Brad Underwood gives blunt take on worst Illinois loss in program history
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Illinois basketball coach Brad Underwood watched Saturday night as his team took the worst loss in program history. The Fighting Illini got shellacked by the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden. Duke whipped Illinois 110-67.
Duke shot better than 50 percent from three-point range. Blue Devils freshman star Cooper Flagg had his way in the game, with 16 points.
“Just a good, old-fashioned butt kicking. Give them all the credit. It’s one game and they whipped us in about every facet,” Underwood said after the game, per 247 Sports.
Illinois struggled to shoot from the floor. Underwood’s team went just 2-for-26 from three point range. The Illinois head coach was frequently frustrated with his team’s play.
That frustration seemed to carry over into the postgame news conference. Underwood was visibly animated and frustrated during that news conference, per the outlet.
Illinois basketball is fighting for a NCAA Tournament spot
It’s understandable for Underwood to be frustrated. His team shot just 37 percent for the game against Duke. The Illini also gave up 110 points, which is relatively rare in NCAA college basketball today. It was an embarrassing performance for the team.
Underwood’s teams are known for their defense, which must have made the coach even angrier. The Illinois coach previously coached under Bob Huggins and Frank Martin, who are both known for coaching rebounding and physical defense.
Illinois is 17-11 on the season, and this loss will be a black mark on the team’s NCAA tournament resumé. The squad has dealt with injuries this season to several key Illinois players, including Tomislav Ivisic. The injuries have caused the club to have an up and down campaign.
Illinois basketball is still in position for a NCAA tournament berth, according to many projections. But the team can’t afford to slack after this beatdown. The squad needs to quickly regroup. The Illini have made the NCAA tournament four consecutive years, including a run last season to the Elite Eight.
Things get no easier for Illinois. The team needs to still play Michigan and Purdue, who are both ranked. Illinois has lost three in a row, and the team is starting to clearly sweat its NCAA tournament chances. A solid run in the Big Ten tournament would certainly help things as well.
Illinois basketball next plays Iowa on Tuesday. It’s a must win game for the Illini, who are 9-8 now in the conference. Iowa enters the contest with a 15-12 record.
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