Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I want to start by saying I am pretty damn concerned after that UConn game, but I won't rehash that all here. What I want to address is the idea that was thrown around A LOT both in the game and postgame threads - that Underwood "can't beat good teams" or that we don't show up in big games. You can measure this a lot of different ways, but I wanted to show our results vs. NCAA Tournament-caliber teams the last five years. The number next to each team's name is their eventual seed in the NCAA Tournament that year.
2021 | Illini #1 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 69-82 vs. #1 Baylor (Indianapolis, IN)
W 76-53 at #1 Michigan
W 82-71 vs. #2 Iowa (BTT Semifinals in Indianapolis, IN)
W 80-75 vs. #2 Iowa
W 73-68 at #2 Ohio State
W 91-88 in OT vs. #2 Ohio State (BTT Championship in Indianapolis, IN)
L 81-87 vs. #2 Ohio State
W 66-58 vs. #4 Purdue
L 78-81 at #9 Missouri
W 75-60 vs. #9 Wisconsin
W 74-69 at #9 Wisconsin
L 88-91 at #10 Rutgers
W 90-68 vs. #10 Rutgers (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
L 63-66 vs. #10 Maryland
L 72-81 at #11 Michigan State
W 77-75 vs. #13 Ohio
NCAA Tournament
W 78-49 vs. #16 Drexel (NCAAT First Round in Indianapolis, IN)
L 58-71 vs. #8 Loyola Chicago (NCAAT Second Round in Indianapolis, IN)
2022 | Illini #4 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 79-83 vs. #1 Arizona
L 88-96 in 2OT vs. #3 Purdue
L 68-84 at #3 Purdue
W 80-67 vs. #3 Wisconsin
W 87-83 at #5 Iowa
W 74-72 vs. #5 Iowa
W 79-74 at #7 Michigan State
W 56-55 vs. #7 Michigan State
L 83-86 vs. #7 Ohio State
L 66-67 at #9 Marquette
W 68-53 vs. #11 Michigan
W 82-72 vs. #11 Notre Dame
W 86-51 vs. #11 Rutgers
L 59-70 at #11 Rutgers
W 74-57 at #12 Indiana
L 63-65 vs. #12 Indiana (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
NCAA Tournament
W 54-53 vs. #13 Chattanooga (NCAAT First Round in Pittsburgh, PA)
L 53-68 vs. #5 Houston (NCAAT Second Round in Pittsburgh, PA)
2023 | Illini #9 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 71-76 at #1 Purdue
W 85-78 in OT vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY)
W 79-70 vs. #2 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
L 61-70 vs. #4 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
L 68-71 at #4 Indiana
L 65-80 vs. #4 Indiana
W 75-66 vs. #7 Michigan State
L 71-93 vs. #7 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
L 60-73 at #7 Northwestern
W 66-62 vs. #7 Northwestern
L 79-81 at #8 Iowa
L 66-71 at #8 Maryland
L 81-93 at #10 Penn State
L 63-73 vs. #10 Penn State (BTT Second Round in Chicago, IL)
L 59-74 vs. #10 Penn State
NCAA Tournament
L 63-73 vs. #8 Arkansas (NCAAT First Round in Des Moines, IA)
2024 | Illini #3 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 78-83 at #1 Purdue
L 71-77 vs. #1 Purdue
L 64-71 vs. #2 Marquette
L 79-86 at #2 Tennessee
W 91-83 at #5 Wisconsin
W 93-87 vs. #5 Wisconsin (BTT Championship in Minneapolis, MN)
W 98-89 vs. #8 FAU (New York, NY)
W 98-87 vs. #8 Nebraska (BTT Semifinals in Minneapolis, MN)
W 87-84 in OT vs. #8 Nebraska
L 80-88 at #9 Michigan State
W 71-68 vs. #9 Michigan State
L 91-96 in OT at #9 Northwestern
W 96-66 vs. #9 Northwestern
W 64-53 vs. #14 Oakland
W 74-57 vs. #14 Colgate
NCAA Tournament
L 52-77 vs. #1 UConn (NCAAT Elite Eight in Boston, MA)
W 72-69 vs. #2 Iowa State (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen in Boston, MA)
W 89-63 vs. #11 Duquesne (NCAAT Second Round in Omaha, NE)
W 85-69 vs. #14 Morehead State (NCAAT First Round in Omaha, NE)
2025 | Illini #6 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 67-110 vs. #1 Duke (New York, NY)
L 87-100 vs. #2 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
L 64-66 vs. #2 Tennessee
L 78-80 at #2 Michigan State
L 65-79 vs. #2 Michigan State
L 74-95 at #3 Wisconsin
W 86-80 vs. #3 Wisconsin
L 65-88 vs. #4 Maryland (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
L 71-90 vs. #4 Maryland
W 88-80 vs. #4 Purdue
W 93-73 at #5 Michigan
W 109-77 at #5 Oregon
W 80-77 vs. #6 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W 83-78 vs. #7 UCLA
W 90-77 vs. #10 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W 90-58 vs. #15 SIU Edwardsville
NCAA Tournament
L 75-84 vs. #3 Kentucky (NCAAT Second Round in Milwaukee, WI)
W 86-73 vs. #11 Xavier (NCAAT First Round in Milwaukee, WI)
So, a couple things.
1) It's obviously hyperbole to say we haven't showed up and defeated good teams during Underwood's tenure. We have TWELVE wins over top 4 seed teams (i.e., those theoretically "Sweet Sixteen caliber") over this period. So, let's not get carried away with painting a negative picture.
2) With that said, there has been a noticeable trend over the past two years (last year and this year so far) where we can put together a good game to beat teams in that 5-9 seed range, but we routinely cannot beat the types of teams who are putting themselves in positions for deep Tournament runs. And that sucks.
