On March 21, 1996, a new era in Illinois basketball began when Director of Athletics Ron Guenther introduced Lon Kruger as the University’s 14th men’s basketball coach.

Kruger came to Illinois from the University of Florida and carried a list of impressive credentials, including guiding Florida to the Final Four in 1994.

Over the course of the season, Illinois defeated five ranked opponents, including No.

During the course of the year, Kiwane Garris etched his name in the Illinois record book with one of the best season performances by any Illini player in history.

He finished his career second on the all-time scoring list with 1,948 points and set the single-season record for free throws made and attempted.