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PORTLAND, Ore. – The TV hung on the wall in Bruce Weber's office.

And Weber was in his office. On the Thursday of the 2008 NCAA tournament, the day when all of the Madness really gets rolling, it was the last place he wanted to be.

"That was so embarrassing for our program last year," Illinois assistant Wayne McClain said Wednesday. "It left a bad taste in our mouth."

No. 5 Illinois is back in the NCAA tournament with a matchup today against No. 12 Western Kentucky in the first round of the South Regional (8:55 p.m., WCIA).

By almost anyone's measuring stick, the Illini have outdone themselves. Possibly without knowing it, they've also laid the groundwork for what appears to be a future thick with NCAA tournament berths.

Illinois missed the tournament last year, snapping a streak of eight consecutive berths. But instead of being in his office Wednesday, Weber was on the court at the Rose Garden, drilling and encouraging the Illini.

The way things are going, the way Illinois is recruiting, the way its younger players are developing, it doesn't appear the Illini will experience a March without Madness any time soon.

"The rest of my career here, hopefully we can come to the tournament," Mike Davis said. "We're having a lot of fun, riding on luxury buses and stuff like that, eating out at good places. Hopefully we can put another string together."

"This is where we want to be every year. This is what you play for, the NCAA tournament," junior Dominique Keller said. "We set a lot of goals this season; getting here, getting to the Sweet 16, that was one of them."

Three sophomores, including Davis, are the team's top three scorers. Those guys have two seasons left after this one. It shows their importance to the team when McClain, who's responsible for the scouting report today, said Davis and Demetri McCamey are the key players against the Hilltoppers.

Illinois has signed four recruits in its 2009 class and has four commitments from prospects expected to graduate high school in 2010 and 2011.

"That's one of my goals, to make the NCAA tournament every year," 2009 recruit Tyler Griffey said Wednesday. "I think what these guys have done this year, the future is bright for us."

In his brackets, Griffey has Illinois in the Sweet 16. That's the goal Weber set for these Illini back in September, when doubters far outnumbered believers.

"I think we can make the third round, the Sweet 16," 2009 recruit D.J. Richardson said Wednesday.

Weber reached into his motivational bag countless times this season. One of those times was before the season, when he told the players a lot of people already were looking ahead to the 2009-10 season. Weber set lofty goals and said Wednesday he should have set higher goals.

"You kind of kick yourself. ... I gave them 24 wins, they got there and mentally they think they've accomplished what I've asked them to do," Weber said.

Although this is their last run, even the seniors are helping to plan the future. Chester Frazier called a players-only meeting late Saturday, partly because he "wanted the young guys to see that it goes by quickly," he said. Frazier is one of three Illini with NCAA tournament experience, though a hand injury will sideline him today, Weber said.

"I don't know how we'll play (today). I hope well," Weber said. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime. You're in the tournament. This is what you build for, work for. We didn't get in it last year. I think we used that as a motivation.

"Now you're there, take advantage of that opportunity. I hope they rise up, but until the ball goes up, we're not going to know."