Illinois has been playing basketball since 1906 and ranks among the top 15 programs all-time in wins. The 'Fighting Illini' nickname first appeared in a 1911 newspaper article and references the Illiniwek confederation of Native American tribes. The 2005 team went 37-2, tying the record for most wins in a season, highlighted by a legendary 15-point comeback against Arizona in the Elite Eight. The 1989 'Flyin' Illini' under Lou Henson scored 100-plus points eight times, capturing the imagination of college basketball fans nationwide.
The 'Illini' name references the Illiniwek confederation; 'Fighting Illini' first appeared in a 1911 newspaper describing a basketball game against Purdue
The 2005 Elite Eight comeback from 15 points down against Arizona with four minutes left, led by Luther Head and Deron Williams, to reach the Final Four
Despite a 17-1 record and recognition as the nation's best team, the 1943 'Whiz Kids' opted not to play in the NCAA Tournament when three of their five starters were called to duty in World War II
The Illinois Fighting Illini compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1953–1084 (.643 winning percentage) across 120 recorded seasons dating back to 1905-06. The program has reached 5 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24-8 | 15-5 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #5 |
| 2024-25 | 22-13 | 12-8 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #13 |
| 2023-24 | 29-9 | 14-6 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #6 |
| 2022-23 | 20-13 | 11-9 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #16 |
| 2021-22 | 23-10 | 15-5 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #10 |
| 2020-21 | 24-7 | 16-4 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #2 |
| 2019-20 | 21-10 | 13-7 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | AP #19 |
| 2018-19 | 12-21 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | |
| 2017-18 | 14-18 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Brad Underwood | |
| 2016-17 | 20-15 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Jamall Walker,John Groce | |
| 2015-16 | 15-19 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | John Groce | |
| 2014-15 | 19-14 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | John Groce | AP #24 |
| 2013-14 | 20-15 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | John Groce | AP #23 |
| 2012-13 | 23-13 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | John Groce | AP #10 |
| 2011-12 | 17-15 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #19 |
| 2010-11 | 20-14 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #12 |
| 2009-10 | 21-15 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #20 |
| 2008-09 | 24-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #18 |
| 2007-08 | 16-19 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | |
| 2006-07 | 23-12 | 9-7 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | |
| 2005-06 | 26-7 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #6 |
| 2004-05 | 37-2 | 15-1 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #1 |
| 2003-04 | 26-7 | 13-3 (Big Ten) | Bruce Weber | AP #11 |
| 2002-03 | 25-7 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Bill Self | AP #7 |
| 2001-02 | 26-9 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Bill Self | AP #2 |
| 2000-01 | 27-8 | 13-3 (Big Ten) | Bill Self | AP #3 |
| 1999-00 | 22-10 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Lon Kruger | AP #15 |
| 1998-99 | 14-18 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Lon Kruger | |
| 1997-98 | 23-10 | 13-3 (Big Ten) | Lon Kruger | AP #18 |
| 1996-97 | 22-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lon Kruger | AP #15 |
| 1995-96 | 18-13 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #12 |
| 1994-95 | 19-12 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #20 |
| 1993-94 | 17-11 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #16 |
| 1992-93 | 19-13 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1991-92 | 13-15 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1990-91 | 21-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1989-90 | 21-8 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #4 |
| 1988-89 | 31-5 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #1 |
| 1987-88 | 23-10 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #13 |
| 1986-87 | 23-8 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #5 |
| 1985-86 | 22-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #7 |
| 1984-85 | 26-9 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #2 |
| 1983-84 | 26-5 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #6 |
| 1982-83 | 21-11 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1981-82 | 18-11 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1980-81 | 21-8 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #12 |
| 1979-80 | 22-13 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #20 |
| 1978-79 | 19-11 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | AP #4 |
| 1977-78 | 13-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1975-76 | 14-13 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Lou Henson | |
| 1974-75 | 8-18 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1973-74 | 5-18 | 2-12 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | |
| 1972-73 | 14-10 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | |
| 1971-72 | 14-10 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | AP #16 |
| 1970-71 | 11-12 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | AP #15 |
| 1969-70 | 15-9 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | AP #10 |
| 1968-69 | 19-5 | 9-5 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | AP #4 |
| 1967-68 | 11-13 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Harv Schmidt | |
| 1966-67 | 12-12 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | |
| 1965-66 | 12-12 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | |
| 1964-65 | 18-6 | 10-4 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #6 |
| 1963-64 | 13-11 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | |
| 1962-63 | 20-6 | 11-3 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #3 |
| 1961-62 | 15-8 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | |
| 1960-61 | 9-15 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #19 |
| 1959-60 | 16-7 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #8 |
| 1958-59 | 12-10 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #18 |
| 1957-58 | 11-11 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #17 |
| 1956-57 | 14-8 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #5 |
| 1955-56 | 18-4 | 11-3 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #2 |
| 1954-55 | 17-5 | 10-4 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #3 |
| 1953-54 | 17-5 | 10-4 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #4 |
| 1952-53 | 18-4 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #2 |
| 1951-52 | 22-4 | 12-2 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #1 |
| 1950-51 | 22-5 | 13-1 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #5 |
| 1949-50 | 14-8 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #16 |
| 1948-49 | 21-4 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | AP #4 |
| 1947-48 | 15-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Harry Combes | |
| 1946-47 | 14-6 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1945-46 | 14-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1944-45 | 13-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1943-44 | 11-9 | 5-7 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1942-43 | 17-1 | 12-0 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1941-42 | 18-5 | 13-2 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1940-41 | 13-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1939-40 | 14-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1938-39 | 14-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1937-38 | 9-9 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1936-37 | 14-4 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Douglas Mills | |
| 1935-36 | 13-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1934-35 | 15-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1933-34 | 13-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1932-33 | 11-7 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1931-32 | 11-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1930-31 | 12-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1929-30 | 8-8 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1928-29 | 10-7 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1927-28 | 5-12 | 2-10 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1926-27 | 10-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1925-26 | 9-8 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1924-25 | 11-6 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1923-24 | 11-6 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1922-23 | 9-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Craig Ruby | |
| 1921-22 | 14-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Frank Winters | |
| 1920-21 | 11-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Frank Winters | |
| 1919-20 | 9-4 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1918-19 | 6-8 | 5-7 (Big Ten) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1917-18 | 9-6 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1916-17 | 13-3 | 10-2 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1915-16 | 13-3 | 9-3 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1914-15 | 16-0 | 12-0 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1913-14 | 9-4 | 7-4 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1912-13 | 10-6 | 7-6 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1911-12 | 8-8 | 4-8 (Western) | Thomas Thompson | |
| 1910-11 | 6-6 | 6-5 (Western) | Thomas Thompson | |
| 1909-10 | 5-4 | 5-4 (Western) | Herb Juul | |
| 1908-09 | 7-6 | 5-6 (Western) | Herb Juul | |
| 1907-08 | 20-6 | 4-4 (Western) | Fletcher Lane | |
| 1906-07 | 1-10 | 0-8 (Western) | Frank Pinckney | |
| 1905-06 | 6-8 | 3-7 (Western) | Elwood Brown |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|