Brad Underwood has Illinois basketball off to a good start to the 2026-27 season.
The Illini are 2-0 and looking to notch a top-25 win against Texas Tech. While there have only been good feelings about what Illinois has done on the court this season, the good feelings have spread out in other ways, too.
On Friday night, Valparaiso went down to West Lafayette to take on Purdue. This was a buy game for the Boilermakers, and one that should prepare them for tougher competition. The Beacons had other things in mind.
Instead of laying down and getting beat by double-digits, like most other buy-game opponents, Valpo shocked the world and took down Purdue in double overtime.
Why would this have any good feelings for the Illini? Well, the head coach of Valpo is former Illinois player Roger Powell. He had a postgame interview with the Big Ten Network, and the person interviewing him and calling the upset win was his former head coach at Illinois, Bruce Weber.
If you haven’t seen Bruce Weber interview his former player Roger Powell yet, it’s what makes sports great. Powell was a starter on Weber’s Illinois national runner-up team in 2005. Last night, they talked after Powell’s Valpo team stunned Purdue. pic.twitter.com/fm6WUVj0aW
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) November 7, 2026
The video starts the goosebumps immediately. Weber talks to Powell about how they have been part of special moments at Mackey Arena, as Illinois clinched the Big Ten regular season title back in March 2004. Weber then goes on to talk to Powell about the massive win for his program.
Powell spent four seasons at Illinois, his final two being under the tutelage of Weber as head coach. Great success was achieved in the two seasons they were together.
In 2003-04, Illinois won the Big Ten regular season. The team entered the NCAA tournament and made the Sweet 16. The following season, the Illini won the Big Ten regular season and tournament. We forged a path to the NCAA championship game but fell just short to North Carolina.
Roger Powell doesn’t play for Illinois basketball, but he gives a better view of what lies ahead
This is a fun little clip that gives Illinois fans good feelings about the past. You have to be happy for Powell and what he has done with Valpo.
What is great, too, is that Powell is showing Illinois what we are going to have to deal with during the 2026-27 season.
Illinois plays the Boilermakers twice this season. They are a different Purdue team than in the past, and now Underwood has a blueprint on how to take down the Boilermakers. This will help tremendously when January 5 and February 12 roll around.
This was an awesome moment to watch. Powell has worked his way up the coaching ranks after a great playing career in college. Now, he is getting rewarded for his hard work. Nothing but good feels coming from Illini Nation.
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