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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini wins in the Brad Underwood era

By Rees Woodcock

ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood smiles as he talks to his team in a huddle during a timeout during a regular season Big Ten Conference game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (21) and the Michigan Wolverines on January 25, 2020, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois defeated Michigan 64-62. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 25: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood smiles as he talks to his team in a huddle during a timeout during a regular season Big Ten Conference game between the Illinois Fighting Illini (21) and the Michigan Wolverines on January 25, 2020, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Illinois defeated Michigan 64-62. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood claps after a play during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Illinois @ #9 Penn State – February 18, 2020

Things can go from good to bad quickly in the game of college basketball. Illinois basketball has experienced plenty of that over the last few decades. But the 2019-20 campaign had to deal with the quick change head-on to save the season.

Illinois was rolling this past winter and spring. Brad Underwood had this team in a good place as they headed into a tough stretch on the schedule that featured a couple of ranked teams and a smattering of tough non-ranked opponents.

After a 16-5 start to the season, Illinois dropped a tough game on the road against No. 18 Iowa. They followed that up with a loss at home against No. 9 Maryland and to an unranked Michigan State team. The Illini capped off their four-game losing streak by falling to Rutgers on the road.

Things were going great for Illinois but then you blink and a 16-5 record turns into a 16-9 record and, potentially, back on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. Not only did the Illini go on a four-game losing streak, but their next game on was on the road against No. 9 Penn State.

Illinois needed a win against the Nittany Lions. This was a crucial game to, essentially, save the season. The Illini took a four-point lead into the half and then continued to put their foot on the pedal, winning the game over Penn State, 62-56.

The Illini would win four out of their next five after that Penn State win to finish the season 21-10. Without this win over the Nittany Lions, the postseason might be in question. Illinois might not have won four out of their next five. Things could have been totally different. I could argue this game should be No. 1 on the biggest wins of the Underwood era.

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