Nearly 25 years ago there was a movie that came out called Joe vs The Volcano.  I mention this not so much to discuss the plot of that particular Tom Hanks movie but mostly just to state the obvious fact that the volcano was a lot bigger than Joe. 

The Illini basketball team has done its media obligations for today.  The players and Coach John Groce have recapped the Illini  season for the hundreds of sports media folks that are writing down or listening to everything they say.

The Illini basketball team heads down to Texas on Wednesday morning and will practice a couple of days before stepping on the Erwin Events Center court with the Colorado Buffaloes on Friday afternoon at 3:40 pm 

The Big Ten Conference was just about the last power conference to go to a post-season tournament (1998) and it took a little while getting used to it.  The ACC and the Big East had been doing it for a very long time and were making money and getting unbelievable TV exposure in the process.   But for years the Big Ten resisted the urge to jump in and join in the fun.

When I was in high school my school (Tolono Unity Rockets) would participate in area basketball tournaments over the Thanksgving and Christmas holidays and one of the teams they would run into at some point would be Hoopeston-East Lynn.   The Cornjerkers had a great name and hosted a cool-sounding tournament called the Cornjerker Classic. 

It all kind of came together at the end for the Illinois basketball team on Saturday. It wasnt easy but they finally knocked out the Nebraska Cornhuskers  early Saturday evening at the now 50 year old Assembly Hall. 

The Illini mens basketball team is a big favorite tonight against the Penn State Nittany Lions.   In fact, even when the Illini were struggling in January most fans already had tonight's game penciled in the win column. 

Just curious more than anything.

Where were you listening/ or watching  when the Illini upset  #1 Indiana at the Assembly Hall?

What was your reaction when Tyler Griffey hit that famous layup? 

I would be interested in some of those stories.

Thanks!

While watching the  mass of human beings celebrating on the Assembly Hall Floor last night....I kept thinking about the two previous times I had witnessed an Illini team taking down a #1 team in person.

So many fans are focused on the shooting percentages for the  illinois basketball team right now..... and with good reason.  The Illini are only shooting 39.7 percent from the field in league play.  They are shooting at 24.5 percent from 3-point territory.   In conference play...the Illini have picked up only 57 assists compared to 91 turnovers in 7 games.