You don't see Elite 8 games like this anymore with players who stay this long in college before playing in the NBA. This Illini team was so exciting to watch due to the athleticism and energy they played with every game. I remember Illinois beating LSU and Chris Jackson in December, 127-100. We won't see a team like this for a long time.
This Syracuse team was solid with Douglas, Owens and Coleman. Matt Roe was so bad in this game he ended up transferring to Maryland for his senior season.
I have this whole game on tape. This illinois team would attack you for 40 minutes. look how they finished he game off gang rebounding and attacking the rim with the game over. thats all heart
The best option would be Matt Roe shooting a three.. but, I believe Sherman Douglas had fouled out and Stevie was their next ballhandler... he also was a skywalker that would certainly be able to get a good look because of his leaping ability. Other than Matt Roe, Stevie was as good of choice as anyone to shoot a three... Billy Owens being the next option.
I agree, this was Boeheim's most talented team. They were excellent and had good players at every position.. Matt Roe was their zone breaker, Douglas ran the point, and Coleman controlled the boards. Owens was probably the best freshman in the Big East and Stevie Thompson was the best leaper in college.. a great squad that only lost 3 or 4 games that year.... twice to Georgetown, I believe.
Coleman was having back problems during this tournament... I believe he missed the game versus Missouri before the Orange played Illinois. This was a very talented and good Syracuse team.. probably Boeheim's best squad.
@BigAdon: I agree. Their 88 team and this team should have made it to the Final Four, at least. They also had strong Final Four contenders in 1990 and 91. In 1990, they lost to a good Minnesota team, but the Richmond loss the next year was disappointing. I had them going to the Final Four that year, and they could have made the title game, at least. Kansas was hot, but they really weren't that good. I don't know how they beat Arkansas.
i was at this game and became a huge illini fan. met nick anderson and got his autograph on my ticket stub which i still have somewhere. it was pretty sweet for a 17 year old kid. thanks for posting.
Wrong Sherman always tried to go 1 on 1 too often. I remember Charles Smith was lighting him up one night and he tried to respond and went like 5-20 fromt the field. G'town thumped SU that night and it was ALL Sherm's fault. DC was handlin' both Mourning & Motumbo while Sherm couldn't contain C. Smith. In this game, he was being outplayed by all the Ilini guards and he thought he could take over the game. WRONG............
@ChrisinEC Coleman didn't handle anybody,mourning destroyed him in that second half.AND, douglas had to try to take over,coleman disappeared in the second half.
@TheGatorfan93 Dude, Smith ate up Sherman the entire 2nd half and Sherman couldn't take it and tried to answer but couldn't. Smith crapped ALL over Sherman in that 2nd half. Of course DC is gonna disappear, Sherman didn't give up the rock..........
Huge SU fan here. I remember watching this game while I was in college in upstate NY. A very competitive game where we lead much of the way. This loss hurt - I was sure we were going back to the FF just 2 years after the crushing loss to IU in the 87 final. I remember most of the players on that 89 team. Sherman Douglas was in his final season, Derrick Coleman and Stevie Thompson were both juniors, Billy Owens and Dave Johnson were frosh, Herman Harried (Sr) and Matt Roe (Jr) were role players.
You don't see Elite 8 games like this anymore with players who stay this long in college before playing in the NBA. This Illini team was so exciting to watch due to the athleticism and energy they played with every game. I remember Illinois beating LSU and Chris Jackson in December, 127-100. We won't see a team like this for a long time.
This Syracuse team was solid with Douglas, Owens and Coleman. Matt Roe was so bad in this game he ended up transferring to Maryland for his senior season.
reillyhilda 3 months ago
Syracuse was a great squad in the late 80's
mahagga 4 months ago
Kenny Battle had at least 5 alley-oop dunks in that game! That was how Illinois beat the Cuse zone!
scatman44 5 months ago
I have this whole game on tape. This illinois team would attack you for 40 minutes. look how they finished he game off gang rebounding and attacking the rim with the game over. thats all heart
sneak108 7 months ago
@ChrisinEC
I wasn't sure of the opponenet, but, DC did miss a game during the tournament that year due to back problems.
