Report: Illini to name basketball court after Lou Henson

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Illinois will honor its most legendary basketball coach in a big way.

According to a report from ABC 7's Ryan Baker, the Illini will announce Monday that the court at the State Farm Center will be named after Lou Henson.

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Henson served as the Illini's head basketball coach for 21 seasons from 1975 to 1996 and was at the helm when the 1989 Flyin' Illini reached the Final Four, one of five Final Four appearances in program history.

From 1983 to 1990, he took the Illini to eight straight NCAA tournaments, three-fourths of his 12 overall trips to the Big Dance. Henson posted a 423–224 win-loss record during his tenure at Illinois, with a 214–164 record in Big Ten play. He is the program's all-time winningest coach.

Henson was announced as a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2015 and will be inducted in November.

The State Farm Center is in the middle of a large-scale renovation, which will be completed later this year. The Illini will play their first game at the renovated arena and on the court named for Henson on Dec. 2 against Notre Dame.

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