There were only good vibes when Brad Underwood sat down with the media after the Illinois basketball win over Florida Gulf Coast.
The Illini finished with their second-straight 113-point performance on Friday night. This victory came with three players missing time with injury, too.
Illinois still looked efficient and high-powered on both ends of the court. The Eagles had no answers for what the Illini brought to the table, and it showed in the 113-70 win over Florida Gulf Coast. Underwood talked about the win, injuries, and where the team is as a whole in the postgame press conference.
Here are five interesting Brad Underwood quotes from the Illinois basketball presser vs Florida Gulf Coast
- “There wasn’t much they could do with him (Kylan Boswell) in their switching. Him getting downhill in the paint. They tried to go under a few times, he hit shots we practice every day with those step-back threes.”
Kylan Boswell has become a dynamic player. That should get Illinois fans excited. The reason that Florida Gulf Coast was going under screens a lot was probably due to Boswell shooting 25% from three-point range last season. If he eliminates that weakness, he becomes a great player.
Getting downhill has always been something that Boswell needed to do more of. He has the body to take contact, and getting to the free throw line is huge for his game. An aggressive Boswell is the best Boswell.
- “Lower body, just waiting to go through all of the scans and MRIs and what we do. We are thankful it is not season-ending.”
Before the game on Friday night, Illinois fans got some bad news. Tomislav Ivisic missed the game with an injury.
Underwood gave a bit of an update in the postgame press conference. It sounds like Ivisic will be out for a little while, but he should be back this season. Honestly, my hope is that he is back for the Big Ten season.
- “It was nice to see Z (Zvonimir Ivisic) impact the game in other ways. I have been really challenging him on the glass…it’s been nice to see him do other things other than shoot threes. He’s got a lot of arsenal in his game.”
What a clutch transfer portal addition in the offseason. Underwood knew he needed more size and talent in the frontcourt, and he landed Zvonimir Ivisic. Adding Ivisic is even more crucial now that his brother is going to be out for a little while with an injury.
You can see it on the court, and now Underwood is hyping up Ivisic and his development as a player. He can do so much for the Illini. He is a defensive stopper, and then Ivisic can come down and drain a three-pointer in your eye. Illinois fans should be thankful we have such a talented big man to fill in for another talented big man. The depth is stupid good.
- “I wish I could take credit for it, but I can’t. I think it is their (Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic) upbringing, I think it’s their coaching they have had throughout. It is a basketball feel and sense that sometimes you are born with. They are very much mature beyond their years…they don’t get sped up, and that is very rare for freshmen.”
It is exciting to have so much talent, but the fact that the freshmen look this good early is amazing. Keaton Wagler has been sensational, and David Mirkovic could end up being an All-Big Ten first-teamer.
Underwood touched on how both freshmen are just naturally talented on top of their development at Illinois. One of the most intriguing parts of the quote is when Underwood says they have the feel and sense you are born with. We have two great freshmen in which the game comes naturally.
- “Showing an incredible ability to want to be better. It’s crazy how resilient they have become. There are areas we have to continue to work and get better, but I like who they are as people. I like their competitive spirit.
The best question of the press conference was when Underwood was asked what he had learned about Illinois that he didn’t already know. Underwood’s response was a great one, talking about his team as people and not just players.
Having a team full of good dudes who are there for one goal, which is to win, is what the Illini needed. This team has a legitimate chance to be pretty special in 2025-26. This is a different Underwood in the press conferences. He knows this team can go deep in March.