NCAA Basketball Tournament History
Team:
Team Matchups: vs.
Team Matchups: vs.
Illinois Fighting IlliniTournament Appearances: 29
Final Fours: 5
Championships: 0
Win-Loss: 39-30
| Illinois Best Tournament Performances | ||||||
| TEAM BESTS | PLAYER BESTS | |||||
| STAT | SEASON | OPPONENT | VALUE | SEASON | PLAYER | VALUE |
| PTS | 2001 | Northwestern State, 96-54 | 96 | 2004 | Deron Williams | 31 |
| FG | 1989 | Louisville, 83-69 | 39 | 1989 | Kenny Battle | 12 |
| FG% | 2004 | Cincinnati, 92-68 | .636 | 1984 | George Montgomery | 1.000 |
| FT | 1952 | Dayton, 80-61 | 32 | 1997 | Kiwane Garris | 16 |
| FT% | 1942 | Penn State, 34-41 | .909 | 2009 | Trent Meacham | 2.000 |
| 3PM | 2005 | Arizona, 90-89 | 16 | 2001 | Cory Bradford | 6 |
| 3P% | 2004 | Cincinnati, 92-68 | .579 | 2002 | Frank Williams | .833 |
| AST | 2001 | Northwestern State, 96-54 | 27 | 1997 | Kiwane Garris | 12 |
| REB | 1990 | Dayton, 86-88 | 48 | 1989 | Nick Anderson | 16 |
| Illinois Season By Season Results | |||
| SEASON | W-L | RESULTS | |
| 2011 | 1-1 | Defeated UNLV in first round, 73-62 Lost to Kansas in second round, 73-59 | |
| 2009 | 0-1 | Lost to Western Kentucky in first round, 76-72 | |
| 2007 | 0-1 | Lost to Virginia Tech in first round, 54-52 | |
| 2006 | 1-1 | Defeated Air Force in first round, 78-69 Lost to Washington in second round, 67-64 | |
| 2005 | 5-1 | Defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in first round, 67-55 Defeated Nevada in second round, 71-59 Defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee in regional semifinal, 77-63 Defeated Arizona in regional final, 90-89 Defeated Louisville in National Semifinal, 72-57 Lost to North Carolina in National Championship, 75-70 | |
| 2004 | 2-1 | Defeated Murray State in first round, 72-53 Defeated Cincinnati in second round, 92-68 Lost to Duke in regional semifinal, 72-62 | |
| 2003 | 1-1 | Defeated Western Kentucky in first round, 65-60 Lost to Notre Dame in second round, 68-60 | |
| 2002 | 2-1 | Defeated San Diego State in first round, 93-64 Defeated Creighton in second round, 72-60 Lost to Kansas in regional semifinal, 73-69 | |
| 2001 | 3-1 | Defeated Northwestern State in first round, 96-54 Defeated Charlotte in second round, 79-61 Defeated Kansas in regional semifinal, 80-64 Lost to Arizona in regional final, 87-81 | |
| 2000 | 1-1 | Defeated Pennsylvania in first round, 68-58 Lost to Florida in second round, 93-76 | |
| 1998 | 1-1 | Defeated South Alabama in first round, 64-51 Lost to Maryland in second round, 67-61 | |
| 1997 | 1-1 | Defeated USC in first round, 90-77 Lost to Chattanooga in second round, 75-63 | |
| 1995 | 0-1 | Lost to Tulsa in first round, 68-62 | |
| 1994 | 0-1 | Lost to Georgetown in first round, 84-77 | |
| 1993 | 1-1 | Defeated Long Beach State in first round, 75-72 Lost to Vanderbilt in second round, 85-68 | |
| 1990 | 0-1 | Lost to Dayton in first round, 88-86 | |
| 1989 | 4-1 | Defeated McNeese State in first round, 77-71 Defeated Ball State in second round, 72-60 Defeated Louisville in regional semifinal, 83-69 Defeated Syracuse in regional final, 89-86 Lost to Michigan in National Semifinal, 83-81 | |
| 1988 | 1-1 | Defeated Texas-San Antonio in first round, 81-72 Lost to Villanova in second round, 66-63 | |
| 1987 | 0-1 | Lost to Austin Peay in first round, 68-67 | |
| 1986 | 1-1 | Defeated Fairfield in first round, 75-51 Lost to Alabama in second round, 58-56 | |
| 1985 | 2-1 | Defeated Northeastern in first round, 76-57 Defeated Georgia in second round, 74-58 Lost to Georgia Tech in regional semifinal, 61-53 | |
| 1984 | 2-1 | Defeated Villanova in second round, 64-56 Defeated Maryland in regional semifinal, 72-70 Lost to Kentucky in regional final, 54-51 | |
| 1983 | 0-1 | Lost to Utah in first round, 52-49 | |
| 1981 | 1-1 | Defeated Wyoming in second round, 67-65 Lost to Kansas State in regional semifinal, 57-52 | |
| 1963 | 1-1 | Defeated Bowling Green in regional semifinal, 70-67 Lost to Loyola (IL) in regional final, 79-64 | |
| 1952 | 3-1 | Defeated Dayton in second round, 80-61 Defeated Duquesne in regional semifinal, 74-68 Lost to St. John's in regional final, 61-59 Defeated Santa Clara in third place game, 67-64 | |
| 1951 | 3-1 | Defeated Columbia in second round, 79-71 Defeated North Carolina State in regional semifinal, 84-70 Lost to Kentucky in regional final, 76-74 Defeated Oklahoma State in third place game, 61-46 | |
| 1949 | 2-1 | Defeated Yale in regional semifinal, 71-67 Lost to Kentucky in regional final, 76-47 Defeated Oregon State in third place game, 57-53 | |
| 1942 | 0-2 | Lost to Kentucky in regional semifinal, 46-44 Lost to Penn State in third place game, 41-34 | |
