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Illinois Basketball: 4 ways the Illini beating Duke will impact the future

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – MARCH 08: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates with fans following the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

3. Recruiting

I think it is fair to say Illinois basketball has a great core that should be returning next season. This team is set up to win not only this year but next year as well.

I assume Ayo Dosunmu will depart for the NBA after the current campaign. Kofi Cockburn will likely follow, but he is still up in the air in most people’s minds. Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller will both likely be back with the Orange and Blue, though.

All four of these players mentioned above have joined the Illini through the class of 2018, 19 and 20. Each player is a top 50 recruit as well. But recruiting has since hit a bit of a rough patch for Brad Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff.

While I love that the Illini are bringing in Luke Goode, who is a top 100 recruit, from the class of 2021, he is going to need some other players around him. Illinois has missed on a lot of talent from this class, though. That is worrying some Illinois fans.

The Illini have been able to recruit well despite a very short history of winning under Coach Underwood. Even with Illinois winning this past season, the postseason was canceled, so recruits nationwide couldn’t see the Orange and Blue in the NCAA tournament.

What the win on Tuesday night against Duke did for the Illinois basketball program was prove that the words Coach Underwood is speaking on the recruiting trail are coming true. Illinois is starting to win big games. Champaign is a destination where you can go and compete for a national title.

Beating Duke is going to help in the recruiting game for the long run. This is more of a macro picture rather than a micro picture. While the class of 2021 probably won’t bear too much fruit, the future classes will see Illinois winning the big games, and that will help land some big-time talent. This is how blue-bloods are built.

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