brown #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives against Kyle Shiloh #4 of the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second round game of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament March 19, 2005 at RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2. 2004 vs No. 12 Murray State (W) – Dee Brown 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

There are certain players who have been legends with the Illinois basketball program. One of those players is Dee Brown. I think you could argue he is one of the greatest players in the history of Illinois basketball.

Brown has had so many special games during his Illini career. He was the main part of every team he played on while in Champaign as well.

Illinois was on a tremendous streak of consistent winning in the early to mid-2000s. During the 2003-04 campaign, the team would surge through the college basketball world and would finish 26-7 that year. They also had a 13-3 Big Ten record.

Known as one of the best teams in the country, Illinois would enter the NCAA tournament as a No. 5 seed. The first round matchup was against No. 12 Murray State. That is always a scary line to be on, but Illinois made quick work of the Racers.

The Illini had a seven-point lead at halftime against Murray State. We would quickly extend the lead into a double-digit deficit, winning the game 72-53.

A big reason for the success against Murray State was the play of Brown. He was sensational that day leading Illinois with 21 points and two steals to go along with his five rebounds and three assists. Brown was 8-of-17 from the field and 3-of-8 from three-point range. The legend of Brown continued to grow with this great first round performance.

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