1940–41 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team

A new decade had begun for the Fighting Illini, a decade which brought much success to Illinois basketball. Head Coach Doug Mills led the

Illini to consecutive Big Ten titles in 1942 and 1943. The Illini would add another league championship under Harry Combes in 1949. The Illini were the 13th-winningest Division I team in the nation in the 1940s. Illinois’ 150-57 record and .725 winning percentage was the best in the Big Ten. In 1941, Mills added to his coaching duties when he was named the school’s athletic director as well as continuing on as the head coach. Mills entered his fifth season with the Illini and, just as his teams had done the previous 4 seasons, had a nearly perfect record on the home court finishing with an 8-2 record. Unfortunately for the Illini they finished with a 5-5 record on the road to finish in a third place tie overall in conference action. Mills' team featured 8 returning letterman and had a starting lineup including team captain John Drish and Harold Shapiro at forward, Art Mathisen at the center position, and Victor Wukovits and Robert Richmond as guards. The team also featured future major league baseball player Walter EversFighting Illini Basketball: A Hardwood History By News-Gazette, Sports Publishing LLC {{ISBN|1-58261-356-7}}

{{CBB roster/Header|year=1940|team=Illinois Fighting Illini|teamcolors=y}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Henry|last=Sachs|num=4|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=JR|rs=|home=Chicago, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Walter|last=Evers|num=5|pos=F|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=JR|rs=|home=Collinsville, Illinois|link=y}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Robert|last=O'Neill|num=6|pos=C|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SR|rs=|home=Pitman, New Jersey|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Robert|last=Richmond|num=12|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SR|rs=|home=Johnston City, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Victor|last=Wukovits|num=13|pos=C|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=JR|rs=|home=Mishawaka, Indiana|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Raymond|last=Bergeson|num=14|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Bridgeton, New Jersey|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Ralph|last=Hooker|num=15|pos=F|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Sidell, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=William|last=Hocking|num=16|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=JR|rs=|home=Evanston, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Richard|last=Albaugh|num=17|pos=F|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Darien, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=R. Keith|last=Brown|num=18|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=FR|rs=|home=Pekin, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Arthur|last=Mathisen|num=19|pos=C|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Dwight, Illinois|link=y|alt=Art Mathisen}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Harold|last=Shapiro|num=20|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SR|rs=|home=Chicago, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=John|last=Drish|num=21|pos=F|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SR|rs=|home=Evanston, Illinois|link=y|note=C}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Dick|last=Driggs|num=22|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Granger, Indiana|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Alton|last=Shirley|num=23|pos=F|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=FR|rs=|home=Edmond, Oklahoma|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=Kenneth|last=Brown|num=26|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Catlin, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Player|first=J. Wayne|last=Staley|num=27|pos=G|ft=|in=|lbs=|class=SO|rs=|home=Springfield, Illinois|link=n}}

{{CBB roster/Footer

|head_coach=

• Douglas Mills (University of Illinois) (5th year)

|asst_coach=

• Wally Roettger (University of Illinois) (6th year)
• Howie Braun (University of Illinois) (4th year)

|roster_url=https://fightingillini.com/sports/2015/7/18/mbb_alltimerosters_1925_1949.aspx?#1941

|accessdate=

}}

{{CBB schedule start|attend=yes|rank=no|tv=no|gamehighs=no|time=no}}

|-

!colspan=12 style="background:#DF4E38; color:white;"| Non-Conference regular season

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/6/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Georgia Bulldogs|title=Georgia}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 38–34

| overtime =

| attend = 4,822

| record = 1–0 }}

|- align="center" bgcolor=""

