After catching some heat earlier in the week, Illinois’ student section - the Orange Krush - came roaring back in a big way on Sunday. Following a quieter showing during the Illini’s upset loss to Wisconsin, fans were quick to question the energy inside State Farm Center. But against Indiana, the Krush made sure their presence was felt - and head coach Brad Underwood took notice.
“They’re great,” Underwood said after Illinois’ dominant 20-point win over the Hoosiers. “We got the best fans in the country. All I want is our building to have, at some point, all that concrete up there start chipping away because it’s so loud, and then we can stress Josh [Whitman] out instead of me.”
That’s vintage Underwood - part praise, part challenge, and all passion. And while he said he wasn’t tuned into the online chatter surrounding the student section, it’s clear the noise - or lack thereof - had become a talking point after the Wisconsin loss.
But Sunday was a different story. The energy was back, the building was loud, and the Illini fed off it.
Kylan Boswell, returning to the court after missing four weeks with a hand fracture, likely had his finger on the pulse of the social media conversation. Whether he or the rest of the team used it as fuel or not, the response from the Orange Krush was exactly what Illinois needed.
Now, does a louder crowd flip the outcome of those earlier home losses? That’s impossible to say. But on Sunday, the atmosphere matched the moment - and the Illini responded with one of their more complete efforts of the season.
In a sport where momentum is everything, don’t underestimate the impact of a fired-up home crowd. And if this weekend was any indication, the Krush is ready to bring the noise down the stretch.