Brad Underwood has spent nine years dragging Illinois basketball into a different class, and now the conversation around the program has changed again.
For the 2026-27 season, the Illini are walking into something they almost never have before: real national title expectations. Illinois is listed at +1400 with the fourth-best odds, and after last season’s Final Four run - the program’s first in 20 years - that kind of belief doesn’t feel like empty talk anymore.
Underwood made clear at Big Ten Media Days that he hasn’t forgotten how steep the climb has been.
“I know how hard it is. I have a great appreciation for how hard it is. I never take it for granted, but I have always had a belief, that if I got the opportunity, Illinois is the perfect place to do that.”
That belief has been backed up by results. Illinois has landed major recruits, sent players to the NBA, and, most importantly, won games. The program’s rise has been obvious, and Underwood’s voice has become central to that success.
Still, he didn’t sugarcoat the work that remains.
“I said, when I took the job, we should be playing for national championships. Now we have to go finish the job.
We didn’t get it done. We have to go try to win one.”
That’s the part that changes everything. For years, just getting to the NCAA tournament would have been enough for Illinois, especially after what came before Underwood.
Now that standard is long gone. The Illini have made the Big Dance to start the decade and haven’t missed the postseason since, so the tournament itself is no longer the achievement.
It’s the baseline.
Then came the next jump: a second-weekend run three years ago. Since then, the bar has moved again. Reaching the Sweet 16 is no longer the ceiling for celebration - it’s the minimum that now defines a successful season.
That’s why the pressure around 2026-27 feels different. Illinois has already climbed from relevance to contention.
This year, the expectation is bigger than that. For one season, title dreams are not a fantasy or a stretch.
They’re the standard.
In Other News...
Illinois Must Steady A Shaky Start As New Problems Hit Hard
Illinois has stumbled to a 2-3 start, and Bret Bielema is trying to keep the focus on process rather than panic as the season begins to tilt toward damage control. Even with the early record, the head coach has stayed confident in his approach, while the staff has already had to absorb a major change on defense after Bobby Hauck departed following four games.
Roger Cooper has stepped into a larger defensive role, and there has been at least some improvement in communication on that side of the ball. Now the backfield is dealing with another blow, as Calil Valentine is out for the rest of the season with a serious injury, forcing Illinois to look deeper for answers and giving other running backs a chance to carve out bigger roles as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois May Finally Get The Help Collin Dixon Needs
Illinois is getting a little healthier at receiver heading into its game against Michigan State, and that matters for a passing game still looking for more reliable options. Jayshon Platt, the FAU transfer who had been questionable before missing the Purdue game, is now listed as probable, which opens the door for his season debut if everything holds through game time.
For a group that could use another target to lighten the load on Collin Dixon and the rest of the offense, Platts return would be a welcome development. The Illini still have other concerns on the injury report, with defensive back Tywan Cox and offensive linemen Kai Pritchard and Dezmond Schuster all doubtful, so the lineups around him may still be in flux even if Platt is finally available. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Still Has A Big David Mirkovic Question To Watch
David Mirkovics return remains one of the biggest early-season variables for Illinois as the program moves deeper into October. The forward is still working his way back from foot surgery, and while the rehab picture has been encouraging, Brad Underwood has already indicated that Mirkovic is out of the boot and making progress. For a team that expects him to matter in a meaningful way this season, that is better news than the alternative, even if it does not yet answer the most important question.
What Illinois still does not know is whether Mirkovic will be ready when the season opens, and that uncertainty hangs over how the roster comes together in the final stretch of prep work. A player projected to fill a significant role can change the feel of a frontcourt, the rotation and even how early-season lineups are built, so the Illini will be watching his next steps closely. For now, the rehabilitation updates offer optimism, but the timeline is still the storyline. [Read more 🡒]