Can Illinois' Brad Underwood Meet the Moment Against Michigan?

Illinois has two key advantages over nearly every opponent it has faced this season: talent and size. The Illini likely have more individual firepower than any other team in the nation – which is why their March Madness ceiling remains so elevated.

Then, their trademark positional size allows them to hammer the boards – which can also help make up for miscues on the defensive end. The only issue? On Friday (7 p.m. CT, FOX), the Illini’s opponent – No. 3 Michigan – just so happens to negate both of those exceptional characteristics.

Reset and refocus.

📅 Feb. 27
🆚 Michigan
⏰ 7 p.m. CT
📍State Farm Center
📺 FOX
🎟️ https://t.co/dwu8T8dTsa pic.twitter.com/4JyTIEH298
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 26, 2026

The Wolverines’ frontcourt boasts 7-foot-3 Aday Mara, 6-foot-9 Morez Johnson Jr. and 6-foot-9 Yaxel Lendeborg – all three of whom have astronomically long wingspans that allow them to play even bigger than their listed heights. The trio is undeniably the best defensive frontcourt in the nation, and they certainly aren’t slouches on the other end.

Why Illinois needs Brad Underwood to rise to the occasion against Michigan

Talent-wise, the disparity between Illinois and Michigan is paper-thin. And in terms of physical tools, the story is the exact same. That means it is one man’s time to shine: Brad Underwood.

The pieces on the Illini roster are a reflection of Underwood’s eye for talent and recruiting acumen, not to mention his ability to mesh a roster. But on Friday night in Champaign, the final result may all come down to his in-game decision-making – a realm in which he isn’t exactly renowned.

Two questions naturally arise: 1) Can Underwood craft a worthy game plan? And 2) how will he adjust and, especially in the final moments, respond in what figures to be an inevitably close game down the stretch?

Beginning with the former, Underwood must come up with a formula to ensure Michigan is never comfortable. So often, Illinois leans into its offensive skill and ability to clean up the boards to knock off mediocre and even good opponents. Rarely do the Illini implement wrinkles to keep foes on their toes – though that has changed a bit recently.

We have seen Illinois test out unexpected halfcourt traps, switch between its man-to-man and zone defenses, and even slip in soft full-court pressure at times, particularly over its past few games.

Facing Michigan may require even more out-of-the-box thinking. Maybe toss Kylan Boswell on Lendeborg to give the Wolverines’ forward a look he hasn’t seen all year. (Think Boswell on Texas Tech’s JT Toppin.)

In a similar vein, see if Andrej Stojakovic’s length will bother Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau, and keep the guard from initiating offense so comfortably for the Wolverines. Then spring those traps when Michigan least expects it. Switch to the zone after a Wolverine timeout to get them out of their set.

It’s exceedingly difficult to balance sticking to a team’s strengths and relying on principles while unleashing unique wrinkles to throw off the rhythm of an opponent – but it’s an area in which Underwood must continue to make strides.

Although we have seen growth from Underwood there, we haven’t seen much in the next area: down-the-stretch decision-making.

Free-flowing offense is fantastic – and it’s a proven strength of this Illini unit – but it shouldn’t be the go-to option after a timeout with 10 seconds left on the shot clock in a two-point game with less than a minute remaining on the road. (Sound a little too specific? That's because it describes the end of the Michigan State loss.)

Allowing an opposing guard to breeze coast to coast and score a game-winning layup as time expires in back-to-back years is inexcusable. (That would be Tennessee in 2024-25 and UCLA this year.) Losing three overtime games in one season is, on the one hand, a stroke of misfortune. But it also reflects poorly on Underwood’s ability to close games out as a coach.

Draw up an after-time-out (ATO) play in crunch time, force the ball away from an opposing team’s premier option at a given juncture (how was UCLA’s Donovan Dent able to make a catch with a head of steam?). It's all of the little things that add up to a point here, two points there and a loss that becomes a win – or vice versa.

Although it’s impossible to predict the late-game situation that may arise in the State Farm Center on Friday night, it’s fairly likely there will be a few – and it’s up to Underwood to prepare his crew heading into the contest and help them execute when it’s go time.

Fortunately, few teams – and few coaching staffs – have had as many opportunities to reflect on poor decisions in winning time, and, ideally, Underwood and Co. can prove they have learned from any shortcomings this time around.