Illinois coach Brad Underwood joined a long list of living Big Ten legends at Media Day on Oct. 7 and 8 in Rosemont, Illinois, discussing his team's chances at a national championship among other topics. 

Underwood joined the Fighting Illini in March 2017 and has led his program to three Big Ten championships including one regular season title and two tournament titles. 

The Fighting Illini boss has a fan in Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who spoke recently about the success he has brought to Champaign, Ill. while comparing Underwood to himself in a surprising way. 

Izzo spoke about how Underwood changed the Fighting Illini program for the better and didn't hesitate to give his thoughts on how it happened. 

"He had to stay there," Izzo said. "They had a lot of coaches for a while that either left or got fired. He's been there 10 years. He's a tough SOB himself. I get ridiculed for how I am. But I'm a choir boy compared to him. 

"I love Brad. He's done a great job there, he's been good for the league and he cares about the game, that's what I love most about him," Izzo said according to Illini reporter Carson Gourdie. 

Izzo was hired by the Spartans in March 1995. He took over for legendary MSU coach Jud Heathcoate and didn't skip a beat, leading MSU to the 2000 national championship, the Big Ten's last prior to Michigan's national championship in 2025-26. 

Izzo has led Michigan State to eight Final Fours, most recently in 2019, and one national runner-up finish in 2009. 

Now 71 years old, Izzo is hoping to capture his second national championship before hanging up his whistle and retiring. Underwood is 62 years old and has yet to win a national championship, something that can also be said for the Fighting Illini basketball program as a whole. 

Underwood and Izzo's teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big Ten's preseason poll conducted by The Columbus Dispatch, and are coming off of a season in which the Fighting Illini were swept in two regular season games against Izzo's Spartans. 

The two teams meet just once during this coming season's Big Ten schedule, on Feb. 5, 2027 in Champaign, which has Big Ten Game of the Year potential. 

The Spartans are expected to return Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Jeremy Fears, Jr.. The Fighting Illini will counter with a deep roster led by Preseason All-Big Ten players David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic, giving Underwood plenty of firepower to counter Izzo's up-tempo, physical Fears Jr.-led starting lineup.