ROSEMONT, Ill. — Brad Underwood’s first year as head coach at Illinois was a long one to say the least. The Illini dropped multiple winnable games and struggled in conference play. The roster turnover this offseason reflected just how much of a toll that season took on everyone.
“Last year, we had a couple situations where guys didn’t want to be here,” said sophomore guard Trent Frazier on Thursday at Big Ten Media Day. “Some guys just went out there each night, just to play. They didn’t really want to help this team win.”
In year two, Underwood has talked about laying his “foundation” for the program while also establishing an identity and a culture.