By Ryne Turke
Photos Courtesy Illinois College
The Illinois College Men’s Basketball team got a full dose of March Madness to close out their 2023-2024 season.
IC basketball had a breakout season in 2022-2023, finishing with a 25-3 record, Midwest Conference regular season and tournament titles and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
With expectations at an all-time high, the Blueboys managed to outdo themselves, putting together a remarkable campaign. The season started with a bang for Illinois College, capturing the Bill Merris Tournament Championship, winning their first 12 games of the season and receiving a national Division III ranking for the first time in program history.
The Blueboys closed out the regular season on fire winning four of their final five conference games and earning the right to host the Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive year.
With an electric home crowd and a wave of momentum on their side, the Blueboys pulled off a pair of conference tournament victories, 72-68 over Ripon College and 108-84 over Grinnell College.
IC punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament, the third time in program history. The team made the trip to St. Louis, looking to make a run after the 2022-2023 team lost in the opening round to Wheaton College 79-66.
The Blueboys drew University of Dubuque in their opening round game and senior forward Nestor Daboin, a 2nd Team All Conference Selection, was more than excited to take the court after missing the experience last year with an injury.
“Putting on the jersey and being able to impact the game this year was all I was looking forward to and I’m glad I got to experience it. Most of our families were there and I think sharing those moments with everyone was really special.”
IC found themselves down 29-23 at halftime to Dubuque. Despite a strong second half, their hopes were dwindling as the Blueboys trailed 57-56 with just 2.2 seconds remaining.
Then… it happened. Senior guard Josh Harris connected on a 35-foot prayer at the buzzer to stun Dubuque 59-57. Harris says hitting the game winner was an unforgettable moment for himself and IC.
“When I let the shot go it looked like it was going to bank in and not go straight in. I was definitely feeling pressure, but I’m a confident basketball player who thinks every shot I take is going in. That shot was no different. It was an unreal feeling after it went in and I didn’t really know what to do so I just started running. Then went to the IC crowd and just screamed LET’S GO.”
The shot has gone on to receive a viral following, with hundreds of thousands of views on social media and a spot on SportsCenter Top 10.
IC led in scoring vs Dubuque by seniors Jahkeis Tippett and Midwest Conference Player of the Year Jake Mazrimas, both scoring 18 points.
IC advanced to play another day, this time against Washington University. Despite WashU having home court advantage, the crowd was covered in a sea of blue.
In a back and forth battle that included overtime, the Blueboys fell in a heartbreaker 68-67.
Harris scored a team high 30 points, followed by Mazrimas with 19.
Junior guard Buzz Ritzel, a 1st Team All Midwest Conference Selection, says being part of the program’s first NCAA Tournament win was a true blessing.
“I’m proud of every single one of my guys for the countless hours they put into this team …. We won the first round, then lost a heartbreaker, in a game that would have put us in the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.”
Ritzel feels the last two seasons have set the standard for hoops at Illinois College.
“We know what this program is capable of now and we have some guys returning with tournament experience. We’re going to need some guys to step up now that we are losing three amazing seniors, but we know that we are capable of accomplishing so many things.”
Junior guard Matt Thompson says this team will go down as one of the all-time greats in Blueboy history.
“This team had a remarkable way of facing adversity. With each loss we came back with determination that I haven’t seen before. We did it all, multiple 1,000 point scorers, all conference selections, conference championships…the list goes on. Coach Steve Schweer has done a great job leading us to these accolades. I’m grateful to return next year with some great teammates.”
Freshman forward Kellen Leifheit, a graduate of Jacksonville High School, was blown away at what his team accomplished.
“It was great seeing all our hard work pay off and play on the biggest stage in Division III. Watching the games front row and seeing all the IC blue in the crowd was an amazing feeling. Our team fights hard and we couldn’t do it without the support of family, friends and fans.”
Freshman forward Seth Doss, a key player off the bench all seasons, is hungry for another run in the NCAA Tournament.
“My first March Madness experience made me realize everything that we preached this season was true and we can play with any team. We belong in the national tournament and we plan on putting in hard work to continue the legacy our seniors created.”
The Blueboys finished their Midwest Conference Championship season at 24-5.
