The 2005 NCAA Tournament was one of the best in the modern era. It produced a rarity, a championship game between the two teams clearly acknowledged as the best in the country, and its regional final weekend produced The Greatest Eight Ever.
Illinois was coming off a strong basketball season in 2004, having finished second to Wisconsin in the Big Ten race and then making the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2005 Illinois basketball team was poised for more right from the outset.
This article offers a snapshot of 2005 sports, a year that saw a seven-game NBA Finals showdown, 6-seed magic in the NFL playoffs and some great pitching in baseball’s postseason. The year was marred by a NHL lockout that canceled the entire season, and the year was ultimately defined by two big showdowns for college championships.