Brad Underwood believed in his team right from the first practice. “I’m not afraid to say it—we can be Final Four good,” Underwood had said preseason. And sure enough, Illinois reached the Final Four for the first time in 21 years under Brad Underwood. From the pits of inconsistency, Underwood has rebuilt the Fighting Illini into an NCAA tournament regular and it seemed like this team had a legitimate shot at the title. Unfortunately, Underwood met with a stern UConn side that looked unstoppable. 

UConn finished a fairly close first half on a 16-7 run to take an eight-point lead into the break. There was no coming back from there. Even though Illinois got within 4 points, they could not complete the comeback as Dan Hurley’s side closed the game out with poise. Keaton Wagler, in probably his last game for the program, led them with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Tomislav Ivisic added 16 points and six boards. Ultimately, it was an end to a memorable season for Underwood, who got emotional in the post-game press conference. 

“I feel sad. I’m sad,” he said while holding back his tears. “If you want to know the truth, I’m sad, but I’ll reflect on some of the other stuff later. Season’s coming to an end. I’m going to steal a quote from Kelvin Sampson: I may not be as big a part of their life, but they are my life. And I’m sad.”

From the very beginning, Underwood has defined his coaching by establishing relationships with his players. He has a unique attitude toward each player, becoming a friend to them in some ways. It is especially important for Underwood’s case because he has recruited 4 Europeans to his roster, which is the highest number among D1 teams. 

Coming from various backgrounds, Brad Underwood has had to make a conscious effort to make this group play like a team. His unconventional way was further evidenced by the way Illinois celebrated their Elite 8 victory: a water gun fight, which Underwood started. 

“How close we are off the court is, I think, really what separates us. We all live in the same building.” Andrej Stojakovic has mentioned. “The amount of time we spend in the gym, even when we’re not playing basketball; in the lounge; in the team room; eating breakfast every single day with each other cracking jokes—it’s ultimately what translates our chemistry on the court. I think that’s what’s so special about this group.” 

These are real bonds Underwood has formed with them, which makes the end even more sentimental. “Last year, every player that has ever played for me is part of our family… 25 years from now some of those kids are going to pick up the phone and call me and need me—and I am there for them,” Underwood said last year. He has a personal touch in everything, which is one of the reasons this program has evolved into one of the nation’s best. To make matters worse, this loss had some bad luck sprinkled all over Illinois. 

Brad Underwood Laments Small Margins After Final Four Loss

Some fans joked on social media that Dan Hurley had cursed the rims in Indianapolis. Illinois struggled to make shots, shooting only 34% from the field, their lowest percentage since their nonconference loss to UConn. One of the shots bounced around the rim multiple times and even rested on it for a full second before falling out. 

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the uniforms. We make those shots against everyone else. I felt so good about the shots,” Underwood said. “I couldn’t have been happier with our defense. And those were point-blank shots that we missed and then wide-open threes.”

There was a slice of bad luck but Illinois was outplayed by this experienced Huskies side. Hurley is not in his third championship game in four years by sheer luck. The Fighting Illini had a combined 3 assists, which is their lowest number this season. They struggled to share the ball, even conceding 8 turnovers. Still, they won on the boards 44-37 and were in the game but couldn’t get that final push. 

“Winning is really hard, getting here is really hard,” Underwood said. “It’s a rebound, it’s a loose ball, it’s a ball banking in, it’s a three, it’s a margin, it’s very small. I love the shots we were getting, I love the opportunities. Just today, the lid was on [the rim].”

Ultimately, it’s also a lack of experience. Illinois’ rotation has just one senior, while UConn is led by Tarris Reed and Alex Karaban. Karaban has already won two titles with the program. In total, UConn has 5 seniors to Illinois’ three. In addition, the confidence of being at a program that has won a national championship recently is different from when you are a guest in the final four like Illinois. That may not be true in the future, but it could have cost them in this game.