Harman Patil (Editor)

1979–80 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team

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Conference
  
Big Ten Conference

AP
  
No. Not ranked

Head coach
  
Lou Henson

Coaches
  
No. Not ranked

1979–80 record
  
22–13 (8–10 Big Ten)

Assistant coach
  
Tony Yates

The 1979–80 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois.

Contents

Regular season

For the 1979-80 season, head coach Lou Henson returned everyone from a team that finished with 19 wins. The team gave the head coach his first of 11, 20-win seasons at Illinois. That year, Illinois made its first postseason appearance since 1963, finishing third in the NIT. During the course of the season, the Illini would defeat eventual NCAA Tournament Champion, Louisville

Team

  • Head Coach Lou Henson (5th year at Illinois)

    • National Invitation Tournament

  • First Round
  • Illinois 105, Loyola 87
  • Second Round
  • Illinois 75, Illinois State 65
  • Quarterfinal
  • Illinois 65, Murray State 63
  • Semifinal
  • Minnesota 65, Illinois 63
  • Third Place Game
  • Illinois 84, UNLV 74

    • Awards and honors

  • Eddie Johnson
  • Fighting Illini All-Century team (2005)
  • Team Most Valuable Player

    • References

    1979–80 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA