CHAMPAIGN – The long climb reached the top Sunday for Illinois basketball.

Now, more than ever, Illini fans can scream, We’re back, baby.

Rebounding from 17 years of mediocrity, the Illini endured a single-season school record for losses, reloaded under a talented coaching staff led by coach Brad Underwood, overcame the early departure of star guard Ayo Dosunmu and rode the shoulders of big man Kofi Cockburn and two long-haul seniors to win the school’s first Big Ten Conference championship since the magical year in 2005, when Dee and Deron put a smile on the entire state.

With the 74-72 win over rival Iowa before a juiced crowd at the State Farm Center Sunday night, Illinois hung a banner and capped a wild weekend, when Wisconsin’s upset loss earlier in the day spun this hoops crazy state into a frenzy.

“We did this with a bunch of high character guys, but we couldn’t have done it without all of you,’’ Underwood said in the middle of a mob scene on center court. “Thank you.’’

And the Illini plan to get more done in March Madness.

“These trophy presentations aren’t over,’’ Underwood said. “We’re bringing a few more back to Champaign.’’

And one more thing.

“Let the party begin,’’ Underwood said.

The Illini earned their share of the championship with Wisconsin and grabbed the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament later this week in Indianapolis, where there’s expected to be plenty of orange in the seats.

Guys like fifth-year seniors Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams stuck around for the long journey to the top.

"We battled through the tough seasons, not making the tournament,’’ Frazier said. “To be able to say we’re part of a program changer, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Knowing we came from not winning five games in the Big Ten to being Big Ten champions, it’s special.’’

By battling through a string of issues – from Cockburn’s ridiculous early-season NCAA suspension to Andre Curbelo’s long absence and subsequent COVID shutdown to other nagging injuries – the Illini finally had a break fall their way. With the Badgers trying to claim the championship outright, Wisconsin was unable to beat a league bottom feeder following the loss of Johnny Davis, arguably the Big Ten’s best player. Davis missed the final 17:34 against the Huskers with a lower body injury.

The rush to the local watering holes became a land rush of orange sweatshirts, as Illini fans suddenly realized a party was ready explode after some serious pregaming.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been a lot of fun,’’ Underwood said.

The rebuild was anything but sudden for Underwood, the former junior-college journeyman coach who worked at some obscure places before getting his chance at mid-major Stephen F. Austin in east Texas, then hopped, skipped and jumped to the Illini job. Following an aggressive roster turnover, Underwood rebuilt the Illini with the recruiting work spearheaded by his two smartest hires, Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman.

Underwood showed up on our doorstep alone, a head coach without his posse intact after a one-year stop at Oklahoma State, but he made the most important moves by landing two talented recruiters. With Antigua bringing them to Champaign from the East Coast and the islands and Coleman doing his best work inside the state, the Illini returned to prominence a year ago, when the Illini won the conference tournament championship and earned a No. 1 seed as a trendy pick to win it all.

OK, so the Loyola loss was a bucket of cold water on the celebration, a disappointing stumble that chilled the momentum, and Underwood and the program faced more challenges immediately after the season. When all three assistants left for lateral moves, Underwood and the program kept moving in the right direction.

Players came and went, whether to jump to the NBA or a shot at pro ball or just looking for somewhere else where the drive inside the locker room may not have been the same, but Frazier and Williams have been here since the start, deciding not to leave until the job was complete.

They joined the program when John Groce ran the show, but they quickly became the reliable cornerstones, even if the wins were hard to find in those first two years. The 21 losses in their sophomore season set a school record for futility. Then Ayo grabbed the program by the neck, carried it back from the depths of the Big Ten to the frenzy of last March.

Frazier and Williams wouldn’t give up, sticking around for super senior seasons following the COVID era. Williams joined his father, Frank, as a Big Ten champ with the Illini, becoming a scoring threat after he was known as the glue guy and a defensive stopper. Frazier will go down as one of the Illini’s favorites. He filled the role every year, no matter what Underwood asked.

Cockburn is just the most physically imposing player in the game.

All of this added up to a big party in central Illinois, where these kind of celebrations used to be commonplace.

In an eight-year span, the Illini won five Big Ten titles under three different coaches. Bruce Weber won two after Bill Self won two, and Lon Kruger got it started with his own unexpected championship. Underwood joined the group of Illini coaches with Big Ten titles in the modern era, along with Lou Henson’s championship in the mid-80’s that put the Illini back on the map.

Groce wasn’t able to rekindle the Illini mojo that evaporated under Weber, but Underwood had The Farm packed and rowdy just like the good ole’ days from the past 15, 20, 30, 40 years.

So, if 15 down to Iowa was a big deal. it sure didn't look like it for these Illini, who have been digging out of the hole for five years with Underwood.

This is Illini basketball, hanging banners and charging into March Madness with a purpose.

Thanks to Underwood and two guys who didn’t want to leave, Illinois is a champion again.