Illinois Fighting Illini legend Kendall Gill didn't hesitate to pick the best Illinois Fighting Illini Final Four team of all-time.
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball program has been to six Final Fours in its history, including in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005 and 2026.
Former NBA and college hoops star Kendall Gill was a key cog on the 1989 'Flying Illini' team that narrowly missed out on securing the program's first-ever NCAA championship banner.
On Monday, Gill gave his opinion on the best of the Fighting Illini's six Final Four teams, settling on a popular choice.
Gill: '89 Team is Program's Best
Gill gave his props to the 2026 Fighting Illini men's hoops team but picked his own squad because of the tough-as-nails schedule coach Lou Henson's team was forced to contend with that year.
"In all due respect to the '05 team, in all due respect to the team that finished up in the Final Four last year, I think that that team ('89) was the best team in Illini history," Gill said in a video posted by Champaign Sports anchor Carson Gourdie.
"You know, because of the road that we had to take, we beat so many top level teams, we beat so many future NBA players, we beat the number one, two number one picks in Derrick Coleman and Pervis Ellison in the tournament to get there," he added.
The '89 Team's Biggest 'What If'
Gill also reminded viewers that the Illini were not 100 percent healthy that season.
Coach Henson's team went 2-1 against eventual national champion Michigan but failed to beat the Wolverines in the Final Four.
Coach Steve Fisher's team went on to beat the Seton Hall Pirates in the season's final game with championship hardware on the line.
"A lot of people forget, we weren't 100 percent healthy when we beat (Coleman and Ellison's) teams," Gill said.
"But that was back in the era where everybody stayed in school, so I don't think we'll ever see that again," the former Illini guard added.
"But, that's what being a part of that team means to me," he concluded.
Illini Bring Back Serious Firepower
The 2026-27 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team won't be loaded with seniors like the team of Gill and coach Henson's heyday, but they are expected to bring back four of the 2025-26 team's top scorers.
Those players include shooting guard Andrej Stojakovic, power forward David Mirkovic, center Tomislav Ivisic, and fellow center Zvonimir Ivisic.
The returning Illinois core isn't quite on the level that Gill described in terms of pure experience.
Based on talent and scoring ability, Gill and other Illinois legends would be hard-pressed to find a better group of returning stars among recent Illini hoops squads.