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/20/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

| opponent = Pittsburgh

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 41–43

| overtime =

| attend = 4,926

| record = 1–1 }}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/23/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Notre Dame Fighting Irish|title=Notre Dame}}

| site_stadium = Notre Dame Fieldhouse

| site_cityst = Notre Dame, IN

| gamename =

| score = 41–39

| overtime =

| attend = 2,000

| record = 2–1 }}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/26/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Manhattan Jaspers|title=Manhattan}}

| site_stadium = Madison Square Garden

| site_cityst = New York, NY

| gamename =

| score = 56–40

| overtime =

| attend = 12,237

| record = 3–1 }}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/28/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Temple Owls|title=Temple}}

| site_stadium = Municipal Auditorium

| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA

| gamename =

| score = 41–42

| overtime =

| attend = 7,247

| record = 3–2 }}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 12/31/1940

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Marquette Golden Eagles|title=Marquette}}

| site_stadium = Marquette Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Milwaukee, WI

| gamename =

| score = 40–32

| overtime =

| attend = 5,800

| record = 4–2 }}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/2/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Kansas State Wildcats|title=Kansas State}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 45-29

| overtime =

| attend = 5,829

| record = 5–2 }}

|-

!colspan=9 style="background:#DF4E38; color:#FFFFFF;"|Big Ten regular season

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/6/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Purdue Boilermakers|title=Purdue}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 49–34

| overtime =

| attend = 7,183

| record = 6–2

|conference=1–0}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/11/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = Indiana

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename = Rivalry

| score = 38–48

| overtime =

| attend = 6,946

| record = 6–3

|conference=1–1}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/13/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = Michigan

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 47–41

| overtime =

| attend = 5,619

| record = 7–3

|conference=2–1}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/18/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Northwestern Wildcats|title=Northwestern}}

| site_stadium = Patten Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Evanston, IL

| gamename =Rivalry

| score = 42–41

| overtime =

| attend = 2,400

| record = 8–3

|conference=3–1}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 1/29/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Mexico men's national basketball team|title=Mexico}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 53–30

| overtime =

| attend = 3,910

| record = 9-3}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/3/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

|away=yes

| opponent = Purdue

| site_stadium = Lambert Fieldhouse

| site_cityst = West Lafayette, IN

| gamename =

| score = 29–46

| overtime =

| attend = 8,500

| record = 9–4

|conference=3–2}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/8/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Minnesota Golden Gophers|title=Minnesota}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 38–50

| overtime =

| attend = 10,500

| record = 9–5

|conference=3–3}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/10/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

|away=yes

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Chicago Maroons|title=University of Chicago}}

| site_stadium = Henry Crown Field House

| site_cityst = Chicago, IL

| gamename =

| score = 55–29

| overtime =

| attend = 3,500

| record = 10–5

|conference=4–3}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/15/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

|away=yes

| opponent = Wisconsin

| site_stadium = Wisconsin Field House

| site_cityst = Madison, WI

| gamename =

| score = 30-46

| overtime =

| attend = 13,300

| record = 10–6

|conference=4–4}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/17/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|title=Iowa}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename = Rivalry

| score = 56–53

| overtime =

| attend = 4,500

| record = 11–6

|conference=5–4}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/22/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

|away=yes

| opponent = Michigan

| site_stadium = Yost Fieldhouse

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| gamename =

| score = 31–47

| overtime =

| attend = 6,250

| record = 11–7

|conference=5–5}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 2/24/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent = {{cbb link|1940|team=Ohio State Buckeyes|title=Ohio State}}

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 53–36

| overtime =

| attend = 4,480

| record = 12–7

|conference=6–5}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = 3/1/1941

|time = no

|tv = no

|rank = no

|nonconf = no

| opponent =University of Chicago

| site_stadium = Huff Hall

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename =

| score = 52–33

| overtime =

| attend = 4,518

| record = 13–7

|conference=7–5}}

{{CBB schedule end||timezone=Central Time}}

{{Cite web |url=http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/records/year-1940.html |title=Season Stats |access-date=2014-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419044158/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/records/year-1940.html |archive-date=2014-04-19 |url-status=dead }}

• Bob Richmond
• Team Most Valuable Player {{Cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/05_mbb_guide_06.pdf |title=List of MVPs |access-date=2013-01-15 |archive-date=2014-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030004049/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/05_mbb_guide_06.pdf |url-status=dead }}

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