▁Category : Univers ia de ▁medal ists ▁in ▁athlet ics ▁( track ▁and ▁field ) ▁Category : Place ▁of ▁birth ▁missing ▁( l iving ▁people ) ▁Category : Univers ia de ▁medal ists ▁for ▁I v ory ▁Coast <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁ 1 9 4 4 – 4 5 ▁Illinois ▁Fight ing ▁Ill ini ▁men ' s ▁basketball ▁team ▁represented ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁Reg ular ▁season ▁After ▁the ▁second ▁worst ▁season ▁in ▁Doug ▁M ills ▁ten ure ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁Fight ing ▁Ill ini , ▁the ▁on going ▁war ▁created ▁even ▁more ▁hav oc ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 4 - 4 5 ▁season . ▁ ▁The ▁Ill ini ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁play ▁games ▁close ▁to ▁home ▁which ▁meant ▁they ▁played ▁certain ▁teams ▁multiple ▁times . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁team ▁played ▁Great ▁L akes ▁three ▁times , ▁Chan ute ▁Field , ▁in ▁nearby ▁R ant oul , ▁Illinois , ▁two ▁times ▁and ▁George ▁M ikan ▁and ▁the ▁De Paul ▁Blue ▁Dem ons ▁two ▁times ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁season ▁progress ed , ▁M ills ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁several ▁line ups , ▁including ▁a ▁ 1 9 ▁player ▁bar rage ▁versus ▁Neb r aska . ▁ ▁These ▁varied ▁line ups ▁allowed ▁M ills ▁to ▁play ▁an ▁impress ive ▁fresh man , ▁Johnny ▁Or r , ▁playing ▁his ▁only ▁season ▁for ▁Illinois ▁prior ▁to ▁rejo ining ▁his ▁high ▁school ▁coach , ▁Dol ph ▁Stanley , ▁at ▁Bel oit ▁College ▁in ▁Bel oit , ▁Wisconsin