Madness

As we approach the crowning of this year's NCAA men's basketball champion, it is time to reminisce about the magical year of 2005 , when the University of Illinois made there madcap run to the final game of the NCAA tournament. Although I attended Illinois State University and support my Redbirds to the fullest, I have a soft spot in the Illini. The 2005 season was one to remember for Illini fans, and as luck would have it, I was witness to part of that years madness.

That year, the Midwest Regional Final was in Chicago at the Allstate Arena. My dad had scored me a couple of tickets nearly a year before the games without knowing that Illinois would go on the roll that they did. My dad's former office mate held season tickets to Depaul, who plays their home games at the Allstate. He offered my dad the opportunity to land a pair of tickets, and my father took him up on the offer with me in mind. Well, this foresight is what afforded me the opportunity to bear witness to one of the greatest games in college basketball history.

Anyways, Illinois earned a number one seed and made it's way through the first two rounds with no particular problems. Their game in the round of 16 was against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which they promptly won. I attended that game with my brother, which was a total blast. It was the first time that either of us had the opportunity to go to an NCAA tournament game and we both loved it. On top of that, the coach of UWM at the time was Bruce Pearl, who is a mortal enemy of the Illini nation. The second game we saw, Arizona vs. Oklahoma State, was a beauty. The game was back and forth the whole time and ended in a last second one point victory that sent Arizona to the Elite Eight.

I think everyone knew that the Illinois-Arizona match up was going to be great, but I don't think anyone could have guessed that it would be an all-time classic. My guest for this round was none other than my great friend Brian J., who is an Illinois alum and Illini fanatic. Tickets to this game were supposedly going for up to $1500 apiece, so they were definitely in high demand. I actually toyed with selling the tickets, but decided that this would be a once in a lifetime experience and attending it with one of my best friends made it all that much better.

The atmosphere in the Allstate Arena was totally electric. Even though games in the Tournament are supposed to be held at neutral sites, there was no doubt whose corner the crowd was behind. The Arena looked like a sea of orange as crowd expressed total adoration for the home state team. It was the hottest ticket in town, and the anticipation for the tip off was like nothing I have experienced at a sporting event.

Well, once the game began, there were multiple lead changes going into halftime. The crowd held their breath with every Illinois shot and cheered wildly with every steal. At the start of the second half, Arizona seized control of the game and put Illinois in a double digit hole. The crowd's enthusiasm started to fizzle as it appeared there was no hope for a victory. Little did we know, the show had just begun.

With four minutes left and mired in a 15-point hole, the Illini went on a run for the ages. The last four minutes of regulation saw Illinois score an unbelievable 20 points to tie the game and force overtime. Luther head and Deron Williams each scored 8 points, with Dee Brown contributing 4 pts. This onslaught, coupled with suffocating defense, allowed the Illini to stage this most improbable of comebacks. The crowd was going crazy, and I can honestly say that I have never experienced that sort of energy at a sporting event.

Overtime was just as wild. Both teams fought tooth and nail for every point. In the end, Illinois scratched out a one-point victory to the pleasure of the raucous crowd. This win also propelled Illinois to the Final Four. Brian and I were beside ourselves with joy and elation. Neither of us could have hoped for a better game, and each other's company made it all the better. Although Illinois lost in the championship game, the experience of attending this game will be something that I will never forget.