2021 | Illini #1 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 69-82 vs. #1 Baylor (Indianapolis, IN)
W 76-53 at #1 Michigan
W 82-71 vs. #2 Iowa (BTT Semifinals in Indianapolis, IN)
W 80-75 vs. #2 Iowa
W 73-68 at #2 Ohio State
W 91-88 in OT vs. #2 Ohio State (BTT Championship in Indianapolis, IN)
L 81-87 vs. #2 Ohio State
W 66-58 vs. #4 Purdue
L 78-81 at #9 Missouri
W 75-60 vs. #9 Wisconsin
W 74-69 at #9 Wisconsin
L 88-91 at #10 Rutgers
W 90-68 vs. #10 Rutgers (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
L 63-66 vs. #10 Maryland
L 72-81 at #11 Michigan State
W 77-75 vs. #13 Ohio
NCAA Tournament
W 78-49 vs. #16 Drexel (NCAAT First Round in Indianapolis, IN)
L 58-71 vs. #8 Loyola Chicago (NCAAT Second Round in Indianapolis, IN)
2022 | Illini #4 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 79-83 vs. #1 Arizona
L 88-96 in 2OT vs. #3 Purdue
L 68-84 at #3 Purdue
W 80-67 vs. #3 Wisconsin
W 87-83 at #5 Iowa
W 74-72 vs. #5 Iowa
W 79-74 at #7 Michigan State
W 56-55 vs. #7 Michigan State
L 83-86 vs. #7 Ohio State
L 66-67 at #9 Marquette
W 68-53 vs. #11 Michigan
W 82-72 vs. #11 Notre Dame
W 86-51 vs. #11 Rutgers
L 59-70 at #11 Rutgers
W 74-57 at #12 Indiana
L 63-65 vs. #12 Indiana (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
NCAA Tournament
W 54-53 vs. #13 Chattanooga (NCAAT First Round in Pittsburgh, PA)
L 53-68 vs. #5 Houston (NCAAT Second Round in Pittsburgh, PA)
2023 | Illini #9 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 71-76 at #1 Purdue
W 85-78 in OT vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY)
W 79-70 vs. #2 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
L 61-70 vs. #4 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
L 68-71 at #4 Indiana
L 65-80 vs. #4 Indiana
W 75-66 vs. #7 Michigan State
L 71-93 vs. #7 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
L 60-73 at #7 Northwestern
W 66-62 vs. #7 Northwestern
L 79-81 at #8 Iowa
L 66-71 at #8 Maryland
L 81-93 at #10 Penn State
L 63-73 vs. #10 Penn State (BTT Second Round in Chicago, IL)
L 59-74 vs. #10 Penn State
NCAA Tournament
L 63-73 vs. #8 Arkansas (NCAAT First Round in Des Moines, IA)
2024 | Illini #3 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 78-83 at #1 Purdue
L 71-77 vs. #1 Purdue
L 64-71 vs. #2 Marquette
L 79-86 at #2 Tennessee
W 91-83 at #5 Wisconsin
W 93-87 vs. #5 Wisconsin (BTT Championship in Minneapolis, MN)
W 98-89 vs. #8 FAU (New York, NY)
W 98-87 vs. #8 Nebraska (BTT Semifinals in Minneapolis, MN)
W 87-84 in OT vs. #8 Nebraska
L 80-88 at #9 Michigan State
W 71-68 vs. #9 Michigan State
L 91-96 in OT at #9 Northwestern
W 96-66 vs. #9 Northwestern
W 64-53 vs. #14 Oakland
W 74-57 vs. #14 Colgate
NCAA Tournament
L 52-77 vs. #1 UConn (NCAAT Elite Eight in Boston, MA)
W 72-69 vs. #2 Iowa State (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen in Boston, MA)
W 89-63 vs. #11 Duquesne (NCAAT Second Round in Omaha, NE)
W 85-69 vs. #14 Morehead State (NCAAT First Round in Omaha, NE)
2025 | Illini #6 Seed
Regular Season / Big Ten Tournament
L 67-110 vs. #1 Duke (New York, NY)
L 87-100 vs. #2 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
L 64-66 vs. #2 Tennessee
L 78-80 at #2 Michigan State
L 65-79 vs. #2 Michigan State
L 74-95 at #3 Wisconsin
W 86-80 vs. #3 Wisconsin
L 65-88 vs. #4 Maryland (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
L 71-90 vs. #4 Maryland
W 88-80 vs. #4 Purdue
W 93-73 at #5 Michigan
W 109-77 at #5 Oregon
W 80-77 vs. #6 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W 83-78 vs. #7 UCLA
W 90-77 vs. #10 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W 90-58 vs. #15 SIU Edwardsville
NCAA Tournament
L 75-84 vs. #3 Kentucky (NCAAT Second Round in Milwaukee, WI)
W 86-73 vs. #11 Xavier (NCAAT First Round in Milwaukee, WI)
So, a couple things.
1) It's obviously hyperbole to say we haven't showed up and defeated good teams during Underwood's tenure. We have TWELVE wins over top 4 seed teams (i.e., those theoretically "Sweet Sixteen caliber") over this period. So, let's not get carried away with painting a negative picture.
2) With that said, there has been a noticeable trend over the past two years (last year and this year so far) where we can put together a good game to beat teams in that 5-9 seed range, but we routinely cannot beat the types of teams who are putting themselves in positions for deep Tournament runs. And that sucks.
This team has generally been much better than last year in this regard, but the UConn game rightfully gave many of us PTSD … I really do believe the Tennessee game will tell us so much about this team’s DNA.