A few weeks ago, Ayo Dosunmu told TCR that before his commitment, it wasn’t “cool” to come to Illinois if you were from Chicago. That kind of perception has flipped almost completely under Brad Underwood, with the Illini now sitting in the national conversation as title contenders.
“It’s an unbelievable time to be an Illini.”
That was Underwood’s own description of where Illinois stands now, and it fits. When Illinois AD Josh Whitman hired him on March 18, 2017, few around the program could have pictured this kind of rise.
In nine seasons, Underwood has delivered two Big Ten Tournament Championships, a Big Ten Regular Season Title, an Elite Eight and a Final Four. Illinois’ historic 2025-26 season pushed that climb even higher, as the program reached the Final Four for the first time in his coaching career and sent another Illini to the NBA in Keaton Wagler.
The respect has spread far beyond Champaign. Players, coaches and outlets around the world now treat Illinois like a national power, even a “new blue blood.” That’s reflected in the non-conference schedule for the upcoming season, where Underwood has lined up games against some of the most recognizable names in college basketball.
Underwood said he hasn’t lost sight of how far the program has come, or how rough the early years were.
“You look at student tickets gone in nine minutes,” Underwood told TCR. “There’s a laundry list of those things…I haven’t forgotten what it was like the first couple of years. My hairline hasn’t either, but it’s very rewarding, because a lot of things and a lot of people impacted us getting here.”
The people around the Big Ten point to the same core reasons for the turnaround: the culture Underwood built, the way he gets more out of his players, and his relentless drive to win.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport, praised Underwood’s continuity and competitiveness while also slipping in a joke about the two men’s demanding styles.
“He’s been there 10 years, he’s a tough S.O.B himself and he’s demanding,” Izzo told TCR. “I get ridiculed for how I am, I’m a choir boy compared to Brad…I love Brad, he’s done a great job there, he’s been good for the league and he cares about the game.”
Illinois forward Andrej Stojakovic echoed that theme, pointing to Underwood’s ability to push his players to a higher level.
“The ability that he has to get his guys to play hard is probably the most consistent thing,” Stojakovic told TCR. “The words that he uses for us to go out there and play hard and represent the front of the jersey just as much as the back, I think is second to none.”
Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg framed it from the other side of the scouting report, stressing how difficult Illinois has become to defend.
“They are so hard to guard. It’s a pick your poison type of defense: are you gonna shut down the lane or are you gonna take away the three?
It’s hard to do both against what he does,” Hoiberg told TCR. “They’re so hard to prepare for.
If you don’t bring your hard hat against a Brad Underwood team, you’re gonna get embarrassed.”
Hoiberg also made it clear how much he respects what Underwood has built.
“He’s as good as there is in our business,” Hoiberg told TCR. “I’m really happy for Brad for getting that Final Four.”
As Illinois basketball keeps climbing, the ripple effect has reached the rest of the university. Champaign-Urbana is drawing more students to nationally recognized programs, and Underwood sees the momentum everywhere.
“It’s the golden years at Illinois right now.”
He said the change has been visible across campus.
“I’ve seen the whole university change,” Underwood said. “You start seeing success breed success…it’s a time to hold your head high, and you see that energy everywhere on campus. I love being a part of it.”
In Other News...
Illinois Is Still Missing One Thing Against Big Ten Powers
Illinois volleyball ran into another one of the Big Tens top programs and came away still looking for the piece that can help it break through at that level. Against No. 7 Wisconsin, the Illini were swept in three sets, 18-25, 19-25 and 22-25, a match that showed Illinois could hang for stretches but not quite match the Badgers point for point when the pressure tightened.
Senior setter Kenna Phelan kept the offense moving with 31 assists and four digs, while Paityn Chapman and Ashlyn Philpot helped spark the attack early. Illinois is now 11-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play, and the next chance to answer the same question comes against No. 17 Purdue, another meeting that will say plenty about how close this team is to turning competitive losses into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Big Ten Stability Just Became Part Of Illinois 2025 Path
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Petitti also said the league wants to focus on its current membership and back legislation such as the Protect College Sports Act, a reminder that conference leadership is still trying to shape the sports broader future while keeping the present intact. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Oregon moved quickly after Dana Altmans retirement announcement, naming assistant Tony Stubblefield as interim head coach, another sign that while the league may be standing still on expansion, its coaching carousel and competitive landscape are still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Back In The Spotlight And This Schedule Proves It
Illinois is set up for another season in the national window, with its 2026-27 schedule already lined with showpiece games across ESPN, FOX and CBS. The non-conference slate brings the kind of attention that follows a program when it is expected to matter, with Duke, UConn, Texas Tech and North Carolina all waiting on the other side of the schedule.
Several of those dates still need times and networks finalized, which only adds to the sense that these are the kinds of games TV partners want to feature later and prominently. For Illinois, it is another sign of how much weight its name still carries in college basketball, and how demanding the road to the postseason can be when the non-conference calendar is built this way. [Read more 🡒]