NIWBT didn't result in titles, but Illinois again showcases its adaptive sports programs
Division of Disability Resources & Educational Services
The University of Illinois and Illinois Wheelchair Athletics played host last week to the 47th Annual National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament and even though neither Illini team took home a title, the event at the State Farm Center was still an opportunity to showcase Illinois as a trailblazer for disability resources and adaptive sports.
This year marked the 76th anniversary of the first NIWBT, which was hosted in 1949 at a University of Illinois satellite campus in Galesburg, Illinois. The tournament was organized by Dr. Tim Nugent, the first director of Disability Resources and Educational Services, also known as DRES. In honor of the man known as the “father of accessibility,” the tournament winner is awarded the coveted Timothy J. Nugent Championship Trophy.
This season’s NIWBT featured 11 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams competing in 21 total games across four days, from March 26-29.
In terms of results, the Illini women’s team reached the semifinals after beating City University of New York 72-19, but lost to Texas-Arlington 59-40. The Illini women did defeat Arizona, 62-37, for a third-place finish.
Women's coach Stephanie Wheeler praised the fans for making their voices heard.
“You could hear their screams, you could hear their I-L-Ls, you could hear them say the names of the players,” Wheeler said. “It’s that kind of energy that translates on court.”
The Illinois men beat Eastern Washington 79-39 in their first-round game, but were defeated by Alabama 65-47 in their second game. The Illini men did cap their play by beating Missouri 51-34 in a consolation game.
In the men’s bracket, top-seed Arizona beat Texas-Arlington 75-65 to win the Nugent trophy. For the women, top-seeded Alabama beat UTA 67-52 to secure the title, its fifth straight title since 2019 (the 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Illinois men last won an NIWBT title in 2010, while the Illini women have yet to capture the Nugent trophy since women’s play began in 2011. Despite the teams' current droughts, both programs hold 29 championships between them.
Three members of the men's team—Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sebastian Milan and Martrell Stevens—left Champaign-Urbana shortly after the tournament to play for Team USA in the IWBF Men’s U23 Americas Championship from April 2-6 in Bogota, Colombia. That tournament features Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Team USA, competing for two qualification spots at the 2025 IWBF Men’s U23 World Championship, taking place in São Paulo, Brazil in June.
Next year’s NIWBT will be played at the University of Arizona.