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Brad Underwood discusses Drexel matchup, Ayo Dosunmu’s Player of the Year nod
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Illinois coach Brad Underwood had several topics to address when he met with the media on Wednesday afternoon.
The Illini are getting ready for a first-round matchup vs. Drexel, which will tip off at 1:15 p.m. ET on Friday.
Underwood made a point to not underestimate the 16-seeded Dragons.
“Drexel knows how to win, they’ve won four in a row,” Underwood said. “They won their conference tournament … They other thing is they want it just as bad as we do.”
Drexel is on a hot streak at the moment, having won the CAA Tournament as a 6-seed. The Dragons have won five of their last six games and are 12-7 overall on the year.
While the work isn’t finished yet, Illinois did get a good bit of news on Wednesday: star guard Ayo Dosunmu was named National Player of the Year by USA Today. He beat out Luka Garza for the honor and the two are likely to be the leading vote-getters for the Naismith Trophy.
Underwood said he was able to tell the entire team — and Dosunmu — at the same time.
“It’s phenomenal,” Underwood said. “I couldn’t be happier. I told the team at practice. You love seeing good things happen to good people.
“You love seeing good things happen to good people. I live by the adage that good things happen to those who works hard. No one works harder than Ayo.”
Here’s a few other notes from Underwood’s media availability:
#illini Brad Underwood said this week of protocols hasn't been anything out of the norm for them. The day of quarantine was much-needed after three games in three days. "We were tired. After that, our guys slept and rested their bodies."
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) March 17, 2021
#illini Brad Underwood: Food has been "off the chart" at their hotel. "Not one of our guys has complained."
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) March 17, 2021
“He’d probably be a millionaire if he’d gone (to the NBA), but he’s back for this moment,” #Illini coach Brad Underwood says of Ayo Dosunmu.
Also adds, “he’s built for this.”
— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) March 17, 2021
Asked Illinois head coach Brad Underwood for his thoughts on Drexel:
“A very well-coached team, they're a team that knows exactly what they're trying to get every possession on the offensive side. They execute very well."
— Austin Petolillo (@APetolillo) March 17, 2021
A player who knows the way to his coach's heart.
Giorgi Bezhanishvili brought Underwood a bottle of wine from his native Georgia, which is known for its excellent vino.
"Giorgi knows I enjoy a glass of wine. He calls it grape juice,” #Illini coach Brad Underwood said.
— Shannon Ryan (@SRyanAthletic) March 17, 2021
Brad Underwood with a Netflix recommendation: watching Peaky Blinders for a second time.
— Shannon Ryan (@SRyanAthletic) March 17, 2021
Brad Underwood (as part of longer answer on culture building/roster building): "I don't know if we'll ever have a one-and-done. We may, but we will have guys who get better." #Illini #MarchMadness
— Scott Richey (@srrichey) March 17, 2021
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.