Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Northwestern

2. The players don’t seem to be responding to Brad Underwood

I railed on the upperclassmen in the previous slide, and they deserve every word of what I typed. They aren’t leading this team, and it shows on the court. But the Illinois coaching staff shouldn’t get a pass for what is happening.

There is a massive difference between the team’s Brad Underwood has had in the past with Stephen F. Austin, Oklahoma State, and Illinois, and the team we are seeing on the court this season. With the past teams, he had young freshmen who he developed and hardened with his angry coaching style and hard mentality. You can’t do that with transfers who think they know everything and have already learned habits that you can’t break.

Underwood received Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer via the transfer portal. They came from programs that had tremendous success, and they were a part of that success. Neither player was the star on those teams, but they did get to great heights in the college game, so they probably think they know everything.

I think the saying, “it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks” applies to this situation. Underwood is doing his regular coaching thing by yelling, and that works with young guys. But it seems that his style is rubbing Shannon and Mayer the wrong way.

This is just speculation, but I actually believe the way Underwood is coaching right now is hurting the team because he has a couple of players who are not wanting any part of his yelling and coaching style.

But this is on the coaching staff for not seeing that the style is not working. Underwood has to adjust and can’t continue being hard-headed. He has to know his personnel, and I don’t think he realizes this. You can see it every game in the huddle. The young guys are paying attention to what Underwood is saying, meanwhile Shannon and Mayer are off into space. It is painful to watch.