Tyler Underwood's Offensive Masterclass: Illinois' NCAA Run

0:00On March 20, Illinois men's basketball is making its sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance. They started strong Thursday night with the convincing 105-70 win over Penn in Greenville, South Carolina. Leading the charge in offense is assisting coach Tyler Underwood, the 29-year-old son of hate coach Brad Underwood, and a former Illini guard, himself. Former teammates like Trent Frazier in Russia and Kofi Cockburn in Japan send Tyler texts before and after every game. Those players helped lay the foundation for this run, getting the team back to the tournament after a long drought, despite missing the 2020 event due. To the pandemic, as a player, Tyler brought energy from the bench, but now as offensive coordinator, he shapes the entire attack. His systems rank fourth nationally last season, and sit near the top this year, adjusting for stars like All-American Guard, Keaton Wagler, and Freshman Dave and Mercovic. Tyler pulls ideas from NBA assistants, high school coaches, and his analytics partner Patrick Biddle.

1:05Players love the freedom to hut matchups and make decisions, which help them adapt when injuries hit mid-season. That trust and tweaking keep Illinois humming, building on the past to chase another deep tournament run.