Brad Underwood Breaks Down What Every Illini Freshman Brings to the Table

Prior to Illinois’ 2026-27 campaign, coach Brad Underwood went on "The Illinois Script" and previewed the upcoming season. During his appearance, he profiled each Illini freshman’s game.

Here’s what Underwood had to say about his first-year players, along with our takes:

Brad Underwood details each Illini freshman’s game entering 2026-27

Quentin Coleman

“Q’s a guy that wouldn’t shock me, at some point, if he has a triple-double. He’s a guy that can score it. He’s learning to become a great player, in terms of making others better around him. Rebounds the basketball, ultra-competitive – I mean, a fighter. He has one speed, and it’s full speed.

“His competitive side is his best attribute. He’s got a chance to be an elite defender. And I think he starts elevating others around him. And I think with [David Mirkovic] coming back as well, that’ll help him.

“He can fill a stat sheet, and he does it in a lot of ways. He’s a very, very good shooter. He’s a hard downhill driver. And he’s unafraid as a freshman, which is really nice to see. … We actually want him to be a little more aggressive on the defensive side, in terms of risk-taking, and try to go get some steals. But he’s got a great motor.”

We’ve seen it firsthand in the exhibition games: Coleman is everything Underwood has said he would be. He is a three-level scorer, a top-shelf facilitator and an otherworldly rebounder at his position. With his athletic traits and consistent effort, Coleman should quickly rise into elite on-ball defender status.

Ethan Brown

“Ethan’s a guy that, again, was a back gym guy, kind of. Great, great shooter. Very gifted athlete. Got great anticipation, smart. Can play multiple positions. And just finds a way. The ball never sticks with him. He just finds a way to elevate others. Really excited about him.”

Another unheralded high school prospect – a diamond in the rough, so to speak – Ethan Brown wasn’t a blue-chip recruit. But he’s a starter as a freshman for the No. 3 team in the country, and it’s thanks to all of the reasons Underwood stated above.

Lucas Morillo

“Lucas Morillo is a guy that has a big reputation. Again, was very successful in the prep school ranks, and in the northeast. Again, a big guard. Can really drive it, can finish. He’s a great passer. I loved him, I thought he was one of the best rebounders on the Nike circuit for a guard. He and Quentin are elite in that area for their positions. Again, a guy that’s a very heady, cerebral player.”

🟠 Newcomer First Look 🔵
Lucas Morillo
No. 23
Mount Vernon, N.Y. pic.twitter.com/VT0XEq3kxx
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) August 20, 2026

It may be hard to remember now that before Coleman committed late in the recruiting cycle, Morillo was the guy in this Illini class. Morillo has a lot of tools – plus size, solid motor, intelligence, craftiness – but it will be his shooting that decides the extent of his role in 2026-27.

Zavier Zens

“Zavier Zens, Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin. I think he was 83-2, or something like that, in his high school career. Knows what winning looks like. Great shooter, knows how to play the game the right way. He impacts winning at a high level. Extremely strong. Again, I think, can play multiple spots on the floor defensively. He’s been tremendous.”

Found the cutter.

Watch on B1G+ pic.twitter.com/c7ssQoKQgE
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 29, 2026

A sneaky pick to give Illinois rotation minutes in 2026-27, Zens has a lot of Day 1 contributor abilities. As Underwood touched on, Zens, at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, isn’t a typical scrawny freshman.

He can shoot the cover off the ball. He cuts well. He defends hard and plays mostly mistake-free basketball on that end. Zens won’t be stealing the show this year, but he could be an instrumental back-end rotation piece come season’s end.

Lincoln Williams

“Lincoln Williams, a guy we talked about a lot for two years in our offices. Went through some challenges in high school, and that story is out there. As gifted an athlete as anybody who I’ve had in my 10 years here. The game is easy for him. He’s a ball of clay right now. He’s letting us mold him.

“And he’s doing a lot of really good things. I think, defensively, can really impact us. The ball finds him. So it’s fun to be around and see how much he’s improving, really on a day-to-day basis.”

Lincoln takes it to the rim!

Watch on B1G+ pic.twitter.com/e4pHOqjCIp
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 24, 2026

Williams is a coach’s dream. He is unfathomably athletic and embraces coaching. He plays really hard. Those characteristics alone give him a sky-high defensive ceiling (and a pretty lofty floor, as well). Offense, aside from living above the rim, is going to be a longer process.

Landon Davis

“Landon Davis, young man we found from Iowa. Very successful high school program. Six-foot-nine, 240 [pounds]. He’s got a 7-foot-2 wingspan. A very good shot blocker. A guy that can really, really shoot it.

“Again, he fits into that mold of positional size and shooting for us. He’s going to help us. He’s got the ability to play the 5, as a small-ball 5. He can play some 4. He’s getting much more comfortable dribbling the basketball and driving it.”

Davis, whether he’s ready or not, may be forced to give the Illini real minutes in what will be a longer-than-expected absence of Preseason All-American David Mirkovic. Despite his relatively slim frame (6-foot-9, 220 pounds), Davis should be able to survive – if not thrive – on defense.

But can he be more than a spot-up shooter on offense as a freshman? If the answer is yes, Illinois' depth this season will be the best we’ve seen in Champaign during the Underwood era – and maybe ever.

Brad Underwood on Illinois' freshman crew as a whole

“Again, this freshman group, I’m really, really excited about. They’re all in a position right now where we haven’t lost them. [Usually,] there’s some that you think are just struggling, but this group has been right on point to this point.”

Even from the outside, it’s fairly obvious when a particular player needs time to develop. With six freshmen on the Illini roster this season, the assumption was that two or three would fall behind the pack and, almost inevitably, hit the portal in the spring.

But Illinois’ season tips off Monday – which means there have been months of summer and fall workouts – and Underwood’s words still seem to ring true. It doesn’t just appear to be coach talk. Each of the team's freshmen seem to have a legitimate chance to work their way into the rotation.

Of course, it won't happen for all of them. But the realistic opportunity to compete for minutes as a freshman keeps everyone engaged, and that makes practices infinitely more valuable (not to mention boosting team morale). The Illini have to be exceptionally pleased with how this freshman class has fared to date.

Add us as a preferred source on Google