On the final day of the regular season, Illinois experienced adversity for the first time.
When Matt Sylvester’s 3-pointer dropped through the net, the fairy tale was over for the top team in the nation. No perfect season. No page in the history books. No aura of invincibility.
Suddenly, Bruce Weber’s squad was human.
The Illini entered the Big Ten tournament on a mission. They came to prove they were still No. 1. They came to show they could defend the post. They came to reclaim the title after falling to Wisconsin in last season’s final.
They thought the adversity was over.
Friday’s game began like any other. Northwestern played tough early, but Illinois sailed into halftime with a 16-point lead. The Illini continued to pull away in the second half and finished with a 17-point victory. It was business as usual for the top team in the nation.
As his team celebrated the win, Weber was unaware that his mother was fighting for her life at nearby Rush University Hospital. He would later hear that she used her final words to tell Weber’s sister not to inform him or his brother about her condition until after they had coached their games that day.
“The last thing she told my sister before she went into surgery was not to tell me, not to tell my brother, because then we would worry about her and we wouldn’t coach like we’re capable of,” Weber said Saturday.
One hour before the Illini took the court against Northwestern, 81-year-old Dawn Weber was rushed from the United Center to the hospital after she complained of chest pain. She underwent surgery to repair a ruptured aorta, but her age complicated the procedure. Bruce did not learn of his mother’s condition until after Friday’s game, when his wife interrupted the post-game press conference to let him know what had transpired that morning.
After the press conference, Bruce left his team to spend the night with his family. The Illini did not know when he would return.
Dawn Weber died at 6 p.m. that night, leaving Bruce with a heavy heart and a difficult decision. Meanwhile, Dave Weber, Bruce’s brother, had a decision of his own. He was scheduled to coach his team in the Class AA Sectional final that night.
Dave had heard that his mother was in the hospital, but he did not know the severity of her condition. After a conversation with his family, Dave decided to coach the game.
As a ruptured aorta claimed his mother’s life, Dave Weber’s Glenbrook North squad claimed a 37-36 win to advance to Tuesday’s Supersectional.
“We told my brother to coach last night,” Bruce Weber said. “He wanted to come to the hospital. We said that’s not going to do any good, you needed to coach.”
Dave had made his decision, and Bruce would do the same. Less than 24 hours after his mother’s death, Bruce Weber returned to the bench to lead his team past Minnesota in the tournament semifinal. Those who knew her best were convinced that Dawn Weber would have had it no other way.
“My mom wanted me to coach, she wanted my brother to coach last night,” Bruce said after Saturday’s game.
After an emotional pre-game meeting, Bruce and the Illini took the floor. The Big Ten honored Dawn with a moment of silence prior to tip-off.
“The moment of silence hit me pretty hard,” Bruce said. “But then you start coaching and you get after it. We told the kids, ‘I’m going to coach hard, you got to play hard,’ and that’s how she would have wanted it.”
Weber was not alone in his grief Saturday afternoon. Just as every member of the Weber family felt the loss of Dawn, every member of the Illinois family shared their coach’s pain.
Forward James Augustine, whose grandmother died this summer, was particularly touched by the story. During Saturday’s post-game press conference, Augustine described the family atmosphere in the Illinois locker room and said he considers Bruce a “father figure.”
“You’re a family as a team, and it kind of hit so close to home,” Augustine said. “We felt it with him.”
Forward Roger Powell, a licensed minister, led prayers Friday night after the team learned of their coach’s loss.
By Saturday afternoon, the loss to Ohio State was ancient history. The Illini experienced true adversity this weekend — and overcame it.
Two days after his mother’s death, Bruce Weber cut down the net at the United Center. After a tumultuous 72 hours, the Illini would leave Chicago as tournament champions.
The story truly puts basketball in perspective. By deciding to coach this weekend, the Weber brothers did not choose between basketball and life. They showed that the two are not opposing forces.
From her deathbed, Weber’s mother said her sons should spend her final hours with their teams rather than in her hospital room.
“Basketball is part of our life; she’s always loved it,” Bruce said.
“She’d be so proud that [Dave] can get to State and we can make a run at the NCAA tournament,” he added.
Though he did not have a chance to say goodbye Friday evening, Bruce Weber gave his mother a season of proud memories. For the mother of a basketball coach, there can be no greater gift.
“Tuesday night was the last time I talked to her,” Weber said. “She just couldn’t believe what has really happened with our team. She said that to her it was a fairy tale.”
