I think all Illinois basketball fans are in a weird place right now the program.
We came into this season with high expectations. The Illini just went to the Elite 8, and the program was in the best place it had been since the 2005 national title run with Dee Brown and Deron Williams.
Through the first half of the season, Illinois looked like one of the top teams in the country as well. We climbed as high as No. 13 in the nation, and the program was 12-3 overall with three wins over top 25 programs.
Since game No. 15 of the year, Illinois has been spiraling. A mixture of injury and illness sent the program into a bit of a spin that we haven’t been able to get out of, especially of late. A little sprinkle on top of the pain is the fact that some of the transfer portal players haven’t played well, and Brad Underwood isn’t making some needed adjustments.
When it is all said and done, everything that happens within the program rests on the shoulders of Underwood. The coach has his flaws, and some Illini fans are taking the recent struggles as an opportunity to call for Underwood’s ousting.
I know I have been critical of the coach at times. Like I said, he has his flaws. While I want there to be some changes to the current makeup of the Orange and Blue, I am here to tell you, don’t fire Underwood.
While this may come as a surprise, I just don’t believe it is Underwood’s time to go. I do see his flaws, and this isn’t blind loyalty by any means.
Underwood is a frustrating coach. When he sets a lineup at the beginning of the season, he usually sticks with that lineup regardless of if the chemistry is right or if a player is clearly not a starting-caliber talent
I see the flaws in Underwood’s coaching. When Illinois has good three-point shooters, like last season, then let’s fire up shots at a high rate from three-point range. But this season, in particular, Illinois doesn’t have good three-point shooters. We are one of the worst teams in the country at shooting from deep, but Underwood can’t make the scheme adjustments. That is just one of his coaching flaws.
Using the talent we have on the roster is a blind spot for Underwood too. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with him not adjusting the starting lineup. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Will Riley could both be starters right now. There are also examples in the past, like not playing current NBA guard Brandin Podziemski as a freshman.
There are plenty of reasons to be upset with Underwood throughout his coaching stint at Illinois. I am not telling you not to be upset with him at times. I am telling you that Illinois shouldn’t give up on Underwood. While there is plenty of bad, what Underwood has done at Illinois is impressive.
Brad Underwood’s accolades with the Illinois basketball program far outweigh his issues as a coach
No coach is perfect, especially with the transfer portal being such a hot topic in today’s game. I would argue, while some of the players haven’t worked out, Underwood has done a great job adjusting to the college landscape.
There are changes I want from Underwood, but the fact he made the change and adapted the transfer portal and the way it works is something that shouldn’t go unnoticed. Illinois lost all but two players from last year’s squad, and Underwood still managed to put a competitive team on the floor.
I am impressed with what Underwood has accomplished at Illinois too. I am not going to mention the program he inherited because that was nearly a decade ago. This has been Underwood’s team for quite some time, and he has elevated the program to great heights.
It would be one thing if Underwood’s success came three or four years ago, and now the Illini have hit a multi-year rough patch. That would be a reason for his seat to be on fire. But that isn’t the case at all.
Underwood has helped lead Illinois to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and it would have been five if it wasn’t for the pandemic. In the middle of all of that success came some hardware too.
In 2021, Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2005. The following season, Underwood led Illinois to a Big Ten regular season championship. Again, it was an accomplishment that hadn’t been seen since 2005.
Illinois then came back last season and won the Big Ten Tournament once again. That is quite a four-year run. Illinois has won either a Big Ten Tournament or regular season title in three out of the last four seasons.
Underwood broke through the Illinois NCAA tournament barrier last season as well. We hadn’t been past the Round of 32 since that 2005 national title run. Illinois’ 2024 NCAA tournament appearance didn’t just crack the Sweet 16, but we made it all the way to the Elite 8 only to lose to the eventual national champs.
Does Underwood have flaws? Yes, of course. He isn’t quick to change when it comes to coaching. But he has built Illinois into a national name again. Illinois is a perennial Big Ten contender. We make the NCAA tournament every season. The program also lands some of the top talent in the country.
I hate the struggles of the current squad as much as the next person. That game against Duke that resulted in a 43-point dismantling, which was the largest loss in program history, was so ugly. At the end of the day, Underwood has elevated Illinois basketball to a place we hadn’t seen in nearly 20 years, and now it is time to have his back when the chips are down. It is not the right time to move on from Underwood.