Illinois Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Fighting Illini

Illinois basketball is expected to post a strong season in 2019-20. What will it take for the Fighting Illini to reach their high expectations and go dancing?

Illinois basketball has missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the past six years. Under the leadership of head coach Brad Underwood, though, the program seems to be heading in the right direction. Although their 12-21 (7-13 B1G) performance during this past season might not indicate that, all of their advanced metrics showed a much better team than their record. Now, with a trio of stars returning for this coming campaign, the Fighting Illini are facing high expectations.

It is never easy to make a massive leap with internal improvements but Illinois is a program poised for a major breakout. They have lain dormant for the past few seasons but they could experience a resurgence starting with this season and advancing into the future. Coach Underwood has put together a great roster for 2019-20 and he is garnering plenty of momentum on the recruiting trail as well.

With this particular season in mind, experts around the country are picking the Fighting Illini to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten while reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012-13. This would be an outstanding development for the program and all of the pieces are there to make it happen. They will be much more experienced this year and that should help them succeed on the road and in close games.

With that said, let’s take a deeper dive into Illinois’ projections for this coming campaign with a season preview. This article will analyze the starters, key reserves, schedule, and overall outlook for the team.