Brad Underwood Makes Strange Comment Regarding Illinois’ 3-Point Percentage in Historic Duke MBB Loss at MSG
The Illinois Fighting Illini suffered a historic defeat at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden, falling 110-67 in what became the program’s worst loss in history. One of the biggest storylines from the game was Illinois’ abysmal 3-point shooting performance, as they went 2-of-26 from beyond the arc.
Following the game, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood made a peculiar comment about his team’s shooting struggles, expressing both frustration and disbelief.
“I don’t want to make a huge deal out of it, but it’s starting to become a point of irritation for me because we do it in practice,” Underwood said. “Man the hell up, jump up and shoot the thing in like you know what you’re doing and what you were recruited to do.”
Illinois, known for its reliance on perimeter shooting, could not find its rhythm against Duke’s suffocating defense. The Illini missed their first 17 attempts from deep, effectively sealing their fate early in the contest.
Underwood, while critical of his team’s execution, also seemed bewildered by the discrepancy between practice performance and in-game results.
“I’m shocked. I don’t know. Maybe we’re not tough enough to shoot ’em and make ’em. We’re tough enough to shoot ’em. I just don’t know if we’re tough enough to make ’em. We light it up in practice.”
The Illini’s shooting woes added to a disastrous night where Duke’s freshman phenom Cooper Flagg put on a show, leading the Blue Devils with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. The lopsided defeat has raised concerns for Illinois moving forward, as they must address their offensive inconsistencies if they hope to contend in March.
Despite the crushing loss, Underwood remained optimistic about his team’s ability to recover. However, his comments left some questioning whether Illinois’ shooting struggles are more mental than mechanical.
With the season progressing, all eyes will be on Illinois to see if they can bounce back from this embarrassing performance and regain their shooting confidence before tournament play begins.
