Illini men’s basketball excelled for decades on downstate talent, coupled with erratic breakthroughs in heavily recruited Chicago.
But the St. Louis sector has been a tough nut to crack.
The money, hours and emotion spent on East St. Louisans LaPhonso Ellis and Cuonzo Martin still stings. UI efforts with St. Louis greats David Lee, Chris Carrawell, Jahidi White and Bradley Beal were among dozens of recruiting quests that failed. Lou Henson could write a book about it.
Maybe that’s a feeling more than a fact. Actually, the Illini crossed the state line for Robert Archibald and Tyler Griffey.