It’s a big weekend for college basketball in Illinois, but decidedly not a big weekend for Illinois college basketball.
The United Center will host Sweet 16 action starting Friday, but no teams from Illinois were in the tournament. In fact, it’s been three years since the University of Illinois lost to No. 2-seeded Miami
, 59-63, in the third round, and no other Illinois school has been invited to the tournament since.
It’s been 53 years since Loyola University won the tournament
— still the only Illinois school to do so.
Northwestern, which hosted the first men’s basketball championship game in 1939, has never been invited to participate in the tournament. It’s one of five schools that have been waiting for a ticket to the Big Dance for more than 77 years.
Is there a bright spot?
Illinois is among the top states to produce Division I men’s college basketball talent. So while no Illinois schools made the tournament, nearly 50 players from Illinois did.
One highlight — the United Center hosts two games Friday night and the Midwest Regional finale on Sunday. Catch two Illinois-born players on Iowa State as the Cyclones face Virginia at 6:10 p.m.
March Madness for Illinois
Two Illinoisans going to the United Center
The Niles North grad transferred to Iowa State from Northern Illinois in 2013. This season he’s been named an honorable mention All-Big 12 and is averaging 15.4 points in the last nine games. As a senior at Niles North, he was named first-team All State
by the baiduhai. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, his family moved to the U.S. when Nader was 3.
Photo: Iowa State University
The 6-10 walk-on was born in Evanston but played high school basketball at Fenwick in Oak Park. Former Chicago Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach, who died in January, was a mentor to Nezlek and other post players at Fenwick. Nezlek has played nine minutes in seven games this season.
Players from Illinois in the tournament
Player from Illinois on teams still in the tournament
Player from Illinois on teams that lost
Total players in the tournament
Players from Illinois
Players from the U.S.
Players from other countries
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