Brad Underwood contract extension through 2026-27

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#79      
Brad Underwood’s first 4 years at Illinois:
14-18
12-21
21-10
24-7
Mike Krzyzewski’s first 4 years at Duke
17-13
10-17
11-17
24-10
Listen, I am NOT saying BU is Coach K, nor will he ever be. I am only saying it takes time and the needle is pointing in the right direction from all angles. Is he worth the money? I don’t know but I like the move because it creates stability within the program which promotes continued progression.
Remember when we locked up Weber? How’d that stability work? I get your point, however.

What happens if Kofi didn’t return? Are we giddy about an Underwood extension? IF Kofi didn’t return, this team is far from being top 25. BU isn’t exactly putting together top recruiting classes to replace the top talent leaving.

Again, I like the extension, but I don’t love it.
 
#80      
Remember when we locked up Weber? How’d that stability work? I get your point, however.

What happens if Kofi didn’t return? Are we giddy about an Underwood extension? IF Kofi didn’t return, this team is far from being top 25. BU isn’t exactly putting together top recruiting classes to replace the top talent leaving.

Again, I like the extension, but I don’t love it.
I pretty much agree. I like it, but don't love it. I'm a bit concerned about his recruiting. I'm waiting for him to get a couple top 20 guys. Schools around us (IU, OSU, Mich, Mich State) seem to be bringing in really high-rated guys. Hell, Memphis, who definitely isn't a blood blood, is cleaning up on the trail. OTOH, Underwood seems to have a great eye for talent, so maybe getting guys in the 30-100 range will do it.
 
#81      
I pretty much agree. I like it, but don't love it. I'm a bit concerned about his recruiting. I'm waiting for him to get a couple top 20 guys. Schools around us (IU, OSU, Mich, Mich State) seem to be bringing in really high-rated guys. Hell, Memphis, who definitely isn't a blood blood, is cleaning up on the trail. OTOH, Underwood seems to have a great eye for talent, so maybe getting guys in the 30-100 range will do it.

This style of recruiting got us to where we are now. So I’m okay with his recruiting as is. If he starts pulling top 20 dudes as well, look out.

I just don’t want us getting out coaches anymore but that is bound to happen here and there.
 
#82      
Re: if Kofi didn’t return, of course we wouldn’t be nearly as good, but chances are we would have plucked at least one more big from the portal and with Belo, 2 solidish bigs and a bunch of shooters, I think we would have been too 25. Belo is on some preseason 3rd team AA lists.

For recruiting, agree it’s been really good, not great since we’ve been “back.” But the 20 and we’re both top 25 and 2022 is shaping up to be same. Lots of top 100ish talent with a top 50ish sprinkled in. Was hoping we would see more of a bump this year given our success last year but still pretty solid.

And I think we are maybe one small step below where we want to be recruiting wise. I think a great target is Nova level recruiting. Consistently in the top 25 and pulling in alot of 50-100 guys who will most likely stay 3-4 years, with some top ten classes and 5 star talent mixed in.

Not surprising they are a cut above us right now with 2 recent NCs and alot of guys in the league. If we can make a tourney run this year and land one more top 50ish kid for 22 (preferably a 4 or 5), I do think we can sustain this and get to Nova’s level of success both on the court and recruiting. Feels like we are so close, but have been here before too!
 
#83      
I pretty much agree. I like it, but don't love it. I'm a bit concerned about his recruiting. I'm waiting for him to get a couple top 20 guys. Schools around us (IU, OSU, Mich, Mich State) seem to be bringing in really high-rated guys. Hell, Memphis, who definitely isn't a blood blood, is cleaning up on the trail. OTOH, Underwood seems to have a great eye for talent, so maybe getting guys in the 30-100 range will do it.
I get that there have been some disappointments in recruiting, but I think he's overall done a great job there. While I'd love top-20 guys, we've had quite a bit of success with top-50-but-not-top-20 type guys (who've gone ahead and showed themselves to be All-American level players).

Memphis is cleaning up - but that's all Penny. He's a great recruiter. But given the choice, would you rather have Penny or BU running the helm here? I'd take BU, all day, every day. IU, OSU, and MSU have been pulling in top recruits for a long time, and it's going to take some sustained success to get to that level. We haven't had that yet. We've been good for two seasons after a sustained bad period. And as for Michigan, they got the real deal unfortunately. Howard is a phenomenal recruiter and seems to be a pretty good coach as well. Luckily for us, we have a coach who's had his number thus far.
 
