100 Years In The Making

By Lindsey Willhite Daily Herald Sports Writer

Following a recent practice, three Illinois regulars got hit with a pop quiz that didn't seem too difficult: Name the starting lineup for the 1988-89 "Flyin' Illini."All three knew Stephen Bardo, Kendall Gill and Nick Anderson. Only one remembered Kenny Battle. None recalled Lowell Hamilton. To be expected? Perhaps, since the oldest current Illini was just 6 years old when Battle and Co. soared to the Final Four. Besides, the nation's top-ranked squad probably deserves a pass. The players have been too busy making history to memorize it. All that should change this weekend when Illinois celebrates its first 100 seasons with the biggest basketball party in school history. The Flyin' Illini - as well as so many other former greats who have turned into names in the media guide - will transform back into living, breathing athletes who still remember their games as if they played in Huff Gym or the Assembly Hall yesterday. Nearly 400 former Illinois players, coaches, managers and support personnel have been lured back to Champaign for the three-day Centennial Celebration that revolves around Saturday's game against Minnesota (1:30 p.m., Channel 26). Among the former Illini expected to be in the same room at the sametime for the first time? All-Century team members Gene Vance, Johnny "Red" Kerr, Dave Downey, Duane "Skip" Thoren, Don Freeman, Nick Weatherspoon, Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper, Bruce Douglas, Ken Norman, Battle, Anderson and Gill. This wealth of talent will be introduced to the sellout crowd at the Assembly Hall following the Minnesota game. So will every former Illini who shows up for the reunion, starting with 1940 graduate Colin Handlon and finishing with the current Illini who might place a player or three on the next All-Century team. "I'm hoping that the fans are geared up to stick with us," said former Illinois trainer Rod Cardinal, the backbone of the Centennial Celebration committee, "because I think it's going to be such a memorable event." Cardinal and Chris Tuttle, the director of the school's Varsity I alumni association, teamed up to speak with more than 500 formerIllini as part of this year long project. The Illinois basketball program had never attempted to organize anything so grandiose. As it turns out, nothing has turned out to be so rewarding, either. "We have found some different people that we have not been able to identify over the years," Cardinal said. "I know that we have some people coming back who have not been back on campus for 20, 25, 30 years." I think teammates who have not talked with each other or communicated with each other in many years have rekindled their friendship. "I hear from alumni who say, 'I can't believe so-and-so called me and asked if I was going back. And I called so-and-so and I haven't spoken to him in 12 years - and he's coming back.' The reaching out to former teammates has been really, really interesting." Illinois coach Bruce Weber has reached out to the flood of former Illini, too. He thinks they can help deliver a victory Saturday when his players might otherwise be flat after Tuesday's emotional win at Wisconsin. "I'm hopefully going to use the weekend to say, 'Hey, you have a chance to perform in front of a lot of people who meant a lot to thisprogram,'" Weber said. "I'm hoping they can raise their level." Privately, Weber has encouraged his players to mix heartily with their predecessors - after the Minnesota game at a private reception. He said, 'You know, you guys may not know a whole lot about the previous players through the different generations, but I guarantee all of them know about you,'" Cardinal recalled. " 'So be very respectful and full of pride when you meet these people. They all had 'Illinois' across their chest just like you.'" A lot of them, particularly guys like Dee (Brown), Deron (Williams) and Roger (Powell Jr.) are intrigued by the historical aspect of Illinois basketball. They're curious about what guys were like. For example, they know Eddie Johnson because he played in the NBA for so long. They'll ask me, 'What was Eddie like?' "I think they're going to be overwhelmed to come here Saturday, when they see all these people lined up to be introduced and they realize they're just an extension of them when it comes right down to it."