Brad Underwood's Simple Solution for Illinois After Wisconsin Loss

Underwood says his team needs just one thing to ensure it gets back on track after dropping its second straight game

Feb 4, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The college basketball season is long and grueling. By mid-February, coaches hardly know what day of the week it is, as each passing day melts into the next. For most teams, at least part of the roster is patched up, sore or sidelined.

Physically and mentally drained, clubs tend to hobble through the month of February – especially in the Big Ten. Illinois can attest to that: The Illini, after rattling off 12 straight wins, have now dropped back-to-back contests.

The first blemish – a road loss at Michigan State – was a worthy effort. But Tuesday night’s falter at home vs. Wisconsin wasn’t nearly as justifiable. Illinois missed both Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic in a big way (specifically on the defensive end), but their absence was no excuse for frittering away a 12-point second half lead. Or was it?

Brad Underwood has the answer for an Illinois recovery

Jan 17, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood before the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

“Health,” said Illinois coach Brad Underwood when asked what is needed for the Illini to pull out of their two-game skid. “You think we played bad at Michigan State? We played pretty good. We led the whole game. … We played pretty good tonight with six dudes.”

That's an important point. Underwood has stuck to his tight eight-man rotation for the majority of the season. And without Boswell and Stojakovic in the fold, that number dwindled to six, as he elected against going deeper into the bench.

Despite Illini wing Jake Davis (6-foot-6) and forwards Ben Humrichous (6-foot-9) and David Mirkovic (6-foot-9) being forced to regularly match up with one of Wisconsin’s two dynamic guards in Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, Underwood never turned to his reserves – one of which just so happens to be a lockdown on-ball defender in freshman Brandon Lee. 

“We’re the only team in the country that has played 11 games in 33 days … in the Power 4,” Underwood said. “Coming off Michigan State, this sounds like an excuse – maybe it is – but we’re logging a lot of minutes. We had one ball-handler tonight. Coming off a very physical Michigan State game – an emotional game … I’m really proud of our guys. I don’t have one complaint. We just need health.”

Illinois’ schedule is similar to those of every other Big Ten team (and every other squad in the country). The Illini haven’t even taken their West Coast trip yet – although they did get only two days off between Michigan State and Wisconsin. Then again, the Badgers also were on a two-day rest after facing Indiana in Bloomington on Saturday.

The injuries certainly didn’t make life an easier on the Illini on Tuesday, but Underwood’s decision to go six deep was a choice – and solely his own. Illinois lacked perimeter defenders and had just one ball-handler because Lee and Mihailo Petrovic (a highly skilled lead guard) never got a chance to hit the floor. That was Underwood's call.

With Illinois playing back-to-back overtime games, fatigue surely played a factor, but the extent that it did was as much Underwood’s doing as the schedule's. The Illini will survive, but until their head man begins showing a bit more moment-to-moment awareness and flexibility – specifically in games – their ceiling remains capped.