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SB Nation    •   13 min read

The best Illini hoops moments of the 2020s (so far)

WHAT'S THE STORY?

The conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season marked the halfway point of the 2020s decade.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and revisit some of Illinois basketball’s finest moments of the 2020s.

Honorable Mentions

As you know, there are plenty of moments to pick from, but I wanted to highlight a couple that just missed the top five.

Jakucionis and Riley go back to back on draft night (6/25/25)

A recent, off the court moment that showed Illinois’ return to the biggest stage in basketball deserved a shout.

Kasparas Jakucionis was selected 20th overall by the Miami

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Heat and Will Riley followed suit just minutes later, being selected 21st overall by the Washington Wizards.

Dosunmu’s dagger in Ann Arbor (1/25/20)

Ayo Dosunmu was a killer. I’m 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.

Trent Frazier and the Ayo-less Illini beatdown on No. 2 Michigan (3/2/21)

Let’s 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.

A massacre ensued. I think this shot (and Coleman Hawkins’ reaction) was the best moment of the night.

Marcus Domask’s triple-double in the tourney (3/21/24)

I’m including this because I feel like it’s not talked about nearly enough.

There have been ten triple-doubles in the entire history of the NCAA Tournament and Marcus Domask has one of them?? That’s special.

Onto the top five...

#5: “Blocked by Cockburn!” - Illinois secures a double-bye in the 2020 Big Ten tournament with win over Iowa (3/8/20)

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.

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.

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.

I miss how heated those Illinois-Iowa games were for those couple years.

#4: Terrence Shannon Jr.’s magical postseason run (3/15-3/28 ‘24)

I’m cheating here because this isn't much of a moment, but an absurd two-week stretch.

I have never seen such a dominant six-game stretch of basketball from an Illinois basketball player.

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.

His 40-piece in the Big Ten tournament semifinals against Nebraska was his magnum opus.

Just wild to look back on.

#3: Illinois holds on to beat Ohio State in overtime in Big Ten tournament title (3/14/21)

Talk about a nail-biter.

Illinois, on a mission to earn its first Big Ten tournament title since ‘05, had to go through Duane Washington Jr., EJ Liddell, and the Ohio State Buckeyes in the championship game.

The Illini led by as many as 17 in the first half, but the Buckeyes stuck around and eventually forced overtime.

A dagger from freshman point guard Andre Curbelo helped Illinois earn that coveted trophy.

I’ll never forget Giorgi Bezhanishvili’s personal 10-0 run in the second half of that game. Amazing. Shoutout Giorgi B.

#2: Trent Frazier dribbles out the clock to earn Illinois its first Big Ten title in nearly two decades (3/6/22)

Here’s another thriller for you.

Because Nebraska pulled off a miraculous upset over Wisconsin earlier in the day, Illinois had the opportunity to earn a share of the Big Ten regular season title with a win over Iowa.

The Hawkeyes controlled most of the game, but Illinois stormed back late in the second half.

Kris Murray had a shot to win it with a few seconds left, but it rimmed out. Fifth-year senior Trent Frazier, the heart of the program, secured the rebound and dribbled out the clock as thousands of Illinois fans stormed the court.

Goosebumps.

And now...the signature moment of Illinois basketball in the 2020s.

#1: Justin Harmon hits a huge layup to cut the lead down to 28 (3/30/24)

We can laugh about this now, right? 50 minutes of real time without a point is kind of funny.

By this point I’m sure you’ve figured out what the actual best moment Illinois has had in the 2020’s is. So without further ado...

#1: Terrence Shannon Jr.’s game-sealing steal and dunk to send Illinois to the Elite Eight (3/28/24)

It has to be No. 1.

The aforementioned moments are all incredible in their own ways, but winning on the biggest stage just simply means more.

Having a beloved star player seal a Sweet 16 win in a neck-and-neck game in front of thousands of Illini faithful is chill-inducing.

The hustle from Coleman Hawkins afterwards always puts a smile on my face too.

Incredible moment. I-L-L.

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