Coach Brad Underwood Says Illinois Basketball 'Probably Not' Tough Enough

Underwood implied that context was needed, but he admitted that his Illini aren't "handling the moment"

Feb 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The man who brought you The Pizza Hut Parking Lot Fight, as you can imagine, takes untold pride in the toughness of his teams.

But after Illinois was dragged through the mud by No. 3 Duke on Saturday in New York, tagged with the worst loss in program history in a 110-67 blowout, the question was posed to Illini coach Brad Underwood in the postgame press conference:

Is this team tough enough?

"Probably not," Underwood said after a brief pause. "I mean, I'm not calling them soft. But I don't think we're handling the moment. We're young, we're inexperienced, but I think we're just a team that ... we miss a shot and put our head down for the next play. You've got to get beyond that.

"And I'll get them there."

But we're 28 games into the season, and the Illini – after winning 12 of their first 15 – have now lost eight of their previous 13. Injuries and illness are the usual caveats, but their recent play speaks to something deeper. How does Underwood plan to infuse toughness – or focus, mental acuity, self-belief, if you prefer – into a team that current lacks enough of it?

"Practice, practice," he said. "I mean, you've got to have a practice to do that."

Tomislav Ivisic is only now returning to Illinois practices after long stretches of missed games and limited availability because of a mono, an ankle sprain and the flu. The bug has bit several other Illini players over the past month or so, forcing some out of games and practices.

"We've had one practice since the Indiana game when we've had everybody. And it's hard to do that. I mean, there's been a lot of days I didn't even know who was starting. So ... practice, practice, practice."

One shred of good news – or more like an outside hope: Underwood made an offhand mention that he hoped Morez Johnson Jr. (broken wrist) might return in time for the Big Ten Tournament, which begins March 12.

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