In late January, during the heart of the season, the Sun-Times wrangled Illinois men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood into a phone call to pester him about being one victory shy of his 100th in the Big Ten.It was a subject better saved for later, he said at the time. Too much hooping going on. Still, he ended up recalling a couple of really big wins along the way, ruing one hard-to-stomach loss to Loyola in the NCAA Tournament, extolling the ability his contract gives him to swing for the fences and describing himself, all considered, as being in “basketball heaven.”But also, he said, “We haven’t won a national championship, haven’t made a Final Four. I’ve always said this job is that. It should be that.”With the No. 3-seeded Illini (25-8) set for an NCAA second-round game against No. 11 seed VCU (28-7) on Saturday (6:50 p.m., CBS 2), Underwood is staring at another personal milestone: his 300th win as a Division I coach. Well, truth be told, not so much staring at it as ignoring it. Too much hooping going on and all.One more “W” would be the ninth-year coach’s 300th in all and 191st at Illinois and put the Illini into the Sweet 16. If the season were to end at that point, it would be hard for anyone to knock it as having been unsuccessful. But it’s the thought of the Final Four, where Underwood has yet to take a team — and where he has indicated for…
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