The 1988-89 Flying Illini
A comprehensive exploration of one of college basketball's most legendary teams, detailing their record-breaking season and journey to the Final Four.
Season Overview 👇 View Schedule 📅Dive in with Flashcard Learning!
🎮 Play the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge Game🎮
The Legendary Season
Unprecedented Talent
The 1988-89 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is widely regarded as one of the most talented squads ever assembled at the University of Illinois. This exceptional team, famously known as the "Flying Illini", showcased remarkable athleticism and offensive prowess, evidenced by a record number of high-scoring games exceeding 100 points. The roster was a formidable collection of talent, featuring key returning players from the previous season such as Kenny Battle, Kendall Gill, Stephen Bardo, Lowell Hamilton, Nick Anderson, and Larry Smith. They were further bolstered by the addition of junior college All-American P.J. Bowman and highly touted recruit Marcus Liberty.
Dominant Start
The Illini commenced the season with an astonishing 16-game winning streak, ascending to the No. 2 ranking nationally. Their dominance was put to the test in a highly anticipated, nationally televised contest against Georgia Tech. Despite having previously defeated the Yellow Jackets, Illinois found themselves trailing significantly in the second half. In a display of resilience, they mounted a dramatic comeback, forcing overtime and ultimately winning in double overtime. This victory propelled Illinois to the coveted No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll. However, the euphoria was short-lived as star guard Kendall Gill suffered a broken foot, sidelining him for 12 crucial games. The team's performance was inevitably impacted, leading to three losses in their next four games and the relinquishing of their top ranking.
NCAA Tournament Run
Despite the setback, the Illini rallied, finishing second in the Big Ten Conference with a 14-4 record. With Gill back in the lineup, they secured a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament. Their tournament journey began with commanding victories over McNeese State and Ball State at the Hoosier Dome. The path to the Final Four led them through a challenging regional in Minneapolis, facing formidable opponents like Missouri, Louisville, and Syracuse. Illinois overcame Louisville 83-69, setting up a regional final showdown with Syracuse. In a hard-fought contest, the Fighting Illini emerged victorious, 89-86, earning their spot in the Final Four in Seattle.
Final Four Showdown
In the national semifinals, Illinois faced their Big Ten rival, Michigan, a team they had defeated twice during the regular season. The game was an intense, back-and-forth affair, marked by 33 lead changes. Despite an outstanding performance from Kenny Battle, who recorded 29 points and 11 rebounds, the Illini ultimately fell short, losing a heart-breaking 83-81 decision to the Wolverines, who went on to win the national championship. This season remains a celebrated chapter in Illinois basketball history, remembered for its incredible talent and near-perfect execution.
Game Schedule
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/26/1988 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 9 | Illinois-Chicago | W 85-59 | 1-0 | Assembly Hall (13,800) Champaign, IL |
| 11/29/1988 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | Metro State | W 86-55 | 2-0 | Assembly Hall (13,911) Champaign, IL |
| 12/3/1988 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | Ole Miss | W 91-79 | 3-0 | Assembly Hall (14,386) Champaign, IL |
| 12/6/1988 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 7 | No. 19 Florida | W 97-67 | 4-0 | Assembly Hall (15,020) Champaign, IL |
| 12/9/1988 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | Duquesne Illini Classic |
W 112-81 | 5-0 | Assembly Hall (14,532) Champaign, IL |
| 12/10/1988 8 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | Arkansas-Little Rock Illini Classic |
W 107-88 | 6-0 | Assembly Hall (14,887) Champaign, IL |
| 12/17/1988 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 6 | Tennessee Tech | W 105-77 | 7-0 | Assembly Hall (12,794) Champaign, IL |
