Why this Illinois team is a ‘coach’s dream’ for Brad Underwood

The fire is still burning for No. 16 Illinois men’s basketball. On Thursday, the Illini dominated Rutgers, 81-55. Nobody was more pleased than head coach Brad Underwood with the result.

After the game, Underwood expressed absolute pleasure at how his team has performed as of late, per Fox College Hoops. 

“It’s a coach’s dream,” he said. 

"It's a coach's dream." @IlliniMBB Brad Underwood is very pleased with how the Fighting Illini are playing together of late. pic.twitter.com/X4DP9ncHka

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 9, 2026

As a result, Illinois is now 12-3 and is 3-1 in the Big Ten. Furthermore, Illinois is 8-1 at home. Guard Keaton Wagler led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds. Center Tomislav Ivisic came away with 14 points and grabbed four rebounds. Plus, Andrej Stojakovic and Jake Davis equaled each other with 12 points. 

Wagler is the Illini’s leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. David Mirkovic is leading the way in rebounds at 8.3 points per game. 

Altogether, the Illini shot 44.1% from the field, whereas Rutgers shot 36.5%. Also, the Illini shot 35.5% from the three-point line. Furthermore, they shot 85.7% from the free-throw line. Also, the Illini outrebounded Rutgers 41-30 and scored 26 points in the paint, where Rutgers scored only 18. 

On Sunday, the Illini are scheduled to play against Iowa. 

Since 2017, Underwood has the head coach of the Illini. Along the way, he has led the Illini to two Big Ten Tournament Championships in 2021 and 2024. Additionally, they won the Big Ten regular season title in 2022. 

After losing to Alabama 90-86 on Nov. 19, Underwood made the declaration that he wants a rematch in the Final Four. The last time Illinois reached the Final Four was 2005, when it lost to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game. 

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