I get that Illinois basketball is a more attractive destination now than when Underwood took over, but don't forget that his initial staff was a holdover, a recently fired mid-major coach, and a Chicago connection with a light resume working at a mid-major. He didn't exactly have to pry away established P5 guys. This offseason is a whole different ball game. Trying to pull guys with years of experience at places like UConn, FSU, Florida, and even Creighton is no walk in the park, and most of those schools will be able to match, or at least get close, to whatever we offer.
I wonder if the timing really hurt us. Most of the coaching carousel had already been in motion by the time OA and Chin left. Pulling Chester home was a great initial hire, but now comes the true battles. Others would know better than me, but what about assistants at schools with coaching changes: Indiana, Texas, Marquette, Penn State, Minnesota, etc? You'd think there would be some good guys working at those places that need jobs or would potentially leave a place they just signed on with before investing too much time, especially if Illinois is the more enticing and higher paying option.
