Illinois basketball's head coach is leaning into one of his team's biggest strengths.
The 2026-27 men's college basketball season isn't too far off but March Madness is still fresh in the minds of millions of Illinois Fighting Illini fans.
The Fighting Illini danced all the way into the 2026 Final Four before losing to eventual national runner-up Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies.
The Fighting Illini's 71-62 loss to a much smaller Connecticut Huskies team gave Illinois head coach Brad Underwood a lot to think about this offseason, and it showed recently as Underwood revealed a surprising plan for his upcoming team.
Underwood is planning to shift the way his team plays headed into next season and it could lead to a deeper playing rotation and higher scoring games throughout this fall and winter in Champaign.
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA;IllinoisFighting Illini head coachBradUnderwoodreacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the second half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images 'Positionless Basketball' on the Horizon
Underwood was asked about the Fighting Illini's facilitators going into this fall and responded matter-of-factly.
"There's a lot of them," Underwood said.
"Mirk (David Mirkovic), Ethan (Brown), Lincoln (Williams), Andre (Stojakovic)," Underwood continued.
"You know I like to use the term 'positionless basketball,'" Underwood added about his team.
"We're going to be that for sure."
The Fighting Illini coach's label is a bit surprising consider the wealth of post talent the Fighting Illini are expected to possess this coming season, but harkens back to the high octane style that has been his calling card since his days at Oklahoma State and Stephen F. Austin.
A Faster Team: Underwood's Goal
Underwood, perhaps motivated by watching the crisp passing, team first attitude and unrelenting offensive attack of the Huskies, pledged that the Illini would work toward becoming a faster team this offseason.
"I think we want to play faster than we did last year," the Illini head coach said.
"We've spent a lot of time on that as well. So we'll see what it looks like but all those guys, Quentin (Coleman), (Stefan) Vaaks, they are very, very good players and I'm sure they're gonna have great opportunities to be action guys for us," Underwood added.
Passing a New Area of Focus?
Looking back at the Illini's Final Four loss to the Huskies, one area stands out like a sore thumb: passing.
The Illini had an abysmally low three assists during their loss compared to 14 assists for coach Hurley's Huskies.
Illinois turned the ball over eight times compared to four for the Huskies, losing out in a key category.
Underwood and the Fighting Illini watched as the fellow Big Ten school and rival Michigan Wolverines cut down the nets with a national title clinching win over the Huskies this past spring.
The Wolverines showed through 7-foot-3 NBA first round draft pick Aday Mara, fellow first round pick Yaxel Lendeborg, point guard Elliot Cadeau and others that size, a fast pace, and deft passing can go hand-in-hand.
Putting a similar plan into motion, with an Illinois stamp on it, could be part of Underwood's plan going forward as he seeks to reach the same mountaintop that the Huskies and Wolverines both have in recent years.
