Digging Up the Past

Originally Published: Mar 19, 2011 8:34 PM CDT

Early in his first season as head coach at Illinois, Bruce Weber held a mock funeral to bury the memory of his predecessor. 

Tomorrow he faces that man and the memory as the Illini meet Bill Selfs Kansas Jayhawks at the BOK Center for a trip to the Sweet 16.

Not ones to dig up the past (pardon the pun), both Self and Weber said Saturday that its not about Self vs. his former school or Illinois vs. the man who spurned them.

Self has gone on to great success, including the 2008 national title, at K-U.  Webers Illini lost the 2005 NCAA Title Game, but at times during recent seasons has been said to be fighting for his job.

There is certainly no animosity between the two men.  Each has spoken glowingly about the other in the past.

Weber buried his predecessors memory 8 years ago.  Burying his predecessors team on Sunday would be a memory nobody will be burying anytime soon.