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The questions weren't directed to me, but piqued my interest. First, I have been a devoted Illini fan for 60 years, so my definition of modern history might be different than yours.
I agree we shouldn't compare Underwood's tenure to our worst stretch(es), but it's also a bit unfair to compare him to our best, without context.
The 4 sweet 16s in the last 30 years were during 5 seasons from 2000 to 2005.
Prior to that, Lou Henson took us there 3 times from 1983 to 1989.
Unless we go back to the early 1950's, those 11 years have been our actual ceiling.
I'm not sure how to establish a floor. Do we discount the effects of the slush fund, Harv Schmidt and the early 70's investigation, Pearl / Slive, and Weber / Groce?
There was also a bit more to Henson's decline than simply the NCAA sanctions. The recruiting landscape had changed.