Brad Underwood Expects New Defensive Strengths for Illinois in 2026-27

Illinois’ defense was more volatile than a penny stock in 2025-26. At times, the Illini were really good. Other times, though, they were ordinary – maybe even less than. Opponents too often met little resistance getting off threes, clean midrange looks and at-the-rim twos.

The result: a few too many track meets that Illinois couldn’t win. (Opponents scored 83 points or more in every non-UConn loss in 2025-26.) But when the defense was on, it was on full throttle.

For a one seed to become a reality next March, however, the Illini must find season-long consistency on that end – and be peaking at the right time. It seems for all the world that llinois will have the tools to do exactly that.

Why Illinois should be better equipped to generate turnovers in 2026-27

“I think we’re more athletic,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said last Friday. “We’re bigger. I think we’re longer. I think that our concepts are a little bit different. I think we’re trying to be a little more aggressive. Again, we want to do that without giving up layups.

Last year, the Illini defense was top-ranked in an oft-overlooked category: free-throw rate allowed. Opponents rarely got to the line against Illinois – which was by design. On the flip side, the Illini were dead last in another statistic: forced turnover percentage.

In a dream scenario, Underwood’s club can find a way to optimize both. Keeping teams off the charity stripe is important, but so is turning over opponents. Turnovers lead to easy buckets, but just as importantly, they can force opponents to become tentative or frustrated.

After a turnover, a player tends to become a little less aggressive. They second-guess a few more of their decisions. Or sometimes they go the other direction and push too hard to correct a mistake. So if the Illini aren't turning opponents over, they’re allowing them to operate in their comfort zone. With the personnel on this season's Illinois club, though, the pieces are in place to create more chaos for opposing offenses.

Brad Underwood expects stingy perimeter and interior defense

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) dribbles the ball against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during the second half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season's Illini were, at their best, a stout defensive group – they just didn't hit those heights often enough.

“But I think that you add Quentin [Coleman], you add Lincoln [Williams], you add Ethan [Brown] – those guys [and] you’ve got a bigger, stronger, more confident Andrej [Stojakovic],” Underwood said. “I think that our perimeter defense could be a strength for us.

“Our ability to protect the rim is and should be very good. And so I’m excited about what this group can become defensively. There is no doubt about what our run was about late in the year. We got really good defensively.

“And taking away teams’ abilities to score at the rim and not get layups. [It] was something we did a very, very good job of. We’ve got to continue to do that as we move forward. So we’ve had a very good summer. I’ve been very pleased.

“And I like the makeup of this team. I like our athleticism, and our tenacity has been, our bite has been really, really good. Quentin brings a lot of that. Lincoln brings a lot of that. We’ve got some natural, very competitive ... Lucas [Morillo], all of those guys bring a little of that.”

Illinois' rim-protection ability should be top-notch. It would be thoroughly disappointing if it wasn’t. Zvonimir Ivisic might be the best shot blocker in the country. Tomislav Ivisic may not register as many blocks, but he’s quite the paint patroller himself. And if Jason Jakstys finds himself in the rotation, he too should flourish in that area.

The perimeter defense is almost equally intriguing, though. Looking back, the Illini didn’t really have a tone-setter out there in 2025-26 (or the year prior, for that matter).

One of the most underrated aspects of Terrence Shannon Jr.’s game was his defensive grit. He played with that “dog” mentality, and that is contagious. Kylan Boswell had that at times during his run in Champaign – but never consistently.

Illinois, it seems, has that in Coleman. And maybe Williams and Brown, too (and, as Underwood alluded to, perhaps Morillo). Just one on-ball defender who jaws a little – or, preferably, a lot – and is hellbent on not allowing his man to beat him off the dribble can go a long way for a defense.

Multiple "dogs," though? Well, that would lift Illinois' intensity as a team and give it the ingredients for an unfathomably stingy defense. We’re talking possibly the country's best.

That, paired with the projected No. 1 offense in the nation, would be a frightening prospect not just for the Big Ten but for all of college basketball.

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