Limping to the Finish Line
As a once-promising season turns sour, how will Underwood adjust his approach?
No, I don’t want Brad Underwood to be fired.
I figured it may behoove me to get this out there right away. Amidst this month-long slide for Illinois basketball, mere criticisms can be interpreted as calls for a coach’s job.
Hey, I get it. In this hypersensitized, social media-driven climate, nuance takes a back seat to hyperbole. I’m as prone as anyone to emotionally-driven tweets and podcast rants.
Try as I might to be a level-headed commentator, I’m a fan. Fans are nuts. After all, the word “fan” is derived from “fanatic”, the definition of which is: a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause.
Fandom aside, however, this season is turning into an objective disappointment.
A team constructed to be a legitimate threat in March is limping to the finish line. It’s not a question if this team can string together a couple wins in the NCAA Tournament; it’s a question if they can win a couple more games period.
No, I don’t want Brad Underwood to be fired. But, he should be held accountable.
In sports, as in life, two truths can be held at the same time.
One: Brad Underwood has been very successful at Illinois.
Two: This season has been Underwood’s worst as Illinois’ coach.
Not worst in terms of win-loss percentage, of course. It’s only fair to throw out the paltry records of Underwood’s first two years at the helm. In a pre-NIL environment, he oversaw a traditional rebuild that took time, but ultimately paid off in spades.
The closest historical comp for Underwood would be Lou Henson. Lou inherited an even worse mess, which resulted in a three-year rebuild before he began winning consistently. Brad won a Big Ten regular season title in his fifth season; Lou won one in his ninth. Brad finally broke through in the NCAA Tournament by making the Elite Eight in his seventh season; Lou did the same (also) in his ninth.
By these markers alone, the Brad-Lou comp is similar to the Spiderman meme. Brad is Lou, Lou is Brad. Hell, it’s arguable Brad is even more successful through eight seasons than the coach whose orange blazer adorns the State Farm Center court.
With this historical context, it is important to recognize why most fans - myself included - do not think Brad Underwood should be fired. On its face, it would be a rash decision that is A) not even in consideration by Josh Whitman, and B) silly considering the achievements of his coaching tenure.
No, I don’t want Brad Underwood to be fired. But, there are issues.
For starters, broad criticisms of Underwood’s in-game coaching ability are gaining credibility with each passing week. His teams are slow to make defensive adjustments when an opposing player gets hot (e.g. Jaxon Kohler, Tyler Bilodeau) or when the other team capitalizes on a weakness (e.g. Michigan State’s guards attacking the rim at will, Maryland’s bigs getting whatever they wanted in the paint).
For the second time in three seasons, his roster construction (a strength of the 2023-24 team) has resulted in an underwhelming year. In the case of the 2023 and 2025 teams, Underwood built them for a five-out offense full of firepower. Both times, it resulted in inefficient offense during conference play, with the Illini near the bottom of the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (yet near the top in attempts). Troublingly, when he asks - nay, pleads with - his team to attack the rim, it seems to falls on deaf ears.
Likewise, his rotations have been puzzling. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is the most egregious example, an alpha dog on the court for a team who badly needs some edge. Yet, Underwood slow played his return after an illness, leading to some honest frustration expressed by DGL about a lack of tick. Similarly, Tre White recorded a couple of DNP’s before being thrust back into the starting lineup at Wisconsin where he was (surprise!) quite rusty. I won’t even get into Ben Humrichous’ 30+ minutes a game, as it’s been beaten to death by this point.
On a personal level, Underwood’s lack of accountability has been most frustrating of all. Illinois has admittedly been dealt a rough hand with illness and injury, capping their potential. On Tuesday night, it was seemingly all he could talk about after a blowout loss at the Kohl Center.
A disappointing loss here or there would be entirely understandable, which is why many fans brushed off the USC and Maryland home losses as “We need KJ” or “We need Tomi”. Yet, do these external factors account for the extended stretches of dreadful basketball in the month that’s followed?
Against Wisconsin, Underwood’s team still featured two projected first-round picks (KJ and Will Riley), veteran transfers who have been productive before (Kylan Boswell and Tre White), a sickly-but-still-solid Tomislav Ivisic, one good half of pre-vomit Jake Davis, and a star turn by DGL . . . and still lost by 21 points. Full-strength? Hardly. Enough to put forth a respectable effort? Yes.
Some things can be explained away; some things can’t. When trying to figure out how this Illini team fell so hard, it can be hard to tell which is which.
Sometimes, the eye test tells the tale.
Offensively and defensively, this Illini team is broken. Apart from the occasional good half of basketball, they’ve been broken for twelve games. We can see it. Why pretend otherwise? We watched the USC, Maryland, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Wisconsin games in full. We saw the final five minutes against Northwestern and UCLA, and the final thirty against Michigan State.
No, I don’t want Brad Underwood to be fired. But, changes will be necessary this offseason.
An easy start will be hiring a permanent third assistant. Tim Anderson’s late departure left Underwood scrambling, so it’s fair to give him a pass on it this year. But, it’s clear that not only is a top-notch assistant essential, but one who’s strength lies in strategy. Underwood, Antigua, and Alexander are a formidable trio in terms of recruiting; the next “Stephen Gentry” may help fill in whatever the head guy lacks in coaching acumen.
Another fundamental change needs to occur in roster construction. I was as excited as anyone with the “two-year window” provided by this offseason haul, and some of the names have objectively hit: Kasparas (despite some frustrations) and Will have been as good as advertised, while Tomi and Morez have anchored a strong frontcourt when healthy.
But, you need dudes. OLD dudes. 22-23 year old dudes, to be specific.
Last year’s successes were mostly due to the three best players on the team - Shannon, Domask, Hawkins - being the most experienced. The team had plenty of leadership, allowing them to quickly bounce back from defeat (they never lost back-to-back games). They also tended to close games out, something this relatively-inexperienced Illini team has struggled with.
Finally, you need retention. Tomislav Ivisic and Morez Johnson are cornerstones to build around. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (if you haven’t already alienated him with a lack of playing time) is someone you want on your team. Kylan Boswell still has something to offer, though a role reduction may be best. Can you persuade Ty Rodgers to stay after redshirting him?
There are positive outcomes that can result from this season. The lessons learned from 2023 informed Underwood’s decisions ahead of that crucial offseason. In a word, he crushed it, resulting in one of the best Illini basketball seasons ever.
Part of what has made Underwood successful is his ability to adapt - maybe not so much within a game, but in a macro sense. He navigated the earliest years of the NIL and transfer portal era with panache, overcoming inevitable roster attrition by landing talent of his own. This flexibility has led to a ton of wins and three banners in the rafters, achievements worth celebrating.
For Illinois basketball to bounce back from this season, Underwood will need to be as adaptable as ever. Changes in staff, roster construction, and overall philosophy should be on the table. While talent accrual will never be an issue for him, maximizing the talent will be essential if he hopes to fulfill his championship ambitions.
Criticism is not synonymous with condemnation. Expressing concern with the current state of Illini basketball is not calling for the coach’s head.
A common chorus from those against criticism is “it could be worse.” Yes, it could be worse - far worse. But, it could also be better than what we’re seeing on the court right now. With the resources, facilities, and fan support of Illinois basketball, the potential is greater than ever.
A disappointing season, by itself, does not spell doom for the program. But, it does raise questions about the path forward.
Every offseason is consequential. Just like 2023, the upcoming offseason feels like a big one for the trajectory of Brad Underwood’s program.
Well said, Mike.