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Illinois Basketball: You never know, this could be the year

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 13: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 13, 2011 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue defeated Illinois 81-70. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 13: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 13, 2011 in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue defeated Illinois 81-70. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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There are two sides to being an Illinois basketball fan. There is the side of hope and then there is the side of reality.

Every Illini fan has carried hope around with them for at least the last 12 years. That national title run back in 2005 was something special and since then, there has been hope that the team can get back to that point. Illinois has reached the pinnacle of the college basketball world once, why not have it happen again?

But, as each and every year went by over the last 12, that hope every Illinois fan starts the season with dwindles as the reality of a below mediocre coach sets in, and the men he has enlisted to join him in the fight to the postseason isn’t up to the quality of the Big Ten, most seasons.

Looking back through the recruiting ranks since the class of 2002, the average recruiting ability has really shown through. There has only been one recruit commit to the Illinois basketball program that was in the top 20 and that was Dee Brown who led the Illini to that title game in 2005. Those memories will always be there but the heartbreak of missing out on top recruits will continue to stand right next to those happy thoughts.

The top five recruits for the Illini the last 12 years consist of Brown at No. 1 with a ranking of No. 19 in the nation. He is followed by a tie at No. 2 between Richard McBride and Meyers Leonard at No. 31 in the nation. Jereme Richmond is No. 4 with a ranking of No. 35 in the nation, and then Leron Black and DJ Richardson round out the top 5 being No. 38 in the nation. These numbers are all based on Rivals rankings.

The past 12 years have been lackluster on the court and in the recruiting game. But, this could be the year everything changes. That sounds like a Cubs fan mentality, which I am not, prior to the World Series run last year. This could be the year, Cubs fans used to say. We are going to break that terrible World Series streak. Illinois fans are kind of taking the same mentality with their beloved basketball program now. Maybe this will be the year everything changes.

Well, it quite possibly could be the year everything changes, and I truly mean what I am saying here. Illinois has brought in a head coach – Brad Underwood – who literally hasn’t missed the postseason since becoming a head coach in Division I basketball. Along with bringing in a head coach who can win games on the court, he also secured a solid class of 2017 and is now in the middle of a two-team race for top 20 recruit, Ayo Dosunmu.

Getting Dosunmu would be like getting Dee Brown. He would be the next top 20 recruit for the Illini, just like Brown. He would be the big-time get that sets the Illinois program apart from the rest of the Big Ten, just like Brown. He would be that player who gets the Illini fans hopes high and keeps them that way throughout the season, just like Brown. And, he possibly could be the player who helps get the Illini back to the national title, just like Brown.

Next: Recruiting pitch to Ayo Dosunmu

So, we are entering another season of Illinois basketball with our hopes as high as they can be. The program is changing and those hopes should continue to remain high with a commitment from a top 20 recruit, a solid year from the team and a postseason bid. You never know, this could be the year.

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