But after Illinois was dragged through the mud by No. 3 Duke on Saturday in New York, tagged with the worst loss in program history in a 110-67 blowout, the question was posed to Illini coach Brad Underwood in the postgame press conference: Is this team tough enough?

Illinois basketball is spiraling, and Brad Underwood’s frustrations were evident after a historic 110-67 thrashing at the hands of Duke at Madison Square Garden. The Fighting Illini shot just 2-of-26 from 3-point range after missing their first 17 attempts from deep for the game.

Following Duke's win at The Garden on Saturday, Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Cooper Flagg should stay at Duke and wait on the NBA. Here's more: