on December 15, 2025, 16:16:32, in reply to "This team could very well be a top 10 KenPom team a few weeks from now"
And Brad always streamlines what's not working this time of year.
Maybe we won't be an elite defense with this roster, but I'm optimistic we'll get the course corrected by the time B1G play restarts. And if we don't, there's nobody to blame but Brad.
And we'll still be fine and make the Tourney and have a shot at the second weekend. But if they don't figure it out it obviously caps our ceiling. 
Previous Message
So I struggle with this current situation being an indication that something drastic needs to change. Because I really had no problems with how we defended against Texas Tech, Alabama, or Tennessee. Or Ohio State for that matter, Thornton made nothing but tough shots and then we shut him down.
It feels like we’re in ‘prisoner of the moment’ mode here because of losing one game to a legit top 25 team who had a guy go nuclear while we defended poorly. Not dismissing that the defense has been a problem for years and I’d like to see it get corrected, but I’m not ready to say we need a full roster construction reset. If Sandfort just plays a normal great game rather than an otherworldly one, we’re sitting here with 4 Q1 wins in mid-December and a top 12 ranking.
I also think that ship has sailed on changing course too dramatically, we are in too deep with prioritizing Euros at this point and I think we’ll need to continue going to that well. Really don’t have as many reliable stateside connections anymore. Previous Message
Both of which fall on him.
We’ve tried for a few years doing it this way. We’ve had some really good offenses, yet we never felt like a true contender. We were always a half step to a full step below, even if we tried to talk ourselves into being better than that during good stretches.
It’s time to try a new way. Brad has always been good at pivoting. This is a necessary pivot. Previous Message
And given that Underwood has had exactly 1 top 25 defense in 10 years at the high major level (20-21), and 7 of his 10 teams have been outside the top 30, pretty sure it's a Brad problem. Previous Message
Make Illinois play defense again. Previous Message
NEWS: Croatian forward Toni Bilić has committed to Illinois, his agent Misko Ražnatović told DraftExpress. The 6'9", 20-year-old will arrive at semester break and be eligible to play immediately. pic.twitter.com/jJBtE0GV8z — Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 15, 2025 .
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- osklister December 17, 2025, 9:04:21