By Sean McDevitt
FightingIllini.com
There's an official Nike t-shirt in the University of Illinois collection that says ILLINOIS BASKETBALL NEVER STOPS. It's never been more true.
In year two of the Brad Underwood era changes are coming. New faces. New attitudes. New outlook. The state of Illinois Basketball is strong, getting better everyday and the reality is there is no off season.
"My wife gets asked this all the time, 'What does your husband do now that the season is over?' It's pretty doggone busy," Coach Underwood said. "It's not just school starts in the Fall, we start practice, play games and then it's over. It's year round. It's a big summer for us. Obviously, a lot of new faces. The veterans are going to have to help those guys."
The new faces include Ayo Dosunmu, Alan Griffin, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Andres Feliz, Tevian Jones, and Samba Kane, who join returning scholarship players Aaron Jordan, Kipper Nichols, Da'Monte Williams, Greg Eboigbodin, Matic Vessel, and Trent Frazier. As of this writing, there is still one open scholarship so the recruiting class of 2018 may not be finished yet. However, the trajectory is going up and it starts now.
"Now it's about togetherness," said Underwood. "It's about playing for each other. It's about establishing identity. Establishing a leader or two or three. I'm excited for the start of June when all these guys get here. There's a camaraderie that needs to happen. In a team sport, you don't win without it."
Underwood and staff worked tirelessly to land a list of recruits that fit the kind of basketball Illinois wants to play. It doesn't take a basketball genius to see what kind of players he wants in the program. "We are very dialed in to winners," said Underwood. "They are all competitive. They all played on successful teams. And they all have personality that fits our identity and what we want to do. We are very much about a system. It's not recruit a bunch of talent and then put it together. It's having guys that fit our system."
Underwood has said early on his goal was never about short-term success, but long-term program building that everyone at the University, the Champaign-Urbana community, and fans can look to with a sense of pride. By creating a culture of winning, he hopes to attract like-minded players.
"You've got to have guys with character and that have a passion and pride in terms of wanting to be successful not just on the court, but off the court as well," Underwood said.
During this time of year the coaching staff only get two hours a week with the players on the court. However, it's not nearly enough for the team. And that's a good thing.
"Aaron Jordan and Da'Monte Williams were in Friday morning at 7 a.m. shooting before their classes," said Underwood. "Those are the things when we talk about culture that nobody talks about because there wasn't a coach here. It was two managers and the two of them. And when you get that kind of work ethic and guys buying in to that… that's what allows you to win. And winning becomes very contagious."
