Happy Birthday, Brian Randle!!!

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Illini follow NCAA tournament from afar

This isn't where the Illinois players want to be, playing in the NIT. It was NCAA tournament-or-bust for these guys. Truth is, with their spring break starting today, some of them would rather be on a beach somewhere than preparing for Kent State's visit Monday. That's just the way it is.

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Stony Brook coach talks NIT, Illinois

Tisdale's leg "OK" for Buckeyes matchup

By Mike Pearson

Saturday, February 6, 2010 5:56 PM CDT

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Stroll down Memory Lane here

ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE

This Date in Fighting Illini Athletics

Twenty three years ago Sunday, Fighting Illini center Jens Kujawa scored a career-high 13 points and Doug Altenberger tallied 24 points as Illinois beat Wisconsin, 99-74. The victory improved Illinois' overall record to 18-5. Other memorable moments in Fighting Illini history:

1920: Chuck Carney scored 18 of Illinois' 20 points, but the Illini fell at Purdue, 36-20.

1925: Illinois' Harold Osborn smashed the world record in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 6 3/8 inches.

1936: Illini basketball coach Craig Ruby announced that he would resign at the end of the season to enter the greeting card business.

1942: Illinois' Vic Wukovitz and Northwestern's Otto Graham tied for scoring honors with 14 points apiece, but the Illini topped the Wildcats, 41-33, at Huff Gym.

1952: Former Chief Illiniwek John Grable, an Air Force flyer, died in a B-29 crash near Tokyo.

1967: Illinois shot a record .613 from the field (38-of-62), but lost at Iowa City, 96-89. Eighteen-year-old Dave Scholz bagged a career-high 32 points for the Illini.

1976: Doug Laz set Illinois' pole vault record with a leap of 16-6 and Jim Hanlon set a varsity record in the 60-yard high hurdles as UI won its second consecutive Illinois Intercollegiate title.

1986: Illini baseball coach Tom Dedin was inducted into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.

1993: Jill Estey became Illinois' all-time leader in assists as the Illini defeated Michigan State, 78-65.

1998: Illinois' Kevin Turner hit a spinning bank shot as time expired to send the game into overtime at Wisconsin. The Illini dominated the extra session and beat the Badgers, 53-47, at Wisconsin's brand new Kohl Center.

Illini Birthdays

Sunday Cam Benson, football (48)

Monday Brian Randle, basketball (25)

Tuesday Bryan Koch, football (28)

Wednesday Alicia Hammel, softball (28)

Thursday Sue Webber, volleyball (29)

Friday Karol Kahrs, associate athletic director

Saturday Bruce Bunkenberg, basketball (72)

By Mike Pearson, Author of Illini Legends, Lists & Lore, Assistant Athletic Director at Miami University