| 12/19/1988 8 p.m., WCIA |
No. 6 | vs. No. 10 Missouri Braggin' Rights |
W 87-84 | 8-0 | St. Louis Arena (18,561) St. Louis, MO |
| 12/22/1988 7:30 p.m., WCIA |
No. 5 | at Louisiana State | W 127-100 | 9-0 | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (14,192) Baton Rouge, LA |
| 12/28/1988 10 p.m., none |
No. 4 | vs. Tulsa Rainbow Classic |
W 85-58 | 10-0 | Neal S. Blaisdell Center (3,173) Honolulu, HI |
| 12/29/1988 6 p.m., none |
No. 4 | vs. No. 17 Georgia Tech Rainbow Classic |
W 80-75 | 11-0 | Neal S. Blaisdell Center (5,775) Honolulu, HI |
| 12/31/1988 12:15 a.m., none |
No. 4 | at Hawaii Rainbow Classic |
W 96-87 | 12-0 | Neal S. Blaisdell Center (6,379) Honolulu, HI |
| Big Ten Regular Season | |||||
| 1/7/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 3 | Michigan State | W 71-54 | 13-0 (1-0) | Assembly Hall (16,497) Champaign, IL |
| 1/12/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 2 | Wisconsin | W 103-80 | 14-0 (2-0) | Assembly Hall (14,433) Champaign, IL |
| 1/14/1989 12 p.m., WCIA |
No. 2 | No. 6 Michigan | W 96-84 | 15-0 (3-0) | Assembly Hall (14,499) Champaign, IL |
| 1/19/1989 9 p.m., ESPN |
No. 2 | at Northwestern Rivalry |
W 75-70 | 16-0 (4-0) | McGaw Hall (8,117) Evanston, IL |
| 1/22/1989 12 p.m., ABC |
No. 2 | Georgia Tech | W 103-92 (2OT) | 17-0 | Assembly Hall (16,561) Champaign, IL |
| 1/26/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 1 | at Minnesota | L 62-69 | 17-1 (4-1) | Williams Arena (13,766) Minneapolis, MN |
| 1/28/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 1 | No. 16 Indiana Rivalry |
W 75-65 | 18-1 (5-1) | Assembly Hall (16,563) Champaign, IL |
| 2/2/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 2 | at Purdue | L 72-76 | 18-2 (5-2) | Mackey Arena (14,123) West Lafayette, IN |
| 2/5/1989 3 p.m., ABC |
No. 2 | at No. 9 Iowa Rivalry |
L 82-86 | 18-3 (5-3) | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (15,500) Iowa City, IA |
| 2/9/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | No. 16 Ohio State | W 62-60 | 19-3 (6-3) | Assembly Hall (16,439) Champaign, IL |
| 2/11/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 7 | Northwestern Rivalry |
W 86-69 | 20-3 (7-3) | Assembly Hall (16,471) Champaign, IL |
| 2/16/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 5 | at Michigan State | W 75-56 | 21-3 (8-3) | Jenison Fieldhouse (10,004) East Lansing, MI |
| 2/18/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 5 | at Wisconsin | L 52-72 | 21-4 (8-4) | Wisconsin Field House (11,886) Madison, WI |
| 2/20/1989 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 5 | Purdue | W 102-75 | 22-4 (9-4) | Assembly Hall (16,415) Champaign, IL |
| 2/26/1989 3 p.m., ABC |
No. 10 | at Ohio State | W 94-71 | 23-4 (10-4) | St. John Arena (13,276) Columbus, OH |
| 3/2/1989 7 p.m., WCIA |
No. 8 | Minnesota | W 63-58 | 24-4 (11-4) | Assembly Hall (16,455) Champaign, IL |
| 3/5/1989 3 p.m., ABC |
No. 8 | at No. 3 Indiana Rivalry |
W 70-67 | 25-4 (12-4) | Assembly Hall (17,311) Bloomington, IN |
| 3/8/1989 9 p.m., ESPN |
No. 4 | No. 15 Iowa Rivalry |
W 118-94 | 26-4 (13-4) | Assembly Hall (16,552) Champaign, IL |
| 3/11/1989 3 p.m., ABC |
No. 4 | at No. 8 Michigan | W 89-73 | 27-4 (14-4) | Crisler Arena (13,609) Ann Arbor, MI |
| NCAA Tournament | |||||
| 3/16/1989 6 p.m., CBS |
(1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (16 MW) McNeese State | W 77-71 | 28-4 | Hoosier Dome (37,242) Indianapolis, IN |
| 3/18/1989 1:20 p.m., CBS |
(1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (9 MW) No. 18 Ball State | W 72-60 | 29-4 | Hoosier Dome (37,444) Indianapolis, IN |
| 3/24/1989 7 p.m., CBS |
(1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (4 MW) No. 12 Louisville | W 83-69 | 30-4 | Metrodome (33,560) Minneapolis, MN |
| 3/26/1989 1 p.m., CBS |
(1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (2 MW) No. 7 Syracuse | W 89-86 | 31-4 | Metrodome (33,469) Minneapolis, MN |
| 4/1/1989 7 p.m., CBS |
(1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (3 S) No. 10 Michigan | L 81-83 | 31-5 | Kingdome (39,187) Seattle, WA |
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. | |||||
Player Statistics
