The Illinois basketball program has done numerous things right over the past half-decade or so.
During the Brad Underwood era, the Illini have had one of the most successful runs in program history. We have made it to the Elite 8 and have gone dancing five straight seasons.
A part of this great run has to do with the ability to recruit talented players. The center position always eluded Underwood’s predecessors, but that all changed starting in 2019.
Underwood was able to snag big man Kofi Cockburn, and his presence in Champaign started a trend.