Having elite level talent on the team like we do right now is a nice change of pace from the previous regime. Yes, there were good players under John Groce, but there wasn’t a single player that I thought could be sure-fire NBA talent. That has changed in the short time Brad Underwood has led the Orange and Blue.
The most recent Illini player to get selected into the NBA was Meyers Leonard back in 2012. He was selected with pick No. 11 in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers. Before Leonard, you would then have to go back to James Augustine and Dee Brown who were picked by the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, respectively, in the 2006 NBA Draft.