Illinois Basketball is at a crossroads. Is this the season?

As we embark on Year 7 of the Brad Underwood era it feels like we are at a crossroads for the program.

Will the Illini take the next step and compete for a national title or be a perennial middle of the pack team that isn’t built for March?

After a couple of losing seasons to start off the Underwood era, Illinois turned it around in year 3, with a 20-win season that was shortened by COVID. Since then, the Illini have won at least 20 games each season and made the NCAA Tournament. They have also won a Big Ten regular season and tourney title. And Underwood’s staff has stepped it up significantly on the recruiting side, pulling in 4/5 stars regularly.

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

On the other hand, it does feel like the program has underachieved in the past 3 years. Despite having consensus All-Americans in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn and a fairly talented…