Since their loss to Nebraska back on Dec. 13, the Illinois Fighting Illini have rattled off five straight wins, with the latest being a 75-69 victory over Iowa. Following Illinois’ win against Iowa, Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell spoke about the tough practices that head coach Brad Underwood put the team through after that Nebraska loss, as per Jeremy Werner of 247 Sports.
“They [practices] were hard as s**t, bro,” Boswell said. “Brad was on some really, really some hard s**t. But that was good for us, it was a good wake up call. I think the biggest thing is just not being comfortable, ever. Taking every game, 1-0, is our mentality right now. And approaching with the same process and the same philosophy as our every day guys.”
With the exception of the win against Iowa on Sunday, the other four wins since Illinois’ loss to Nebraska have been by double digits. The Fighting Illini are currently ranked No. 16 in the country in the AP men’s basketball poll with an overall record of 13-3 and a Big Ten Conference record of 4-1.
This is Underwood’s ninth season at the helm as head coach of Illinois. During that time, he’s complied an overall record of 178-104. He’s led Illinois to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including one Elite Eight during the 2023-24 season.
Now in the midst of Big Ten Conference play, Illinois has a pair of games this coming week against Northwestern on Jan. 14 and against Minnesota on Jan. 17. They are currently tied with Michigan and Michigan State in the Big Ten standings.
