1942-43 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team

The 1942–43 Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team represented the University of Illiniois. The Illinois Fighting Illini finished the season with a record of 17 wins and 1 loss. The season was cut short as three of the five starters headed off to active duty in the armed forces. Illinois won the Big Ten Conference Title

Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball regular season champions

Big Ten Conference men's basketball regular season champions:-Championships by school:* Chicago withdrew from the conference in 1946.** Due to NCAA sanctions, Ohio State has vacated the records of 34 games in 1998-99, 16 games in ‘99-00 and the entire ‘00-01 and ‘01-02 seasons.-See also:* Big Ten...

and had finished the regular season as the nations' top ranked team. Paced by a group of players known as the Whiz Kids, the team consisted of 20 year-old All-America

NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...

forward Andy Phillip and teenagers Ken Menke, Gene Vance

Gene Vance

Ellis Eugene "Gene" Vance is an American former professional basketball player for the NBA's Chicago Stags and a former collegiate athlete for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team. He is most famous for leading Illinois as a member of the famed "Whiz Kids" of the 1940s...

, Jack Smiley

Jack Smiley

Arthur John "Jack" Smiley was an American basketball player.With Gene Vance, Andy Phillip, Ken Menke, and Art Mathisen, Smiley was a member of the University of Illinois' "Whiz Kids" team that went 35-6 from 1941 to 1943, earning two Big Ten Conference championships...

and Art Mathisen. These players were so dominant in the Big Ten, that only Northwestern's Otto Graham

Otto Graham

Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...

could crack the all-conference team.

The Army drafted Mathisen, Menke and Smiley. That left only Vance and Phillip, both good enough to be selected to Illinois' All-Century team. But coach Doug Mills made a decision in February 1943 that all five always supported, the club did not participate in either the NCAA

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

or NIT

National Invitation Tournament

The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...

tournament. Wyoming's NCAA championship that season may not have happened had Illinois’ season not coincided with World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Four of the five, minus Mathisen, returned to Illinois and tried to recapture the glory for one more season in 1946–47 after the war ended, but the chemistry had changed as well as their talent. Illinois went 14–6.

Team

Bishop Barrick
Raymond Bergeson
Frank Bohac
Clifton Fulton
Raymond Grierson F
Gordon Hortin G
John Kjellstrom G
Arthur Mathisen C
Kenneth Menke F
Edwin Parker C-F
Kenneth Parker G
Andrew Phillip F-G
Alton Shirley C
Oliver Shoaff F
Arthur Smiley
Jack Smiley
Arthur John "Jack" Smiley was an American basketball player.With Gene Vance, Andy Phillip, Ken Menke, and Art Mathisen, Smiley was a member of the University of Illinois' "Whiz Kids" team that went 35-6 from 1941 to 1943, earning two Big Ten Conference championships...

G
Ellis Vance G
Gene Vance
Ellis Eugene "Gene" Vance is an American former professional basketball player for the NBA's Chicago Stags and a former collegiate athlete for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team. He is most famous for leading Illinois as a member of the famed "Whiz Kids" of the 1940s...

Record

Date	Opponent	Score	Result	Location
December 7, 1942	Detroit Detroit Titans The Detroit Titans are the NCAA Division I team of the University of Detroit Mercy . The school competes in the Horizon League.-Basketball :On April 12, 2008, UDM announced the hiring of Ray McCallum as Men's Basketball Coach...	38–25	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
December 12, 1942	Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college basketball. The program saw its first game in 1896 playing 7-on-7 basketball. The first collegiate game was against Nebraska Wesleyan University...	69–27	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
December 14, 1942	Missouri Missouri Tigers men's basketball The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Missouri in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are located in Columbia, Missouri. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2011. The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team plays its home games at...	51–30	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
December 19, 1942	Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...	57–53	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
December 21, 1942	Camp Grant Camp Grant (Illinois) For other uses see Camp Grant.Camp Grant was a U.S. Army facility located in the southern outskirts of Rockford, Illinois named in honor of General Ulysses S. Grant...	31–41	Loss	Rockford, IL Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
January 2, 1943	Stanford Stanford Cardinal men's basketball The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942...	38–26	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
January 9, 1943	Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...	47–34	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
January 11, 1943	Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....	47–34	Win	Madison, WI
January 16, 1943	Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...	61–41	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
January 18, 1943	Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...	66–34	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
February 1, 1943	Northwestern Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference. Men's basketball was first introduced at Northwestern in 1901...	68–51	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
February 6, 1943	Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...	60–48	Win	Columbus, OH Ohio Expo Center Coliseum The Ohio Expo Center Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairground in Columbus, Ohio. It was built in 1918. Nicknamed "The Barn," the Coliseum has become a legendary and traditional High School Basketball venue. It continues to be home to the...
February 8, 1943	Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...	50–44	Win	Columbus, OH Ohio Expo Center Coliseum The Ohio Expo Center Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairground in Columbus, Ohio. It was built in 1918. Nicknamed "The Barn," the Coliseum has become a legendary and traditional High School Basketball venue. It continues to be home to the...
February 8, 1943	Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905...	56–35	Win	Minneapolis, MN Williams Arena Williams Arena, located on the Twin Cities main campus of the University of Minnesota is the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's and women's basketball teams, and the men's and women's hockey teams until 1992, when the hockey teams received their own buildings...
February 15, 1943	Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905...	67–43	Win	Minneapolis, MN Williams Arena Williams Arena, located on the Twin Cities main campus of the University of Minnesota is the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's and women's basketball teams, and the men's and women's hockey teams until 1992, when the hockey teams received their own buildings...
February 20, 1943	Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....	50–26	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....
February 27, 1943	Northwestern Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference. Men's basketball was first introduced at Northwestern in 1901...	68–51	Win	Evanston, IL Patten Gymnasium Patten Gymnasium is a multi-purpose gymnasium in Evanston, Illinois. The original building, designed by George Washington Maher, opened in 1910 and was home to the Northwestern University Wildcats Basketball Team until 1940, when it was demolished and rebuilt farther north to make room for the...
February 27, 1943	University of Chicago Chicago Maroons The Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon, one of the school's colors. They compete in the NCAA's Division III. They are primarily members of the University Athletic Association and were co-founders of the Big Ten...	92–25	Win	Champaign, IL Huff Hall Huff Hall is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935....

Awards and honors

Andy Phillip
- National Player of the Year
- Consensus All-American
  NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
  The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...
- Big Ten Player of the Year
  Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
  The Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Big Ten Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1984–85 season even though the conference itself was established in 1899...
- Fighting Illini All-Century team
Gene Vance
Gene Vance
Ellis Eugene "Gene" Vance is an American former professional basketball player for the NBA's Chicago Stags and a former collegiate athlete for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team. He is most famous for leading Illinois as a member of the famed "Whiz Kids" of the 1940s...
- Fighting Illini All-Century team

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.