eugenemcgirt 9 months ago
@eugenemcgirt Syracuse was sick loaded with this squad. DC rebounding record in championship game in 1987 still stands. he was a freshman too.
sneak108 7 months ago
@blown22
Matt Roe was their best outside shooter... he made that team special when he was on.
eugenemcgirt 11 months ago
@drjimmy61
The best option would be Matt Roe shooting a three.. but, I believe Sherman Douglas had fouled out and Stevie was their next ballhandler... he also was a skywalker that would certainly be able to get a good look because of his leaping ability. Other than Matt Roe, Stevie was as good of choice as anyone to shoot a three... Billy Owens being the next option.
eugenemcgirt 11 months ago
@BigAdon
I agree, this was Boeheim's most talented team. They were excellent and had good players at every position.. Matt Roe was their zone breaker, Douglas ran the point, and Coleman controlled the boards. Owens was probably the best freshman in the Big East and Stevie Thompson was the best leaper in college.. a great squad that only lost 3 or 4 games that year.... twice to Georgetown, I believe.
eugenemcgirt 11 months ago
@The Gatorfan93
Coleman was having back problems during this tournament... I believe he missed the game versus Missouri before the Orange played Illinois. This was a very talented and good Syracuse team.. probably Boeheim's best squad.
eugenemcgirt 11 months ago
@eugenemcgirt For the record, DC played vs Missouri. He has a huge block that sparked a Syracuse run in the 2nd half.
ChrisinEC 9 months ago
Quiet as kept this might have been Jim Boeheim's most talented team ever.
BigAdon 1 year ago
@BigAdon: I agree. Their 88 team and this team should have made it to the Final Four, at least. They also had strong Final Four contenders in 1990 and 91. In 1990, they lost to a good Minnesota team, but the Richmond loss the next year was disappointing. I had them going to the Final Four that year, and they could have made the title game, at least. Kansas was hot, but they really weren't that good. I don't know how they beat Arkansas.
sptrfn 11 months ago
Lou did a wonderful job "watching" that year...
spm1021 1 year ago
What the hell was Stevie Thompson doing with the ball for the last shot?
drjimmy61 1 year ago
i was at this game and became a huge illini fan. met nick anderson and got his autograph on my ticket stub which i still have somewhere. it was pretty sweet for a 17 year old kid. thanks for posting.
unkleduke 3 years ago
They lost 'cuz of Sherman, he made terrible turnover with the game on the line. He always thought HE was the man on that team when he WASN'T!
ChrisinEC 3 years ago
They were nothing without Sherman Douglas.
Majesticon 3 years ago 2
Wrong Sherman always tried to go 1 on 1 too often. I remember Charles Smith was lighting him up one night and he tried to respond and went like 5-20 fromt the field. G'town thumped SU that night and it was ALL Sherm's fault. DC was handlin' both Mourning & Motumbo while Sherm couldn't contain C. Smith. In this game, he was being outplayed by all the Ilini guards and he thought he could take over the game. WRONG............
ChrisinEC 2 years ago
@ChrisinEC Coleman didn't handle anybody,mourning destroyed him in that second half.AND, douglas had to try to take over,coleman disappeared in the second half.
TheGatorfan93 1 year ago
@TheGatorfan93 Dude, Smith ate up Sherman the entire 2nd half and Sherman couldn't take it and tried to answer but couldn't. Smith crapped ALL over Sherman in that 2nd half. Of course DC is gonna disappear, Sherman didn't give up the rock..........
ChrisinEC 9 months ago
Huge SU fan here. I remember watching this game while I was in college in upstate NY. A very competitive game where we lead much of the way. This loss hurt - I was sure we were going back to the FF just 2 years after the crushing loss to IU in the 87 final. I remember most of the players on that 89 team. Sherman Douglas was in his final season, Derrick Coleman and Stevie Thompson were both juniors, Billy Owens and Dave Johnson were frosh, Herman Harried (Sr) and Matt Roe (Jr) were role players.
blown22 4 years ago
Man, this was when College Basketball was great. There were 5 Top Notch NBA PLAYERS in this game N. Anderson, K.Gill, D.Coleman, S.Douglas, B.Owens.
SFFOOL76 4 years ago