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OT: Brad Underwood (Okie State) to the Illini

julescat

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2001
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Nice hire but I'm not sure it will satisfy the egos of the Chief Illiniwek Nation...
 
This definitely strikes me as a "Whitman knows what he's doing" hire.

Class guy.

ndy Katz ESPN Senior Writer
i

Just spoke with an Oklahoma State official and was told Brad Underwood flew back with the team after the Michigan game Friday, landing at 8 pm CT. There was no indication he was leaving. School official was stunned and learned about his hiring at Illinois via twitter
 
Never heard of him (but these days I don't have time to really follow college basketball outside the B10). He's been a D1 head coach for four years, three at Stephen F. Austin (where he was great), and one at OK St. (where he was ok). He was a D1 assistant or non-D1 head coach for 25 years (!), which I would like if I were an IL fan. After the Bennett news/rumor this is definitely going in a different direction.
 
Never heard of him (but these days I don't have time to really follow college basketball outside the B10). He's been a D1 head coach for four years, three at Stephen F. Austin (where he was great), and one at OK St. (where he was ok). He was a D1 assistant or non-D1 head coach for 25 years (!), which I would like if I were an IL fan. After the Bennett news/rumor this is definitely going in a different direction.
Wait... he left the OK St job after only one year? How is that classy?
 
He's been a D1 head coach for four years, three at Stephen F. Austin (where he was great), and one at OK St. (where he was ok). He was a D1 assistant or non-D1 head coach for 25 years (!), which I would like if I were an IL fan.
He did better than OK at OkSU. Last season they were second to last in the B12, with record 12–20 (3–15). This season they finished 20-13 (9-9) and made the NCAA's. That was a major improvement, which led to the coach finishing second for CoY honor. They did finish poorly, losing several games in a row (including the tourneys).

See ESPN article.
 
Nothing matters (coaching, etc.) unless he can fu^king recruit. Chicago, specifically? I think that's not.
 
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The Whining Illini just got back to 500 in the B1G. Missed on the big boys so this should get the entitled back in the tourney. Well, at least we still got the football dominance over them. It was fun while it lasted.
 
He did better than OK at OkSU. Last season they were second to last in the B12, with record 12–20 (3–15). This season they finished 20-13 (9-9) and made the NCAA's. That was a major improvement, which led to the coach finishing second for CoY honor. They did finish poorly, losing several games in a row (including the tourneys).

See ESPN article.

Eh, Oklahoma State was ranked #24, #21, and #38 by Kenpom in the three seasons prior to last year and also lost their best player for all but three games. You can't really say that they wouldn't have been just as good if Travis Ford was still the coach.
 
Yeah, he's a pro. Have fun, Mattoon is on fire tonight.....
 
The Whining Illini just got back to 500 in the B1G. Missed on the big boys so this should get the entitled back in the tourney. Well, at least we still got the football dominance over them. It was fun while it lasted.
Yikes...sense a lot of fear here...
 
Will be interesting to see what the "gotta have a guy who can recruit Chicago" talking heads have to say about this hire? I'm far from a believer in that philosophy, but Bardo and Gill both said it on radio this week. As far as I know Underwood has no Chicago ties.
 
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You can't really say that they wouldn't have been just as good if Travis Ford was still the coach.
Tell that to those who voted him CoY (2nd place). Coaches aren't evaluated with that kind of hypothetical. The previous coach achieved what he did in his last season, and Underwood improved on that as cited.
Should he had been hired by Illinois, because of that? That's another question. It obviously depends on who else was realistically available to them.
 
Tell that to those who voted him CoY (2nd place). Coaches aren't evaluated with that kind of hypothetical. The previous coach achieved what he did in his last season, and Underwood improved on that as cited.
Should he had been hired by Illinois, because of that? That's another question. It obviously depends on who else was realistically available to them.
SFA lost 4 of 5 starters when Underwood took over. They were 18-15 this year
 
Very easy admissions for athletes, excellent recruiting base (should be) and damn good tradition. Illinois is a basketball state.
Using that logic DePaul should be too. I really don't think kids give a rats about tradition when it is all from before their lifetime
 
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