Illinois' Brad Underwood Thinks Program Is In Position To Compete For National Championship On Yearly Basis

The Illinois Fighting Illini basketball program didn't end where it wanted last season.

That's not to say progress wasn't made. The Illini fell one step short of making the NCAA Final Four, giving coach Brad Underwood reason to believe they are headed in the right direction.

Underwood recently said the Illini feel they can compete for a national championship every season.

"I thought we've been there for a couple years," Underwood said. "I think we've proved that we can be that when we were a No. 1 seed [in 2021]. I think we're playing on a national schedule. I think that TV loves us. We're selling out every night. I think we're creating an atmosphere. I think our brand is exciting." 

The Illini advanced to the Elite Eight last season behind Terrence Shannon, Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins before falling to eventual champion UConn in the regional finals. That game was marred by a 30-0 run over the course of the first and second half. The Illini went 50 minutes in real time without a basket.

But Underwood said strong recruiting and the return of assistant coach Orlando Antigua puts the Illini in position to annually be among the nation's top teams. Antigua, who is now the associate head coach, is back for a second stint after spending the last three seasons at Kentucky. He was with the Illini from 2017-21.

"The day that I don't think we're competitive enough to win a national championship will probably be my last," Underwood said. "We're a long way from that."