Brad Underwood reportedly intends to opt out of Illinois contract but….
Illinois FIghting Illini coach Brad Underwood is a firm believer in there is never too much of a good thing.
In fact, he’d take more if he could. Instead, Underwood will have to settle for the stacked roster he has entering this college basketball season. The Illini added 10 new players, including two potential lottery picks in the 2025 NBA draft
In fact, he’d take more if he could. Instead, Underwood will have to settle for the stacked roster he has entering this college basketball season. The Illini added 10 new players, including two potential lottery picks in the 2025 NBA draft.
A problem finding playing time for everyone? No way.
“I’m not going to buy that you can have too much,” Underwood said. “That’s a cop out. People who say that are people who don’t have it. We’ll figure it out.”
The Illini added the likes of Morez Johnson, Jason Jakstys and Will Riley from high school and Ben Humrichous (Evansville), Kylan Boswell (Arizona), Tre White (Louisville), Carey Booth (Notre Dame), and Jake Davis (Mercer) from the transfer portal. Not to mention Kasparas Jakucionis and
Tomislav Ivsisic from Lithuania and Croatia.
Ivsisic and Riley are already on the radar of NBA teams because they are potential one-and-done players. Underwood thinks all 10 additions could wind up in the starting lineup at some point this season.
“We’ve spent a ton of time studying character, studying guys that we know fit what we’re doing,” Underwood said. “We’ve been very decisive, I think, trying not to waver on character, on talent and the specific needs of these guys. We do have versatility. We can play really big. You can see Ben play the three. You can see a smaller backcourt. You can see a lot of things happen.”
Illinois FIghting Illini coach Brad Underwood is a firm believer in there is never too much of a good thing. In fact, he’d take more if he could. Instead, Underwood will have to settle for the stacked roster he has entering this college basketball season. The Illini added 10 new players, including two potential lottery picks in the 2025 NBA draft. A problem finding playing time for everyone? No way. “I’m not going to buy that you can have too much,” Underwood said. “That’s a cop out. People who say that are people who don’t have it. We’ll figure it…
Oftentimes, a coach will downplay an incoming freshman. They want to avoid putting pressure on some 18-year-old, allow him to enter the program with no expectations. That’s not the case with Illinois Fighting Illini newcomer Will Riley. They know his talents. They know what to expect. And they have no problem raising the bar for him. “He’s ready. He’s as ready as anybody we’ve had in my opinion,” Illini coach Brad Underwood said. “There’s an ‘It’ factor with him. He’s just got ‘It.’ The game is easy for him.” Last week Riley picked the Illini over the likes of Alabama,…
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — March 2017 saw a pivotal change in Illinois basketball when Athletic Director Josh Whitman fired John Groce and subsequently hired Brad Underwood as the program’s 18th head coach. Whitman’s vision for Illinois basketball has since resonated with fans, alumni, and the national and local media.
Whitman said on the day of Underwood’s hiring, “We have a basketball program that we all expect to compete for Big Ten and national championships year in and year out. I was here at the peak. I was here 10 years ago. I saw the energy. I felt the environment at State Farm Center. When you couldn’t find a ticket. When every game was an event, every fan was in an orange shirt, the waiting list was thousands of people long to get a season ticket to an Illinois basketball game. I remember standing in the crowd, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when the pregame video was on the board that said, ‘The Champ is here.’ Do you guys remember that? The Ali video, the movie, ‘The Champ is here.’ I’ve never forgotten the feeling of when that team took the floor and that video was on the board. That’s what we are striving for. That was 10 years ago. And if we’re not careful, it’ll be 30 years ago. That’s what I can’t allow to happen.”
