I was one of the lucky ones.

One of the few students who spurned trips to warmer climates, preferring to put the fate of our spring breaks on the shoulders of a certain top-ranked basketball team.

We were not disappointed.

For those of us who were fortunate enough to be in attendance at the Allstate Arena on Saturday evening, it was a night that we will always remember.

After the comeback had been completed and the ticket to the Final Four punched, I was still in shock. For possibly the first time, I was left speechless.

The celebration after the game was surreal. Had I actually made Bill Murray roll his car window down so I could give him a high five? The answer was a resounding yes.

Down 15 with a little over four minutes left, only one thought consumed my mind – what a shame that such a great team would forever be thought of as a disappointment.

But then, something happened that epitomized the essence of this team and the magic that has surrounded them the entire season.

Sure, there was a sense of urgency, but there was also a certain confidence exuded by the Illini despite a seemingly insurmountable deficit.

Nobody on the floor for Illinois panicked – keeping their cool despite a score and a clock that was working heavily in Arizona’s favor.

The Illini simply believed in each other.

They knew the game was not over. The crowd, however, had to be convinced. My friend exclaimed that we needed a miracle.

And, perhaps thanks to our licensed Pentecostal minister/power forward, we received one.

The last three minutes of regulation would become the most famous in the history of Illinois basketball. Specific plays deserve titles, as opposed to mere description.

THE Luther three. THE Dee steal and layup. THE Ingram steal and Deron three. THE Luther block.

It was fitting that everyone on the floor contributed to this improbable comeback.

For this year’s Illini, the team concept has clearly overshadowed any individual accomplishments.

Sure, the Illini have superstar players – Williams had 43 points and 18 assists in two games in Chicago. He was the best player on the court Saturday night and will be selected no worse than 15th in this June’s NBA Draft.

But nobody on this team is overly selfish, and there is an overwhelming sense of team pride and unity.

It is refreshing to see in college basketball a team that is composed of players who care more about team success than individual accomplishments and NBA Draft status.

Dee even remarked in The New York Times that he would love to play with his current teammates for another three years.

Can you blame him?

Luther Head’s 20-point performance on Saturday night was one of the gutsiest you will ever see in sports.

Despite a hamstring injury that was affecting him on Thursday night against UW-Milwaukee, Head refused to make his ailment a big deal or a distraction to the team.

He could have complained about it before tipoff on Saturday, but instead kept the focus on the task at hand and proclaimed that he would do anything he could to help take the Illini to St. Louis.

Head probably would have attempted to play with a torn hamstring.

“As long as I can run up and down the court and do stuff to help my team, I’m OK, no matter what the pain is,” he said.

As a team, the Illini head to the Final Four in St. Louis.

I was going to try to end this by expressing my gratitude toward the Illini, but once again, I’m speechless.