The merits of those fouls will be discussed over many pints of beer for the next couple of decades in Illinois. Did Augustine question them?

"My opinion really doesn’t matter," he said. "But yeah, I guess so. It’s different in a national championship game, little ticky-tack (fouls), than in the first or second round."

He was asked about how tough it was to defend May. That was like asking Right Said Fred about the burdens of a life atop the charts.

"I was in for nine minutes," Augustine said. "There wasn’t much defense being played by me."

Illinois has had many successful seasons, but this one was unique. The Illini were the talk of college basketball. And close to home, they fascinated people who normally had a casual rooting interest.

In an era where many teams struggle to find a decent point guard, Illinois basically had two of the nation’s best: Deron Williams and Dee Brown. Those two set an unselfish tone that made this one of the best passing teams in history. And Coach Bruce Weber, a coaching lifer, had an aw-shucks quality that endeared him to Chicagoans and Downstaters alike.

Long-time North Carolina fans should understand. The 1957 Tar Heels had the same kind of appeal. That team, like this Illinois team, faced an imposing center in the final game. His name was Wilt Chamberlain. UNC won in triple-overtime.

That was a game for the ages, the kind that every special team needs. Illinois already checked off "Game for the Ages" on its Season of Wonder worksheet. It came nine days earlier against Arizona: down 15 with less than five minutes remaining, the Illini won in overtime. The Chicago crowd seemed like it would blow the roof off the place.

And yet Illinois almost matched it Monday. Down 15 in the second half Monday night, the Illini tied the game. The crowd believed, right until the end.

"Unbelievable," Weber said of the fans in recent weeks. "Unbelievable. You know, just can’t beat it. I hope they appreciate the journey."

They sure did. And so did Weber.

"If you’re not happy with this, I feel sorry for you," he said, "because life ain’t getting much better."

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