| Player | Games Played | Minutes Played | 2 pt. FG | 3 pt. FG | Free Throws | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | Steals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Anderson | 36 | 1125 | 238 | 24 | 99 | 285 | 72 | 32 | 57 | 647 |
| Kenny Battle | 36 | 1105 | 209 | 9 | 151 | 174 | 64 | 13 | 89 | 596 |
| Lowell Hamilton | 36 | 943 | 219 | 0 | 50 | 204 | 24 | 31 | 21 | 488 |
| Kendall Gill | 24 | 681 | 105 | 38 | 46 | 70 | 91 | 6 | 51 | 370 |
| Marcus Liberty | 36 | 748 | 114 | 6 | 57 | 141 | 42 | 10 | 38 | 303 |
| Stephen Bardo | 36 | 1000 | 65 | 29 | 76 | 144 | 148 | 8 | 34 | 293 |
| Larry Smith | 36 | 695 | 63 | 3 | 40 | 73 | 157 | 5 | 28 | 175 |
| P.J. Bowman | 29 | 284 | 6 | 22 | 9 | 28 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 87 |
| Ervin Small | 36 | 392 | 26 | 0 | 27 | 76 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 77 |
| Andy Kaufmann | 12 | 136 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 51 |
| Mike MacDonald | 23 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Brian O'Connell | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Eddie Manzke | 18 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Head Coach: Lou Henson (14th year at Illinois) | ||||||||||
Accolades & Honors
Defensive Player
Stephen Bardo was recognized for his outstanding defensive contributions by earning the prestigious Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
Most Valuable
Nick Anderson was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player. His exceptional performance also earned him recognition as the NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player. Anderson's legacy was further cemented when he was named to the Fighting Illini All-Century team in 2005.
All-Century Recognition
The impact of the "Flying Illini" was recognized long-term, with several key players being named to the Fighting Illini All-Century team in 2005. This distinguished group included Kenny Battle, Kendall Gill, and Nick Anderson, highlighting their enduring significance to the program's history.
NBA Draft Selections
| Player | NBA Club | Round | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendall Gill | Charlotte Hornets | 1 | 5 |
| Nick Anderson | Orlando Magic | 1 | 11 |
| Kenny Battle | Detroit Pistons | 2 | 27 |
National Rankings
Associated Press Poll
Throughout the 1988-89 season, the Illinois Fighting Illini consistently ranked among the nation's elite. They achieved a peak ranking of No. 1 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll after their early season success. The team maintained a top-10 presence for much of the season, demonstrating their status as a national powerhouse. For detailed historical rankings, refer to the comprehensive NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings for the 1988-89 season.
Sources
Teacher's Corner
Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio
Click here to open the "1988 U201389 Illinois Fighting Illini Men S Basketball Team" Wiki2Web Studio curriculum kit
Use the free Wiki2web Studio to generate printable flashcards, worksheets, exams, and export your materials as a web page or an interactive game.
True or False?
Test Your Knowledge!
Gamer's Corner
Are you ready for the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge?
Unlock the mystery image and prove your knowledge by earning trophies. This simple game is addictively fun and is a great way to learn!
Play now
References
References
Feedback & Support
To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.
Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page has been meticulously crafted by an AI, drawing information exclusively from the provided source text. It is intended for educational and informational purposes, offering a detailed look at the 1988-89 Illinois Fighting Illini basketball season.
This is not official sports commentary or analysis. The content presented here is based on historical data and may not reflect real-time updates or professional sports journalism standards. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy based on the source, no guarantee is made regarding completeness or absolute precision.
The creators of this page are not affiliated with the University of Illinois, the NCAA, or any athletic organizations. We are not responsible for any interpretations or actions taken based on the information provided herein.