The 1996-97 Illinois Fighting Illini went 22-10 (11-7 in the Big Ten) under head coach Lon Kruger. The team peaked at #15 in the AP poll. Simple Rating System: 15.68.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-11-22 | at UIC Flames | W 68–63 | UIC Pavilion |
| 1996-11-25 | vs Delaware State Hornets | W 92–51 | Assembly Hall |
| 1996-11-29 | neutral TCU Horned Frogs | W 73–67 | Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium |
| 1996-11-30 | neutral Louisville Cardinals | L 60–70 | Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium |
| 1996-12-01 | neutral Virginia Tech Hokies | W 92–68 | Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium |
| 1996-12-03 | at California Golden Bears | L 88–89 (2OTOT) | Harmon Gym |
| 1996-12-06 | vs Columbia Lions | W 84–59 | Assembly Hall |
| 1996-12-07 | vs Tennessee State Tigers | W 86–73 | Assembly Hall |
| 1996-12-11 | vs Chicago State Cougars | W 94–57 | Assembly Hall |
| 1996-12-14 | vs Coppin State Eagles | W 91–55 | Assembly Hall |
| 1996-12-21 | neutral UCLA Bruins | W 79–63 | |
| 1996-12-28 | neutral Missouri Tigers | W 85–69 | Kiel Center |
| 1997-01-02 | vs Purdue Boilermakers | L 69–75 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-01-04 | at Ohio State Buckeyes | W 72–64 | St. John Arena |
| 1997-01-09 | at Michigan Wolverines | L 74–88 | Crisler Arena |
| 1997-01-11 | vs Penn State Nittany Lions | W 85–70 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-01-14 | vs St. Thomas-Minnesota Tommies | W 96–90 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-01-22 | at Michigan State Spartans | W 66–63 | Breslin Student Events Center |
| 1997-01-25 | vs Wisconsin Badgers | L 56–73 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-01-29 | at Iowa Hawkeyes | L 65–82 | Carver-Hawkeye Arena |
| 1997-02-02 | at Indiana Hoosiers | W 78–74 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-02-05 | vs Northwestern Wildcats | W 70–58 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-02-09 | vs Iowa Hawkeyes | W 66–51 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-02-12 | at Wisconsin Badgers | L 45–62 | Wisconsin Field House |
| 1997-02-15 | vs Michigan State Spartans | W 79–68 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-02-22 | at St. Thomas-Minnesota Tommies | L 66–67 | Williams Arena |
| 1997-02-25 | at Penn State Nittany Lions | W 87–65 | Bryce Jordan Center |
| 1997-03-02 | vs Michigan Wolverines | W 70–51 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-03-05 | vs Ohio State Buckeyes | W 90–83 | Assembly Hall |
| 1997-03-08 | at Purdue Boilermakers | L 69–77 | Mackey Arena |
| 1997-03-14 | neutral USC Trojans | W 90–77 | Charlotte Coliseum (II) |
| 1997-03-16 | neutral Chattanooga Mocs | L 63–75 | Charlotte Coliseum (II) |
Illinois Fighting Illini program history · All Division I programs · Hoopsipedia home
| 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 |
|---|