Matthew Mayer, Illinois forward, addresses comments towards Brad Underwood
Matthew Mayer is nothing if not a competitor.
The Baylor transfer has played well for the Illinois Fighting Illini this season, and he’s averaging just under 11 points and 5 rebounds per game to show it. The senior from Austin, Texas was holding everyone accountable after a rough, yet victorious win over Alabama A&M in mid-December.
Mayer said coaches and players had a lot of things to figure out and that coaches should move things around to better lean on Illinois’ strengths after the game, publicly calling out head coach Brad Underwood in the process. Illinois is 4-2 since his comments.
Mayer addressed those comments again following Friday’s home win over Michigan State.
Matthew Mayer said he voiced frustrations in the media a few weeks ago and shouldn’t have.
Said Underwood has made “amazing adjustments that have changed their trajectory,” pointing to schematic changes on both sides of the ball.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) January 14, 2023
Illinois has been all over the place so far, but has rebounded after starting poorly in B1G play. Illinois is now 3-3 in league play and a fair 12-5 on the season.
The Fighting Illini face off against Minnesota on Monday. The Gophers, though at the bottom of the B1G, just pulled off a huge win against one of the best offensive teams in the country, Ohio State.