Before the 68-team bracket is unveiled on March 14, college basketball writer Scott Richey will weigh in on his favorite sport. Today’s topic: The NCAA tournament history of four former Illinois coaches who are still patrolling a sideline this season:
Lon Kruger
While Kruger didn’t lead Illinois to a Final Four — he did with Florida in 1994 before he arrived in C-U and did with Oklahoma in 2016 — the Illini are one of the five programs he’s guided to the NCAA tournament. Illinois reached the tournament in three of four seasons under Kruger, but bowed out in the second round each time.
Bill Self
Three seasons at Illinois for Self. Three NCAA tournament appearances. Part of a string of 22 consecutive seasons (if you count last year) where Self’s teams have made the tourney. Self’s Illinois teams were successful, too, making an Elite Eight and Sweet 16 before a disappointing second-round exit in Brian Cook’s senior year.
Bruce Weber
Weber stepped into an enviable situation when he took the Illinois job prior to the 2003-04 season. The Dee-Deron-Luther Illini reached the Sweet 16 that year. Then played for a national championship the next season. Then the roster started to change and Illinois made four tournaments in seven more seasons.
John Groce
Groce’s name popped on the national stage after leading Ohio to the Sweet 16 in 2012 and nearly beating North Carolina. Groce’s first Illinois team made the NCAA tournament, too, and only missed out on the Sweet 16 in 2013 after a missed call in the closing minutes against Miami led to a rule change.
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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