Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Brad Underwood and Lovie Smith are Director of Athletics Josh Whitman’s ‘sexy’ hires in his short tenure so far at Illinois, but women’s basketball coach Nancy Fahey and volleyball coach Chris Tamas may end up being the better hires.
That is not to say, though, that Underwood is not the best hire for the current state of Illinois basketball. After firing John Groce in March prior to an NIT Tournament run, Whitman brought in Underwood, and Illini nation has been nothing but impressed so far.
With a fairly barebones roster to work with this season, Underwood’s team may struggle, but a weak non-conference schedule should have Illinois starting close to 10-1, and that will build the team’s momentum toward the bulk of conference season after the New Year.