Illinois basketball has an unofficial mascot for its deep run into March Madness. Tommy Rouse — known online as "Cowboy Tommy" or "Cowboy Hat Kid" — has become a sensation as the Illini men's ...

An Illinois men's basketball player is a Fighting Illini ... Illinois currently does not have a mascot. The school did have a de facto mascot from 1926 until 2007 in Chief Illiniwek, a Native ...

The mascot comes from a sportswriter’s nickname for the school’s 1934 basketball team, which became an underdog success story when it beat an undefeated team, according to the school’s website. Today, ...