Illini program reaching new heights under Brad Underwood

It’s almost unbelievable how good of a spot the Illini basketball program is in right now. Not only are they fresh off a Final Four appearance, but they have also recently hosted a few of the top high school prospects in the country. The incoming freshman class is extremely talented, and the returning players from last season have plenty of talent themselves.

Around 10 years ago, I could not have imagined this program reaching the level it has recently. During a time when the program went multiple consecutive years without making the NCAA Tournament and lost recruiting battles for top in-state players such as Jalen Brunson and Cliff Alexander, just to name a few, it felt like the Illini basketball program couldn’t catch a break in the early to mid-2010s.

I began to wonder if I would ever see the program even reach a Final Four. It got to the point where I just hoped the Illini could finally be relevant enough again to be featured on a game broadcast by CBS, which they failed to do for multiple seasons in a row under John Groce.

Luckily for this fanbase, Josh Whitman made the decision to fire John Groce and look elsewhere for a new head coach. I can’t say I knew Brad Underwood would succeed with the Illini, but I was initially happy to hear the news because I was familiar with the success he had at Stephen F. Austin.

It wasn’t considered a big-name hire at the time, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t end up being the right decision for the long haul. Monty Williams, Gregg Marshall and Archie Miller were all big names at the time of the Brad Underwood hire. I think it’s safe to say Whitman made a great choice, and the current state of this program reflects that.