Illinois’ Brad Underwood uncovers huge hurdle after Final Four loss to UConn entering 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood is already looking ahead to this fall, focusing on how to bring his team back to the Final Four.
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With that objective in mind, Underwood’s continued commitment to the program he helped rebuild is now at a point where maintaining a sustained level of success is all that matters over time.
In an exclusive interview with Hoops HQ, Underwood took a moment to soak in how far he’d come.
Even though the Final Four exit against the UConn Huskies stung, it didn’t diminish what Illinois had accomplished, he said.
In fact, Underwood admitted that he took a step back from basketball once the season ended and decided to remove himself from thoughts of reliving the season’s final two games.
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“Getting to a Final Four is better than you dream it,” Underwood said. “It goes so fast, you don’t get to soak it in. I can’t wait to watch the last two games because it’s going to rekindle all the emotions. I just want to sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy those moments again.”
For the 62-year-old, now it’s about ensuring the next step is one that allows Illinois to remain a contender for national titles for years to come, without the added pressure of having never been in a position to play for one.
“We’re the winningest program in the Big Ten over the last seven years,” Underwood said of Illinois’ success. “Making the Final Four, I don’t want to say it gives you validation, but it definitely creates a different attitude. Our players, our coaches, our fans, we all feel that. You’ve got to keep finding ways to be different and not satisfied. I think I’m pretty good at keeping that needle moving.”
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Underwood certainly has done that by scheduling a rematch with the Huskies in Chicago, a trip to Durham to play Duke, and a rematch against Texas Tech, among other nonconference matchups.
If there is anything to take away, it’s that Illinois is not content with being close. What it’s content with is making sure that being close is something they can use as motivation to take that final step to become the best team in college basketball without a definitive doubt.
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In a few months, Illinois will be able to do just that, and so much more, as it will have control over its entire season and how it will be remembered in the years to come.
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For now, the anticipation continues to build toward one of the most anticipated seasons in program history.
