Illinois' Brad Underwood Sends Support to Big Ten Coach After Cancer Diagnosis

On the basketball court, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell have shared several hard-fought matchups throughout the years. But Pikiell is now fighting his own battle, and Underwood is standing beside his fellow Big Ten coach.

Pikiell announced on Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with cancer and that he will undergo treatment for the disease. The 58-year-old shared that he visited a team of doctors several months ago after "not feeling 100 percent," and subsequently underwent tests that determined his diagnosis. Pikiell will attempt to be involved with coaching the Scarlet Knights "to the best of [his] ability" this season, but will focus on his health.

Underwood, who was hired by Illinois one year after Rutgers brought in Pikiell, shared a message of support on social media to the Scarlet Knights' coach.

"Coach, Susan and I are praying for you and your family," Underwood wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "You’ve always been a tough competitor and I know that strength will carry you through this. Thinking of you."

In his press release, Pikiell noted that he plans to attack cancer by fighting and embracing the challenge head-on, a mantra that the veteran coach uses with his team.

Since Underwood arrived in Champaign in 2017, he and Pikiell's Knights have faced off 14 times. Illinois is 10-4 head-to-head against Rutgers and won the most recent matchup last season. On Thursday, Jan. 8, the Fighting Illini dismantled Rutgers, 81-55. Keaton Wagler led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Tomislav Ivisic (14 points), Andrej Stojakovic (12) and Jake Davis (12) each finished in double figures as well.

Underwood and Pikiell have shared moments of mutual respect throughout their nine years of coaching against each other in the Big Ten. Pikiell coached his team against Illinois in 2019, despite his mother passing away earlier that day. Underwood took the time to share his condolences with Pikiell following the game.

Pikiell is 161-160 in a decade as Rutgers' head coach. He led the Scarlet Knights to winning seasons in four consecutive years from 2019 to 2023, including a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. Rutgers reached the Round of 32 in 2020-21 and tied for fourth place in the Big Ten in 2021-22. Pikiell is also responsible for producing two top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (No. 2 overall) and Utah Jazz wing Ace Bailey (No. 5 overall).

Rutgers struggled last season, going 14-20 overall and 6-14 in conference play. The league record placed the Scarlet Knights 14th in the Big Ten.