#84      
I pretty much agree. I like it, but don't love it. I'm a bit concerned about his recruiting. I'm waiting for him to get a couple top 20 guys. Schools around us (IU, OSU, Mich, Mich State) seem to be bringing in really high-rated guys. Hell, Memphis, who definitely isn't a blood blood, is cleaning up on the trail. OTOH, Underwood seems to have a great eye for talent, so maybe getting guys in the 30-100 range will do it.
You may be waiting a while. Underwood seems to focus on kids who will be here 2-3 years vs. one and done. Freshmen make a lot of mistakes. Team chemistry takes a while to form. Players are a lot better their second, or third year. Would you rather have the #15 freshman, or the #35 sophomore on average? This view would seem to aim at recruits in the 30-60 range. A player ranked 80-100, whom they think is undervalued fits just fine. Glue pieces, are often not ranked highly.
 
#85      
You may be waiting a while. Underwood seems to focus on kids who will be here 2-3 years vs. one and done. Freshmen make a lot of mistakes. Team chemistry takes a while to form. Players are a lot better their second, or third year. Would you rather have the #15 freshman, or the #35 sophomore on average? This view would seem to aim at recruits in the 30-60 range. A player ranked 80-100, whom they think is undervalued fits just fine. Glue pieces, are often not ranked highly.
Your comment reads as though BU intentionally avoids top-20 and one-and-done recruits but I don't think that's the case. We've offered and recruited plenty of those guys, just haven't landed any.
 
#86      
Your comment reads as though BU intentionally avoids top-20 and one-and-done recruits but I don't think that's the case. We've offered and recruited plenty of those guys, just haven't landed any.
You have to be able to play 2-3 years in college at minimum to be elite
 
#87      

lstewart53x3

Scottsdale, Arizona
The 3 years before Brad Underwood? We averaged #84 in KenPom. With Underwood, we’ve gone: 102, 84, 30, 5. With our current preseason ranking for next year in T-rank at #5. With two top 100 players committed in our next class.

This off season, he lost all 3 assistants, yet replaced each of the 3 with young talent and didn’t skip a beat in terms of recruiting.

He might not be reeling in top 20 recruits (yet), but we’re poised to finish in the top 10 in back to back years for the first time since ‘05, ‘06.

He’s worth it.
 

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#88      
Your comment reads as though BU intentionally avoids top-20 and one-and-done recruits but I don't think that's the case. We've offered and recruited plenty of those guys, just haven't landed any.
I'm not saying BU would turn down a top 20 who really wanted to come here. If someone really wants to be here, they are much more likely to stay if they aren't really ready for the 1-and-done.

The recruiting efforts seem to be aimed at the next tier. What top 20 recruits have we heard that the staff was recruiting hard. My quick scan of the 247 top 20 lists saw TyTy for 2021. I did not recognize any of the others as a serious, hard press. I may have missed some.


This isn't a knock on Underwood by any means. I think there may be more success along this route, and as a fan, I'd much rather watch players I know for a few years than a KY style churn.
 
#89      
I'm not saying BU would turn down a top 20 who really wanted to come here. If someone really wants to be here, they are much more likely to stay if they aren't really ready for the 1-and-done.

The recruiting efforts seem to be aimed at the next tier. What top 20 recruits have we heard that the staff was recruiting hard. My quick scan of the 247 top 20 lists saw TyTy for 2021. I did not recognize any of the others as a serious, hard press. I may have missed some.


This isn't a knock on Underwood by any means. I think there may be more success along this route, and as a fan, I'd much rather watch players I know for a few years than a KY style churn.

I seem to recall an examination of Roy Williams recruiting at UNC and how he changed his approach from top tier one and done guys (who they can consistently grab there, no matter how much you hate them understand that objectively), to the next tier of really talented guys they could get 2-4 years from. That’s what led them back to this mid 2010s national championship type teams.
 
#90      
I'm not saying BU would turn down a top 20 who really wanted to come here. If someone really wants to be here, they are much more likely to stay if they aren't really ready for the 1-and-done.

The recruiting efforts seem to be aimed at the next tier. What top 20 recruits have we heard that the staff was recruiting hard. My quick scan of the 247 top 20 lists saw TyTy for 2021. I did not recognize any of the others as a serious, hard press. I may have missed some.


This isn't a knock on Underwood by any means. I think there may be more success along this route, and as a fan, I'd much rather watch players I know for a few years than a KY style churn.
We don't waste time with recruits that have no interest in us. When a top ten recruit expresses interest you can bet we'll work it hard.

I don't want the Kentucky model but the Duke model is nice.
 
#91      
The 3 years before Brad Underwood? We averaged #84 in KenPom. With Underwood, we’ve gone: 102, 84, 30, 5. With our current preseason ranking for next year in T-rank at #5. With two top 100 players committed in our next class.

This off season, he lost all 3 assistants, yet replaced each of the 3 with young talent and didn’t skip a beat in terms of recruiting.

He might not be reeling in top 20 recruits (yet), but we’re poised to finish in the top 10 in back to back years for the first time since ‘05, ‘06.

He’s worth it.
That's pretty impressive. I've been a huge fan since the late 70s. I had almost given up 4-5 years ago.
 
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