Illinois hadn't recruited well in a while. They are just now starting to recruit well again. Look at them from 2005 to 2009. Not very impressive and you can see why they were just a middle of the pack Big 10 team. Now they are recruiting better and I expect them to be better. Iowa is really going to have a hard time in the future b/c Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana all appear to be on the upswing. OSU and Mich St aren't going anywhere either.
Yahoo Sports: Rivals.com 2005 Illinois Commitments
Illinois didnt neccesarily recruit all that bad during that time period. An Assisstant that used to work at illinois hosed them. They had Eric Gordon until slimeball at Indiana hired his coach. And all the purdue talent Moore, Johnson, and Hummel. The ex-assissant backstabbed Illinois on him. Im almost possitive Memphis hired Rose's handler hence rose going to Memphis. Recruiting was hammered by these instances.