583 - Jay Price & Brian Barnhart Talk Illini Final Four

April 2, 2026·33 min·2 clips

Jay Price says the 2005 Illini were "number one all year" and down 14 before the comeback against Arizona.

1. I on the Illini focuses on Illinois basketball’s 2025 Final Four run and the program’s 2005 Final Four memory. 2. Former Illini assistant coach Jay Price and veteran play-by-play voice Brian Barnhart bring coach and broadcaster perspectives to why the trip matters. 3. The episode asks what Illinois should expect in Indianapolis and how the current team compares with the 2005 group. 4. Price recalls Illinois being No. 1 all season in 2005 and trailing Arizona by 14 before the comeback. 5. He says he thought a comeback would become "the greatest comeback in the history of sports" if Illinois pulled it off. 6. Price describes the emotional release after the Arizona win as leaving your body and feeling joy for family, fans, and players. 7. He says a cheer at open practice in St. Louis made him turn around because the crowd was actually cheering for him. 8. Price told coach Weber the arena was full and that Illinois should "forget" the planned practice and "Shoot threes. And dunk." 9. Barnhart says the 2025 team’s Final Four arrival felt emotional because he watched Brad Underwood hug his son and Susan Underwood hug their daughters. 10. Barnhart links that emotion to Illinois’ long stretch of lean years, NIT appearances, and bubble seasons. 11. Both men contrast the 2025 team with the 2005 roster by noting how much the current group changed after injuries and lineup shifts. 12. Barnhart points to the first UConn game as a snapshot of how different Illinois looked early in the season. 13. Price praises Illinois as balanced, tough, and better defensively during the tournament than earlier in the year. 14. Barnhart says the Houston win gave Illinois the pedigree to belong in the Final Four and to challenge for the title. 15. Price says the team’s focus is easier for coaches than for fans because the outside noise does not affect the staff as much. 16. He also says the current Illini seem connected and that some players like "to hoop" without being fazed by the stage. 17. The conversation has a nostalgic, conversational tone with jokes about hair, birthdays, and old scouting methods like VHS tapes. 18. Barnhart and Price speak as longtime insiders who know the program, its fans, and the Final Four environment. 19. Best for Illinois fans who want coach-level context on the Final Four. 20. Skip if you want only game film breakdowns and no program history.

As heard by us

A frank, memory-heavy look back at the Illini's 2005 Final Four run.

The piece revisits the Illini's 2005 Final Four run through Jay Price, who speaks with uncommon candor as a former assistant on that team. It moves through the scouting report in North Carolina, the foul trouble on James Augustine, and the missed Darren three that still lingers.

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Why you'd press play

You want a 2005 Final Four memory dump from someone who was on the bench.

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