The Illinois Fighting Illini basketball program didn't end where it wanted last season. That's not to say progress wasn't made. The Illini fell one step short of making the NCAA Final Four, giving coach Brad Underwood reason to believe they are headed in the right direction. Underwood recently said the Illini feel they can compete for a national championship every season. "I thought we've been there for a couple years," Underwood said. "I think we've proved that we can be that when we were a No. 1 seed [in 2021]. I think we're playing on a national schedule. I think...