The Illinois basketball team used to have players drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. But, as of late that has dried up.
The NBA Draft was last night and once again the Illini were left out. That could change next year, though.
Here is The News-Gazette with all the first-round NBA draft picks for the Illini.
The News-Gazette: Illini first-round NBA draft picks
One of the perks of hiring Lovie Smith is that he has ties to the NFL. Illinois hired an NFL head coach to lead their team into the future.