(WAND) - Illinois last made it to the Final Four in 2005, and was led by standouts Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head.
That year, the team took down Arizona in overtime in the Elite Eight and had a convincing victory over Louisville in the Final Four to advance to the national championship.
Roger Powell was a key part of the team, starting all 39 games at forward.
He told WAND News that it was an experience he will never forget.
"When you're in the moment, you're just trying to win, you're trying to win the Big Ten, you're trying to win every game, and it wasn't so much pressure, it was just trying to live in the moment and be the best that I could be," Powell said.
Powell is currently the head coach at Valparaiso, and said it's been awesome to watch the Illini this season.
He hopes the program can bring home its first national title.
Illinois will face UConn for a spot in the national championship game on Saturday night.
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