There are three words that have always eluded the Illinois basketball program.
Now, these are three simple words. They are words that all Illini fans have been dying to hear. We were so close at one time to hearing them. In fact, we had two of the words locked down, but didn’t finish the job. What are the three words?
National championship winner.
Illinois has been close. We had national championship, but that three-word title was topped off with loser instead of winner. That title game in 2005 still hurts to this day, but what Illinois is experiencing right now is something no Illinois basketball fan has ever felt.
With the win over Houston, Illinois is now heading back to the Elite 8 for the second time in three seasons. It has been such a roller coaster of a season, but now that we are back into the Elite 8, I think it is time to start having that fun discussion you hear on all of the morning sports shows.
The GOAT debate.
It has always been Lou Henson. It is going to be hard to take that away from him, especially with so many people who loved him as a person and his accomplishments.
At minimum, Brad Underwood has now entered the chat for the GOAT (greatest of all time) when it comes to Illinois basketball head coaches.
Brad Underwood’s resume with the Illinois basketball program is starting to get impressive
Illinois is now playing in our sixth-straight NCAA tournament, which should be seven straight if it wasn’t for a worldwide pandemic. Henson is the only one who can claim more in a row.
Underwood has now made two Elite 8 appearances. That is tied with Henson and is only second to that of Harry Combes. But back in his coaching days, only eight teams made the NCAA tournament.
The last time Illinois technically made the Elite 8 in two out of three seasons was in 1951 and 1952. Again, there were only eight teams that made the NCAA tournament back then. It is infinitely harder to advance to the Elite 8 today than it was 75 years ago.
Henson is clearly the ghost that Underwood is chasing when it comes to the Illinois basketball GOAT debate. Another thing Underwood has over Henson is early exits.
In 12 NCAA tournament appearances, Henson had five first round departures, most of those coming as better seeds than the opponent. Underwood has only had one first round exit in six NCAA tournament appearances.
The only golden thing that Henson holds over Underwood is that coveted spot in the Final 4. After Saturday, that could be another notch in Underwood’s belt in the GOAT debate.
I am not saying it is time to crown Underwood, but I am saying it is time to entertain the discussion. Like it or not, Illinois has one of the top coaches in program history right now, and he could easily slide right into the top spot this weekend.