Illinois head coach gets brutally honest on Final Four appearance

The conclusion of March Madness is almost here, with the Final Four on deck. The two games this year are filled with intriguing storylines. Most attention is on the later game between Michigan and Arizona, but Illinois and Connecticut are also a great game. It is the Illinois basketball program’s first appearance in the Final Four since 2005 and head coach Brad Underwood’s first appearance in his career.

At the open practice, Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood talked about what it was like to make the Final Four, and he had nothing but praise. He said he dreamt of a moment like this as a kid, and it’s why he took the job with Illinois. He said it’s better in real life than in his dreams, too.

The Fighting Illini made a name for themselves this year for their size, offensive efficiency, and the number of European players on their roster.

Illinois’ defense was a question mark as they made their run to the Final Four, but when they needed to most, they stepped up. They held VCU to 55 points and 0.83 points per possession in the round of 32, Houston to 55 points and 0.94 points per possession in the Sweet 16, and Iowa to 59 points and 1.08 points per possession in the Elite Eight. They have protected the rim and the paint at an incredibly high level, limiting all three opponents to below 48% from inside the arc.

On offense, Keaton Wagler has emerged as one of the best scorers in college basketball, and as a freshman, he has caught fire as an electric playmaker for the Fighting Illini.

The biggest key for Illinois in the Final Four is how they utilize their size. They have a significant size advantage over UConn, even though the Huskies have one of the best players left in the tournament in Tarris Reed Jr., who has been playing well.

This is Illinois’ first Final Four since 2005, and the experience seems to be one of a kind for Brad Underwood after finally pushing through to get to this point.

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