During the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood emphasized the need for his team to play with more toughness. While speaking in an in-game interview during the first half against Kentucky, Underwood expressed frustration over turnovers.
CBS broadcaster Lauren Shehadi asked Underwood about Kentucky capitalizing on turnovers, scoring 14 points off Illinois’ mistakes. In response, Underwood stressed that the team had to be more careful with the ball, pointing out that many of the turnovers were unforced errors. He noted that Kentucky had been stripping the ball away too easily and insisted his team needed to be stronger with possession. At the time of the interview, Illinois trailed 25-15, with eight minutes remaining in the half.
At that stage, Illinois had already committed eight turnovers, leading to Kentucky securing eight steals. In contrast, Kentucky had turned the ball over only twice, while Illinois had managed just one steal.
Analysts Break Down Illinois’ Turnover Struggles
At halftime, CBS analysts Charles Barkley and Clark Kellogg examined Illinois’ difficulties in maintaining possession. Barkley pointed out that both teams were evenly matched, but Illinois’ early-game turnovers had put them at a disadvantage. He noted that, despite the rough start, Illinois had outperformed Kentucky in the latter part of the first half but needed to protect the ball better to stand a chance.
Kellogg added that Kentucky wasn’t an overly aggressive defensive team, which meant Illinois’ mistakes were largely self-inflicted. He criticized Illinois for making reckless plays in the opening 10–11 minutes, comparing them to fundamental errors seen at the high school level. However, he acknowledged that once Illinois cleaned up their mistakes in the final nine minutes of the half, they managed to close the gap on the scoreboard.
At the break, Kentucky held a 37-32 lead. The Wildcats ultimately secured an 84-75 victory over Illinois, bringing an end to the Illini’s season.
Illinois’ Season Comes to a Close
As the No. 6 seed, Illinois concluded the year with a 22-13 record, while No. 3-seeded Kentucky improved to 24-11 and advanced to the next round. Kentucky is set to face Tennessee in the Sweet 16 on March 28 in Indianapolis.
Underwood, now in his eighth season leading the Illini, has guided the program to its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season, Illinois reached the Elite Eight before falling to eventual champion UConn.
Historically, Illinois first made the NCAA Tournament in the 1941-42 season and has reached the Final Four five times. Their most recent Final Four run came in 2005 when they lost to North Carolina in the national championship game.
The 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four is set to begin on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, with the championship game scheduled for April 7.
