March Madness is creeping closer, and the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini are making it clear-they’re not just in the conversation for a national title, they’re demanding to be heard.
Winners of 12 straight heading into a Saturday night showdown at Michigan State, Illinois is playing with the kind of focus and edge that championship runs are built on. And if there’s one message head coach Brad Underwood keeps hammering home to his team, it’s this: stay locked in, block out the noise.
“We have one saying: ‘Don’t drink the poison,’” Underwood told reporters this week. That’s not just a catchy phrase for the locker room wall-it’s a daily mindset.
“It’s something we literally talk about every day,” Underwood said. “Don’t read it, don’t talk about it.
We haven’t brought up anything [about the national attention]. We just don’t talk about it.
It’s just the next day. It’s very simple, mundane, ‘Every Day Guys’ mentality.
And then we talk every single day, 100 times a day, about our standard. We have to play and live up to our standards.”
And to this point, the Illini have done exactly that.
Even without guard Kylan Boswell, who’s been sidelined with a broken hand, Illinois hasn’t skipped a beat. Their latest performance? A statement win over Northwestern at State Farm Center-an 84-44 rout that completed a season sweep of their in-state rivals and served as a reminder of just how dangerous this team can be when they’re firing on all cylinders.
What’s been driving this win streak isn’t just talent-it’s consistency. The Illini are playing with purpose on both ends of the floor, and when their shooting is on, they’re nearly impossible to keep up with.
That kind of rhythm can carry a team deep into March. But more importantly, it’s the internal standard-the culture-that Underwood has instilled that’s setting this group apart.
With the Big Ten tournament looming and every game taking on added weight, Illinois is peaking at the right time. The path ahead won’t be easy-conference play in February rarely is-but if the Illini continue to play their brand of basketball, this win streak might just be getting started.
And if they keep ignoring the noise and sticking to the plan? Don’t be surprised if they’re still dancing deep into March.