March 13, 2002
GAME: No. 13 San Diego State (21-11) vs. No. 4 Illinois (24-8).
REGIONAL: Midwest, First Round.
TIME: Friday, 3 p.m. EST.
SITE: United Center, Chicago.
For Illinois, the NCAA tournament could not come soon enough. For San Diego State, the chance to go almost didn't arrive.
Two teams that have taken distinctly different paths to the field of 65 meet at the United Center.
The 13th-ranked Illini had an underachieving regular season. Despite claiming a share of the Big Ten title and finishing with a 24-8 record, Bill Self's team was plagued by inconsistency. It also failed to assert itself against the nation's elite, losing non-conference games to Arizona and Maryland.
"We've taken a strange route to get here, but I think we are a pretty good team," Self said. "The season starts Friday, basically. This is why you play. Now we need to make it happen when it counts the most."
The Illini will go only as far as guard Frank Williams, the 2001 Big Ten player of the year, can take them after he had a somewhat disappointing season in the eyes of his coach.
"I don't think Frank's had an exceptional year," Self said. "He's probably got as much at stake as anyone in the tournament. This is his last go around."
The Illini, though, seem to be on the right path to Atlanta. They won nine in a row before a 94-88 loss to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament Saturday.
San Diego State is making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1985, when the tournament expanded from 53 to 64 teams. The Aztecs finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference, but claimed the automatic bid by defeating BYU, regular season champion Wyoming and host UNLV in the conference tournament.
The three victories punctuated a stunning turnaround for coach Steve Fisher, whose team won only five games during the 1999-00 season. Like the Illini, the Aztecs have won nine of their last 10, and Fisher hopes the successful conference tournament is a sign of things to come.
"We have defended as well as anybody in our league and that's what helped us win those games in Las Vegas and we have to continue that now," said Fisher, who coached Michigan to the 1989 national championship. "We have five seniors that want to keep on playing and have become a little more selfless with how they play."
The trip to the United Center will be a homecoming for senior Randy Holcomb, a Chicago native. The forward, who averaged team highs of 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds this season, transferred from Fresno State after Fisher took over the Aztecs program.
"To go home and to play Illinois, a school I wanted to play for out of high school, it's unreal," said Holcomb, who grew up 15 miles from the United Center and wears No. 23 in honor of his idol, Michael Jordan.
Friday's winner will play Florida or Creighton in the second round Sunday.
PROBABLE STARTERS: San Diego State - F Holcomb (17.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg), C Mike Mackell (10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Deandre Moore (3.7 ppg, 2.9 apg), G Tony Bland (15.7 ppg, 3.4 apg), G Al Faux (16.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Illinois - F Sean Harrington (6.6 ppg, 2.4 apg), F Robert Archibald (10.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg), C Brian Cook (13.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg), G Williams (15.9 ppg, 4.3 apg), G Cory Bradford (11.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: San Diego State - Automatic bid, Mountain West Conference champion. Illinois - At-large bid, Big Ten Conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: San Diego State - 0-3, 4 years. Illinois - 27-22, 22 years.