Illinois Basketball has turned the corner

Mike Granse-USA TODAY SportsIllinois’ biggest win in six years and I missed it. Well, kind of.

As the final minutes began to tick down at the State Farm Center, I wasn’t anywhere near the action. Instead, I was pacing nervously throughout a bar. Miles removed from the action, but it didn’t matter. The energy both on the court and from the crowd were enough to convince me that I was covering it.

The seconds wound down on Illinois’ most impressive upset since Tyler Griffey sent in the layup that knocked off then-No. 1 Indiana back in 2013. But how did we get there? Every player who saw the floor tonight contributed in some way. It was the most complete performance of the Underwood tenure all…