Brad Underwood Changed Everything—Except Himself—to Transform Illinois

Happy Sunday, Illinois Land!

We’re just over 100 days away from the newest edition of the Illinois men’s basketball team taking the floor for a regular-season game. Brad Underwood begins his eighth year at the helm.

With the Illini not only qualifying for the vaunted second weekend last year — but also advancing to an Elite Eight — Underwood is discovering white space territory and his own backyard, simultaneously.

Authenticity is easy to duplicate.

This will require some explanation. Follow me on this thought.

You got it. I got it. We got it.

The Illinois basketball team has two players returning for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

A starter, Ty Rodgers. A role player, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn.

The Illini have just one starter. Rodgers is more of a depth player than a first-team All-Big Ten player. He’ll be in that role again in 2024-25.

Rodgers averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 52.7% shooting (all two-point attempts) while making 58.5% of his free throws.

You’ll notice the poor shooting numbers of the Illini’s return. 52.7 percent isn’t horrible, but when you consider that at least 80 percent of his shot attempts come off the block or from closer, it’s concerning. To say the least.

Rodgers was a good free throw shooter at times. Overall, that’s good. You see the number.

Underwood told anyone who would listen that Ty shoots 1,500 shots a day. Every day. Underwood is taking direct inspiration from his own playbook here.

Recognize a weakness in a player and tell anyone who will listen that it is being addressed.

Rodgers staying in Champaign to play for Illinois was the key to the success of the century. It seems like he never left the program. Not once.

No chatter, no back and forth. A program guy.

Coleman Hawkins now plays for Kansas Stateafter reportedly earning a $2 million salary from Jerome Tang in the Little Apple.

Although Hawkins left for the fifth year because of Covid, he has become the program’s go-to guy, following in the footsteps of Trent Frazier before him.

TCR // David Polak

Perhaps the most shocking development in player movement this offseason was DGL vehemently insisting he was staying, and then he stayed.

During his first campaign, Average DGL 2.4 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists. His eFG% was 34.2% and he shot 66.7% from the line. All of these shooting numbers are on limited attempts.

DGL played 7.1 minutes per game. He’s not exactly a high-demand freshman.

TCR // Davik Polak

Expecting the unexpected is not an assumption when Underwood is the head coach. It’s not even plausible. It’s more than a guarantee.

It is reality.

While the team is getting much younger this fall, that’s a positive for DGL’s playing time prospects.

The downside remains that the youth movement may have brought more size, skill and athleticism to the program.

Underwood stays true to his brand once again.

Let’s go back to the beginning of this column. Authenticity is perhaps the buzzword of the last decade.

Everyone is trying to understand the concept. Some claim to exploit its enigmatic quality. Even fewer understand the theory.

TCR // David Pollak

Few offer true authenticity. Underwood is one of the chosen few.

Here’s why authenticity is important in leadership. It can be even more important in coaching, especially in today’s age of unlimited handoffs.

You don’t choose the program, guys. They choose you.

You don’t choose the recruits. They choose you.

You don’t choose the assistant coaches. They choose you. Sometimes they do twice.

The most important decision a head coach makes is which version of YOU do you want THEM choose.

Underwood has stayed true to himself by being the Brad Underwood he wanted them to choose. It comes pretty easy to him. BU has real confidence in him. He doesn’t care about being liked.

TCR // Jack Jungmann

Underwood’s ability to pivot continues to allow him to move the ball around the court. He’s gone from being a player who was content to lose the ball at the line to one who doesn’t care about turnovers at that point. He’s said it. Verbally.

In fact, Underwood has become completely disillusioned with defense. He now emphasizes attack, skill and shooting, as well as skilled wingers who can put the ball in the basket.

This is what happens when you stay current and play offense with an NBA scheme and concepts. As a head coach, you get a whole bunch of guys who want to play in the NBA one day to come to your program. They choose YOU.

The last coach to do either of those things at Illinois was Bill Self. He did a good job at Kansas.

Let’s take a look at some of the newcomers and see if Underwood’s pivot revealed any interesting information. And it’s not just about players.

Players from everywhere and from all walks of life. Literally.

Here is an example. Kasparas Jaukucionis is currently predicted by Bleacher Report to be ranked 11th overall in the upcoming NBA draft. He’s 6’4″ and 200 pounds, he’s got talent and strength. He’s not coming to Champaign to win games 62-58.

Here’s another one. Will Riley was reclassified to join the Illini a year early. Riley is currently scheduled to go #19 in the 2025 NBA draft by Sports Illustrated.

After winning 29 games and appearing in the program’s 10th Elite Eight, Underwood has built a team on the fly that may be the most talented yet. I won’t go into detail on every player yet.

I used Riley and Jakucionis to prove something about Underwood. Morez Johnson should be in this talking point.

The discussion about the “best team” and/or “most talented” team is now happening in consecutive years. We had this discussion at the end of the year, comparing this team to the top seed Ayo/Kofi in 2020.

Three teams. Five years. Completely different rosters. Completely different playing styles.

A great conversation for Illinois Land.

TCR // Jack Jungmann

It seems Underwood has prioritized winning games and getting winning players over his own ego or the absurd “this is how you do it” Montell Jordan-style rhetoric that some Big Ten coaches advocate.

Underwood doesn’t care what you think. Unless “you” are a potential player on his next Illinois basketball team who will move the program forward.

Please participate in the scientific survey.

This is a different program. This is NBA prospects at Illinois. This is the same Brad Underwood.

This is Illinois basketball.