Mark Grote

Rebound Wagler.

All the Illini done in this tournament has been win, no matter what, even when the first halves may look slow.

Congratulations to the Illini for being in the Final Four for the first time in 21 years.

This is Rahimi Harrison-Grote on 104.3 The Score.

And I'm glad to hear, Mark, that you had the same energy about the Illini and Iowa game that I had about getting unnecessarily emotionally attached to the Illinois State National Title game.

from football season because I was like, I'm going to commit to this game.

And then I did, and then I was rewarded with chaos football.

And the Illini run has had its twists and turns in this tournament.

Look, I do have an emotional attachment to the team as people –

probably know if you've listened to me through the years I'm not the biggest college basketball fan anymore but Illinois is a team after DePaul that I've always rooted for had many friends my brother went to to U of I I covered every inch of the postseason run like like as was on the road

for the 2005 Illini team, which went to St.

Louis and ended up losing to North Carolina, Sean May, and that group.

So I already do have a natural attachment to it.

But guess what, guys?

Where my emotion really goes up, and when it's winning time,

For a team that, yes, is based in central Illinois and Champaign, but which most of its students are from here, from Chicago, from the suburbs.

Yes, I am into it.

It is winning time.

It is championship time.

And guess what?