Sports continue in a state of flux. With the Major League Baseball season on the horizon in an April 1 start, the let up in the COVID-19 is by no means complete. Lurking around the corner are tests, cancellations, and postponements in the schedule of playing games. Few of us should take playing games for granted.
High schools in Illinois shift from Winter games to Spring games, and an unusual schedule of football games, which will begin Friday, the first of six weeks of games. Basketball games lasted six weeks with a mixture of results.
The high school basketball players had to wear masks by rule.
Likely one of the best security forces against COVID-19 might include college basketball teams, yet, there were cancellation of games. The bubble was created around the basketball teams, which included tutors in the school practice facilities and no interaction among other university students. Sacrifice has been a key word in development of teams, yet, there has been quality of play in the Big Ten Conference this season, likely the best conference in major college basketball. Nine teams from the Big Ten Conference qualified for the men’s NCAA tournament.
The University of Illinois men’s basketball team offers high hopes as the overall No. 3 ranked team in the field of 68 teams. Illinois has a nice history of basketball success. The school is its 31st tournament which was started in 1939. Illinois has been to five Final Fours, nine Elite Eights, and won the Big Ten Conference championship 17 years.
Likely some history could put the tradition and strength into perspective. The 1943 Illinois team, known as the Whiz Kids, mostly sophomores and freshmen, played a fast-paced style and was undefeated prior to the national tournament when three players were drafted into the U.S. military in the middle of World War II. The team, led by head coach Doug Mills, turned down the bid because three starters were serving the country.
Five Illini teams in the Final Four, in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005, could be joined by the 2021 team.