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Basketball
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Jon Rothstein sits down with Illinois head coach Brad Underwood for a wide-ranging conversation following the Fighting Illini’s run to the Final Four and a look ahead at what’s next for the program. Underwood reflects on whether reaching the Final Four has changed anything for him, the impact of Illinois’ early exit from the Big Ten Tournament and the biggest moments of its NCAA Tournament run, including the Sweet 16 win over Houston and the matchup with Iowa. He also reveals when he first realized his team was capable of making a Final Four run and what he learned from the experience. The conversation then turns to the upcoming season, as Underwood breaks down Illinois’ roster, the players poised to make the biggest jump, the program’s newcomers and how the Illini plan to move forward after Keaton Wagler. Plus, he discusses the schedule, the challenges of coaching in today’s college basketball landscape and what it will take for Illinois to make another deep March run.
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"Brad Underwood can't stop thinking about getting Illinois back to the Final Four" is an episode of Inside College Basketball Now. Runtime 25 min. Published August 27, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.