No surprise, then, that the coach and his players took a 1,500th win, and a Flyin' Illini-tyin' 17th consecutive victory, in stride.

Asked what it would take to get the Illini excited in the postgame, guard Deron Williams hardly took a second to answer, "a national championship."

Fans think we need to lose to learn, to keep us humble," said Dee Brown, who scored all 14 of his points in the second half Saturday to key Illinois' comeback. "But this is a humble team."

The Boilermakers almost made it a humbled one.

Had Brandon Paul's three-pointer found the mark, Saturday's game against Gonzaga would have gone down as the greatest for the Illini in their 41 games at the United Center. Here are the Top 10 wins, according to sports editor Jim Rossow:

No. 1

CHAMPAIGN - He'll go shopping today, or to a restaurant, and somebody will come up to James Augustine and ask the obvious question.

It always happens after a night like Wednesday, a night when Augustine scored a career-high-tying 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to pace top-ranked Illinois' 84-65 win against Ohio State.

On this afternoon at his Waukegan home, Richmond wears a gray Utah Jazz hoody and explains why he's watching ESPN Classic — the Duke-Kansas national title game from 1991 — during spring break.

"This is what I think. In order to be good at the game, you have to be good to the game. You know what I mean?" he says. "You have to study those that came before you. By no means did I invent basketball because of my few press clippings from a few good games. I know that. So I watch older guys."

At 86, Vance is the last living member of the Whiz Kids.

"He's our John Wooden," says longtime UI athletic trainer Rod Cardinal. "Whenever there's been a high point in Illinois basketball — in 1989 or 2005, whenever it might be — people always bring up the Whiz Kids. He's the tie to that era."

And you know D.J.'s from Peoria because of how he won: Every time he passed the Illinois coaches on the track, he threw them a military salute with his right hand. Just to let them know he's here.

"That's Peoria, man!" McClain says. "That's like the boxer that goes to the end of the round in the 14th round. And then he doesn't sit in his corner. He's standing there looking at you, saluting you, saying, 'That's all you got?' That's what I want. I want my guys standing over there, spitting out their water, saying, 'Bring on the 15th round!' "

Nancy Cantor

May the former dancer, now Syracuse's Diversity Queen, enjoy more support than she received at UI. Here's a big hug.