Brad Underwood says Michigan might be the best Big Ten team he's ever seen

Some of the shine from Michigan basketball's 84-70 win over Illinois was washed away when the news of LJ Cason's season-ending injury broke on Saturday, but it's worth remembering what the Wolverines did on Friday night.

Against a program that had won nine games in a row against Michigan, with the best offense in college basketball, according to KenPom at the time, the Wolverines faced a difficult test and passed with flying colors.

Cason certainly helped. Michigan's path to the national championship will be more difficult without him. Still, after the win on Friday night, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood discussed just how good Michigan basketball was that night, calling it maybe the best Big Ten team he's seen in his nine years coaching in the league.

Michigan basketball is the best Big Ten team in a decade, at least

"They're as good a basketball team as maybe I've seen in this league in my nine years here... My hats off to them. They've earned it and they deserved the opportunity to hoist that trophy," Underwood said during his post-game press conference via Glenn Kinley.

That's high praise from a head coach who has tormented Michigan fans over the years. Frankly, the Big Ten title wouldn't have felt the same without conquering Illinois, just like it wouldn't have felt the same without beating Michigan State, which the Wolverines did at the Breslin Center.

Michigan basketball earned the Big Ten title by going 4-0 against its closest competitors, with three wins on the road coming by an average of 12 points. The Wolverines have 15 conference wins this season by double-digits. No other team in the league has more than 14 wins overall.

This is easily one of the best Big Ten basketball seasons ever. Underwood was stating the obvious.