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<\/p>\nThe conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season marked the halfway point of the 2020s decade.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a quick trip down memory lane and revisit some of Illinois basketball\u2019s finest moments of the 2020s.<\/p>\n
Honorable Mentions<\/p>\n
As you know, there are plenty of moments to pick from, but I wanted to highlight a couple that just missed the top five.<\/p>\n
Jakucionis and Riley go back to back on draft night (6\/25\/25)<\/p>\n
A recent, off the court moment that showed Illinois\u2019 return to the biggest stage in basketball deserved a shout. <\/p>\n
Kasparas Jakucionis was selected 20th overall by the Miami Heat and Will Riley followed suit just minutes later, being selected 21st overall by the Washington Wizards.<\/p>\n
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Dosunmu\u2019s dagger in Ann Arbor (1\/25\/20)<\/p>\n
Ayo Dosunmu was a killer. I\u2019m not sure any one moment highlighted that better than his walk-off game winner at Michigan about a month into the 2020s. Illini nation knew they had a great squad after this game.<\/p>\n
Trent Frazier and the Ayo-less Illini beatdown on No. 2 Michigan (3\/2\/21)<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s fast forward one year, but stay at the Crisler Center. Illinois and Michigan were in a highly contested Big Ten title race and squared off in Ann Arbor late in the 2021 season. <\/p>\n
A massacre ensued. I think this shot (and Coleman Hawkins\u2019 reaction) was the best moment of the night.<\/p>\n
Underrated moment from the Illini Michigan series: Trent Frazier crossing over Chaundee Brown in that epic Beatdown in Ann Arbor pic.twitter.com\/6jqRBMqaSd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Armchair Illinois (@ArmchairIllini) March 2, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Marcus Domask\u2019s triple-double in the tourney (3\/21\/24)<\/p>\n I\u2019m including this because I feel like it\u2019s not talked about nearly enough. <\/p>\n There have been ten triple-doubles in the entire history of the NCAA Tournament and Marcus Domask has one of them?? That\u2019s special.<\/p>\n Onto the top five…<\/p>\n #5: \u201cBlocked by Cockburn!\u201d – Illinois secures a double-bye in the 2020 Big Ten tournament with win over Iowa (3\/8\/20)<\/p>\n Illinois hosted Iowa on the final day of the 2019-20 regular season. A win meant Illinois clinched a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament. Freshman sensation Kofi Cockburn wanted that double-bye.<\/p>\n Illinois fans were flying high after this one, but unfortunately it was the last time they would get to see the team play until November. The pandemic cancelled the remainder of the season just a few days later.<\/p>\n Regardless, it was still a fantastic moment to hold Illini fans over during the pandemic. And a sign of what was to come next season.<\/p>\n I miss how heated those Illinois-Iowa games were for those couple years.<\/p>\n #4: Terrence Shannon Jr.\u2019s magical postseason run (3\/15-3\/28 \u201824)<\/p>\n I\u2019m cheating here because this isn’t much of a moment, but an absurd two-week stretch. <\/p>\n I have never seen such a dominant six-game stretch of basketball from an Illinois basketball player. <\/p>\n 28 points vs. Ohio State. 40 points vs. Nebraska. 34 points vs. Wisconsin. 26 points vs. Morehead State. 30 points vs. Duquesne. 29 points vs. Iowa State.<\/p>\n His 40-piece in the Big Ten tournament semifinals against Nebraska was his magnum opus.<\/p>\n Just wild to look back on.<\/p>\n #3: Illinois holds on to beat Ohio State in overtime in Big Ten tournament title (3\/14\/21)<\/p>\n Talk about a nail-biter. <\/p>\n Illinois, on a mission to earn its first Big Ten tournament title since \u201805, had to go through Duane Washington Jr., EJ Liddell, and the Ohio State Buckeyes in the championship game.<\/p>\n The Illini led by as many as 17 in the first half, but the Buckeyes stuck around and eventually forced overtime.<\/p>\n A dagger from freshman point guard Andre Curbelo helped Illinois earn that coveted trophy.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll never forget Giorgi Bezhanishvili\u2019s personal 10-0 run in the second half of that game. Amazing. Shoutout Giorgi B.<\/p>\n “AMAZING”<\/p>\n You could say Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Kofi Cockburn are pumped up to win the Big Ten title and be a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed…AMAZING 11 times in 27 seconds
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