The Illinois basketball team is in one of the current golden ages of the program, with what Brad Underwood has done the past six years.
For me, I am still marveling at the Final Four run for the Illini that is now starting to be further and further in the rearview mirror. That memory won’t fade anytime soon, but the accomplishment will as we inch closer to the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
What is mind-boggling to me is the accomplishments that Underwood has achieved with Illinois. We are now six years into the transfer portal era of college sports, and he has embraced this era and taken the change in stride. Even the greatest coaches in the game have bowed out because it was too much to handle.
That isn’t even the most interesting accomplishment for Underwood during his time in Champaign. I would peg his ability to win on the court despite having what most would call recruiting failures in the offseason.
Let me explain.
So, there have been five full recruiting classes since the COVID season. That is when the transfer portal started, and players didn’t have to sit out.
Illinois’ class of 2021 was great on paper. 247Sports registered the Illini with the No. 24 freshman class and the No. 5 transfer class. In the class of 2022, Illinois came back with the No. 11 freshman class and the No. 2 transfer portal class. In 2024, Illinois had the No. 15 freshman class and the No. 19 transfer portal class.
All of those recruiting feats were impressive. What was the result of those proceeding seasons? Two second round NCAA tournament exits and one first round departure. The on-paper recruiting success didn’t translate onto the court.
What is wild is that Illinois had two stinker recruiting classes on paper in there. In 2023, we had the No. 33 freshman class and the No. 41 transfer portal class. That is what we had coming in after getting bounced in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The result? Illinois made a run to the Elite 8.
Something similar happened in 2025. The class of 2025 had the No. 34-ranked freshman class and the No. 38-ranked transfer portal class. Again, not being in the top 30 in either of these categories should mean the team is floundering or at least on the bubble.
Not Illinois, though. Not in the Underwood era. Illinois went on to make a run to the Final Four last season with a sub-No. 30-ranked recruiting class.
When you look at on-paper recruiting success and success on the court, Illinois is not what you would expect. Underwood has done some of his best work with classes that have flown under the radar.
The Illinois basketball class of 2026 could have a massive impact on the success of the program
By no means is Underwood done recruiting for the class of 2026. Right now, we have the No. 10 freshman class and the No. 89 transfer portal class coming in next season.
In this freshman group are a couple of players who could play big minutes and even start for the program. The main culprit is Quentin Coleman. He just put up an MVP performance in the Iverson Class high school all-star game.
It wouldn’t shock me to see an overseas player or two join the program before the opening tipoff of the 2026-27 season, too.
What is great is that Illinois is getting some key players from the below-average recruiting class of 2025. David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Zvonimir Ivisic should all play a massive role on the team this season.
Underwood has done his best work when the chips are down. His ability to evaluate and develop talent is something that is rare to see in the college game. We have a special one with this head coach.
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