Illinois maintains an even keel despite a 19-0 Purdue run.
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“It’s more not just the physical plays, it’s more the emotional state with which they keep our huddles and our team,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said of the value of the two seniors helping snap a lengthy run. “What most people don’t understand is you can get pretty dejected when a team is on a run like that.
“You can let that swell and you can never bounce back from that. In the timeout huddles, it was, ‘Hey, we’re fine. Just settle in. Let’s do what we did in the first half defensively.’ Everything is positive. That allows them to stay in the moment so then they can make those shots and make those plays. It’s the value of experience and tremendous leadership.”
“I’m slowly learning to trust them,” Underwood said. “Three weeks ago? Probably not as much. I probably would have had some high blood pressure. That’s more on the defensive end than anything. Our growth on the defensive side for those young guys has been fabulous. It’s a matter of time before they really dial in offensively and start making shots. We saw a little touch of that (Saturday), and I hope that continues.”
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We have a great team and coaching staff..................PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!