Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood has been great for the program, on a big picture level. He inherited a dumpster fire from John Groce, and within three-to-four years he had the Illini nationally relevant again. And overall, Illinois basketball is in a great place. Credit Athletic Director Josh Whitman on this hire.
However, every season of the Underwood era, or so it seems, you get these inexplicably awful games. These specific results baffle you, and this campaign has two of them already.
Why does Illinois basketball struggle so badly with Maryland, especially at home, during the Underwood era? No idea, but Thursday was off-the-charts unacceptable. Losing by 20+ at home, to a team that hadn’t won a road game? Yikes! That’s gonna knock down a seed line or two on Selection Sunday.
And that’s exactly what’s happened (we’ll get to that in a bit). This Illinois basketball team is a roller coaster, and we’ll cover both the ups and the downs.
The key to finding consistency? I think we can apply the principles espoused below by Cleveland Cavaliers sharp-shooter Georges Niang.
“Sacrifice. Guys are willing to do the little things every day and not make it about themselves. Many are content with sacrificing to help others flourish,” Niang told RG. “We live in a world of instant gratification, but Kenny (Atkinson, the Cavs Head Coach) has done a great job letting everyone be themselves.
“When guys sacrifice, we celebrate it. Whether it’s running to the corner to open up a shot or defending hard, those are winning plays.
“Maybe that’s what this Celebrating small victories makes guys realize their efforts lead to success, and that culture drives winning.”
This Illinois basketball team needs to remember these ideals tomorrow when they host Northwestern for a 2pm tip. They don’t want to be swept by the Wildcats, for the first time in 59 years!
They will be without the services of Tomislav Ivisic, who will miss the game due to a bout of mononucleosis.
#Illini haven’t been swept by the Northwestern Wildcats since 1966 (Lyndon B. Johnson was president)
Illinois will be without Tomislav Ivisic, who has mono, said Brad Underwood
Big game for Ben Humrichous and Morez Johnson to protect the paint against Nicholson and Martinelli… pic.twitter.com/OhovAncQxV
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) January 25, 2025
Still a team with a sure fire top 10, and maybe top five overall pick in Kasparas Jakucionis, plus a lot of talent around him, shouldn’t have these kinds of lapses. Will Riley has NBA Draft stock too, but obviously he has a lot of developing left to do.
His shooting statistics speak for themselves.
Illinois Basketball NCAA Tournament Resume
Key Metrics:
13-6, 5-4 in the Big Ten, Net #10, KenPom #11, 4-5 vs Quad 1, 3-1 vs Quad 2
Good Wins:
Blowing the absolute doors off of Oregon (Net #22, KenPom #26) in their building, continuing the recent dominance over Wisconsin (#22 in Net and KenPom), MIZ NOZ in Braggin’ Rights (Net #27, KenPom #31).
The Arkansas win on Thanksgiving has aged like a sliced open avocado, so we’re not counting that.
Illinois Basketball Bad Losses:
The OT L at Northwestern isn’t the end of the world, as they have a Net ranking of #46. But, it’s not great either. That USC loss is a very ugly mark, as their Net is #71.
Illinois Basketball Current March Madness Projections:
The Illini would be best served by landing a spot in Milwaukee for the first weekend of the tournament. The Brew City is not far from Chicagoland, the primary hub of the Illinois basketball base.
They could take the Milwaukee Bucks’ Fiserv Forum, and turn it into a de facto home game, crowd wise.
However, they don’t deserve it right now. In order to get and keep that slot, you need to have a postseason resume that is rock solid top four seed worthy.
The USC loss more or less put them on the #4/#5 bubble, with the Maryland loss knocking them down to the #5 line, according to some.
ESPN has the Illini as a #4 seed, but playing in Providence against Yale, in the West Regional.
CBS has Illinois basketball in Providence as a #5 seed, but in the East Regional, taking on Mississippi St. NCAA.com has them a #5 seed in the West, taking on McNeese.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.