Yeah, I guess Illinois was the 3rd best team in the state this year. Pathetic!
It's crazy. Back then my dad took me up to Milwaukee to see Villanova play the Marshall Thundering Herd at the mecca for a NCAA tournament game. I remember telling my coach (who played for the Illini) how good Villanova was. Of course (him being a Big Ten guy), he thought Villanova was a joke.