Illinois' Bruce Weber to coach today after his mother dies

[BTFSTL]

Dawn Weber, 81, the mother of Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber, died early Friday evening following surgery to repair a torn aorta.

She was stricken while waiting to enter the United Center in Chicago to see her son's Fighting Illini team take on Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament (Illinois won and take on Minnesota at 12.40 pm CST in the semifinals).

Weber will coach the Illini today, but all of Illini Nation is in mourning, to be sure. His brother Dave coached suburban Chicago school Glenbrook North in an IHSA Class AA (large-school) sectional final last night and won, then found out about his mother's death.

Here's a column from Mark Tupper of The Herald & Review in Decatur, IL, about the events of yesterday:

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2005/03/12/sports/mark_tupper/1006510.txt

My thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to the Illini and to Bruce Weber's family.