Illini And The Hoosiers ... Today And Yesterday

The Illini play Indiana today in Champaign, a game that is crucial to the Illini's postseason chances, but that lacks some of the lustre of Illinois-Indiana matchups of the past.

Take the 1989 season for example. On March 5, 1989, the Illini and Indiana played one of the great games in the history of the rivalry, with Nick Anderson hitting an absurd game-winning thirty-foot shot as time expired. Dick Vitale's head exploded. Even Keith Jackson thought it was "In-cred-i-ble!"

The Illini started this five: Kendall Gill, Stephen Bardo, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle and Lowell Hamilton. Marcus Liberty was the sixth man.

To face them, Bobby Knight ran out the likes of Jay Edwards, Eric Anderson, Pat Graham, Magnus Pelkowski and Jamal Meeks. That team won the Big Ten title despite being in a league that had two Final Four teams: Illinois and Michigan.

Today we're going to see Hoosiers like Verdell Jones, Christian Wafford, Jeremiah Rivers and Tom Pritchard. The Illini will counter with Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis and D.J. Richardson. These are all solid players, but it's possible none of them, from either team, will ever play much in the NBA.

Today will be a far cry from March 5, 1989.

Mission: Don't Let The Hoosiers Get On Track

That's Nick Anderson. He hit the most famous shot in the most famous game between the Illini and Indiana. You know, the buzzer beater to beat Bobby Knight and the rest of those Hoosiers in '89. That shot is one of the top moments in Illini history. It's on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSRuVA6xU-Q - and never gets old.

Today's Illini-Indiana game probably won't have that same drama, nor will it have the same ferocity of last year's games when Indiana had Kelvin Sampson and Eric Gordon on the floor. But today's game is more important than either the Nick Anderson Game or either one of last year's games. And I'll tell you why.

In '89 the Illini were one of the top teams in the country and were going to the tourney as a high seed no matter what. They were a pack of pure beasts. Last season the Illini weren't that good and the season was mostly a lost cause. Winning against Indiana last season was more about a vendetta against Sampson and Gordon. This year though the Illini are a talented team that figures to be about fourth or fifth in the Big Ten and should garner an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament ... assuming they don't blow home games to the likes of the Indiana Hoosiers. What gives me slight pause about this game is that Tommy Crean's Hoosier squad has blown huge home leads to Michigan and Lipscomb. I wonder if the basketball gods may feel - rightly or wrongly - they owe them one.

Doubtful, but you never know. I'd be more worried about it if Bruce Weber wasn't manning the helm for the Illini. He'll have the troops fired up today.

Let's get it on.