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Brad Underwood discusses loss to Indiana, preparation for NCAA Tournament
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Illinois’ trip to the B1G Tournament ended in a disappointing fashion, losing to Indiana in the quarterfinals on Friday.
In that game, Kofi Cockburn posted another double-double with a dynamic performance. Unfortunately, the rest of the team struggled to shoot the ball as Indiana outlasted the Illini for the 65-63 win.
Entering Indianapolis as the 1-seed, expectations were high for a strong weekend from Illinois. A deep run through the conference would have ensured the Illini a high seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Illinois will wait to find out where they are seeded. After the loss, head coach Brad Underwood admitted the team came to Indy to win but will rest and move on to “why we really play,” which is the NCAA Tournament.
Underwood also endorsed Indiana after the Hoosiers entered the conference tournament on the bubble. According to Underwood, Indiana should clearly be in the big dance after the win over Illinois.
#illini Brad Underwood: Now, it’s time for rest and why we really play. We’ve earned the right as this conference’s regular-season champion to be a very high seed. It’ll be interesting to see where we’re seeded.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) March 11, 2022
“It was Indiana’s day. This is the best league in the country. If there was any doubt this should solidify them being in [the NCAA tournament] ”
Brad Underwood in his opening statement #iubb
— IndianaHQ (@IndianaHQ) March 11, 2022
#illini Brad Underwood said there can be a positive to getting rest before NCAA Tournament.
“We came here to win it. We didn’t. But it’s not the end of the world. …It will be refreshing to not play another Big Ten game. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of these guys.”
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) March 11, 2022
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.