Former Illini basketball players cheer team on during deep postseason run

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team has a lot of support behind them as they make a deep run in March Madness.

Fans like Cowboy Tommy and the Orange Krush are in Boston to cheer on the Illini in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Others are watching at State Farm Center or, in Warren Taylor’s case, at home in Monticello.

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A few fans, however, have a special connection to the team: they were once a part of the Illini basketball program. Former players have been following along as the Illini made it to the Elite 8, and they’ve taken to X, formerly Twitter, to cheer on the Illini and celebrate the victories.

Trent Frazier said after the Duquesne game that he loved “watching my boys.” Frazier was a cornerstone member of Brad Underwood’s first five Illini seasons and won two Big Ten championships.

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Dee Brown, who led the Illini in 2005 — the last time they made the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four — changed his profile picture to a photo of his signature Sports Illustrated cover ahead of the Big Ten Tournament. He’s also posted a few times to celebrate the victories and reflect on his own experience in the NCAA tournament.

Kenny Battle, a member of the 1989 Flyin’ Illini, posted a congratulatory message following the Sweet 16 victory.

One of the most vocal supporters among former players is Deon Thomas, Illinois’ all-time men’s scoring leader. Thomas has been on the radio call alongside Brian Barnhart for the Fighting Illini Sports Network all postseason, and he’s posted and retweeted multiple times to celebrate the wins and document the things behind the scenes.

Thomas has also tweeted and retweeted several times to compliment Terrence Shannon Jr.’s performances.

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The praise and support Thomas is showing can be rivaled by one other former player: Alfonso Plummer. Since the Big Ten Tournament, Plummer has been very vocal in cheering on the team he played one season for and won a Big Ten championship with.

He also has a bold prediction regarding the Illinois-UConn game: that the winner will go on to win the national championship.

The Illini’s victory in the Big Ten championship also gained the attention of a former player who hasn’t finished his college career yet. Adam Miller, who played for the Illini in 2020-2021 before transferring out of the program, offered some words of encouragement to Shannon and Coleman Hawkins:

Miller now plays for the Arizona State Sun Devils, whose campus in Tempe is just 30 miles away from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where the Final Four and championship game will be played.

With one more victory, the Illini will earn the right to play in Arizona.

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