CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood took an entirely different approach with Kipper Nichols in the last couple weeks. The Illinois coach went hands off. Almost completely.
Nichols was struggling heading into Saturday’s game with Nebraska. The redshirt junior forward hadn’t scored in five straight games. He only attempted two shots in that span and zero in the three previous games before the rematch with the Cornhuskers.
“I really took the approach to almost coach him like he wasn’t a member of our team,” Underwood said, emphasizing that wasn’t a negative move on his part. “I left him alone.