Everyone on Illinois knows their role — and plays it to perfection

No one likes someone that says “I told you so.”

So, I won’t do that.

I’ll let my previous writing speak for itself. We’ll get back to my claim below in a minute…

With nearly four decades of Illini fandom in the rearview mirror, heartbreak and heartache course through my veins at a greater rate than red or white blood cells.

It’s all I know. It’s comforting. It’s excruciatingly exhausting.

I’ve been set up and let down so many times, I feel like one of those circular tables that gets rented out for wedding receptions and business galas.

This year’s version of Illinois basketball feels different. Because it is different. Changes in latitude, changes in attitude.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The difference…