Illinois receives sendoff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Top-ranked Illinois left for St. Louis and the Final Four on Wednesday night after a rousing sendoff by more than 3,000 orange-clad fans.

Coach Bruce Weber told the crowd he wants to return to "celebrate something special and that's the national championship."

The Illini meet Louisville in the first national semifinal game Saturday.

If they win, the university plans to show Monday's national championship game on the Assembly Hall scoreboard. No matter what the outcome this weekend, a welcome home rally is scheduled Tuesday at Memorial Stadium. Just reaching the Final Four is victory; the last time Illinois made it was 1989.

The university and the communities of Champaign and Urbana have spent weeks planning their response to Illinois' basketball success, hoping to avoid the violence that followed Michigan State's ouster from the NCAA tournament in 2003. Thirty people were arrested in East Lansing after fans overturned cars, tipped vending machines and set fires in trash bins.

Post-game violence also marred the Boston Red Sox' American League Championship Series win over the New York Yankees last fall.