The women’s Illinois basketball team went into the NCAA tournament and came out with a huge victory.
Thinking back four years ago, the statement I just typed above wasn’t imaginable. The Illini were in such bad shape with a losing mentality that was unrivaled. Not only was Illinois at the bottom of the Big Ten, but we were one of the worst teams in all of college basketball.
Four seasons ago was the 2021-22 campaign. That was also the first season Kendall Bostic suited up for the Orange and Blue. The result of year one of the Bostic era? A seven-win campaign and 1-13 in the Big Ten.
Fast forward four seasons later, and Bostic is now winning an NCAA tournament game over Creighton after notching a third-straight 19+ win campaign. In the postgame press conference, Bostic responded to a question asked by Sam Fariss of FanSided about what it took to go from seven wins in year one to now winning an NCAA tournament game.
“I mean, I think it’s huge. And I think it’s a great way to kind of like tail off at the end of my career is to get some wins in the NCAA tournament. I think it’s just the work. Obviously, I transferred in my sophomore year, and we weren’t very good. But I saw potential in this program, and I had the resources, the people, the support, so we could turn this program around."
Bostic continued on about the importance of the people around the program.
"We got Coach Green in here and it happened a lot faster than I think anybody thought. We brought in all the right people, from staff to players, it’s just that everything has gelled really well. It’s been so fun to be a part of the team that is changing it and see it develop in front of your own eyes. You’re not sitting back and watching; you are the one making the change. I think that is the coolest thing.”
Kendall Bostic’s leadership is one of the key elements in the change of Illinois basketball
Massive change did happen under Bostic’s watch. She wasn’t the lead option in her sophomore campaign which resulted in seven wins. The following season, under Shauna Green, Bostic blossomed. She became the dominant All-Big Ten player we see today.
And, indeed, she didn’t sit back and watch it happen. Bostic was the driving force behind the change. There is a strong correlation between Bostic averaging a double-double the last three seasons and Illinois making two NCAA tournament appearances and winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time in a quarter-century.
Bostic has been the driving force behind what we are seeing today. The change happened in part because of the talent and coaching inside of the program, but teams need leaders. Someone needs to be driving the ship. That someone is Bostic. She has been the stalwart in what is one of the best stories in basketball.