 Combes led Illinois to three third-place finishes in the NCAA Tournament in the four-year period from 1949 to 1952.The squad won 79 of the 100 games during those four years.Illinois' 1952 Final Four appearance was the first officially recognized Final Four, and the three third-place finishes would be the Illini's deepest runs in the tournament until the 1989 team made the Final Four.