Dissecting Illinois' Final Four run, Campus craziness, and predictions

In this episode of the pod, Said is joined by Cooper O'Kelly to discuss how the Illini have gotten to this point in their March Madness run. They discuss the Underwood achievement and Whitman's impact.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Welcome into the Eli Auto Podcast. My name is Saeed Babbo. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of The Pod. As always, I really, really appreciate it. And Cooper O'Kelly is joining me once again. We are talking about the final four bound Eli uh that are heading to Indianapolis. What a tournament run it's been for this alinee team. The last time I think you and me talked, Cooper, we this we were this was it must have it must have been a while ago. I don't I don't really remember because we've been we've been talking on your radio show and then on this platform as well. I had Elliott on after the Big Ten tournament, and then I I did a little recap of of the pen game, the first game that they they won inside of the tournament. How have you been, man?

SPEAKER_01 1:01

I've been good. I've been really enjoying this run. Obviously, it's been ridiculous. I haven't been covering the first what four games? Yeah, four games. Yeah, four games. I didn't cover any of the first four games, just enjoying it as a fan. Um, has been really special, and I'm just can't wait till this weekend, dude. It's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

I I do on that note, I do have a question. Are are you like uh were you always an alliance fan growing up, or is that kind of just been a college thing?

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, I um I really wasn't a fan of college sports whatsoever up until like probably three years ago when I was a freshman, just because uh my dad went to Bradley, my mom went to Illinois State, so like didn't really have a crazy hard-rooting interest for either of those teams. Was always super into like the Chicago pro teams, but yeah, I mean, only three years deep of being an Illinois fan, I've gotten pretty lucky, I think.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

You and me both, man. Like, I I was always a Chicago pro sports fan. Like my dad came here to this country and he he immediately fell in love with the Chicago White Sox back when they were good. And to have this in college, to kind of bring you into that college experience, to truly kind of experience what it is your freshman year, my sophomore year. We had that Elite Eight run, and and the the campus was crazed about it, rightfully so. And to witness this, what it was Green Street, the alma mater, you are our TCR brother who made your way to CamS multiple times to witness what what take me into that what that was because I I was not there. Um, I was enjoying these games at my place, but what was that like at that at those places?

SPEAKER_01 2:49

It it was unbelievable. I was there, I was there for the Houston game, and I was there for the Iowa game. The Houston game was honestly one of the crazier like bar experiences I've ever had, just because it was genuinely like shoulder to shoulder, like the Iowa game was as well, but like I guess everyone was more used to it almost because it had already happened a few days prior. But I mean, they played like a pre-game hype video at before the Houston game, and people were like going nuts, like jumping up and down, going crazy. Um, I I just kind of I just happened to go there with my buddies just to watch the game, and I just happened to luck into being the the TCR boots on the ground, boots on the ground journalist at all the bars. I don't know if that's exactly what I want to be known as in the journalism world, but uh it worked out. It was a great, it was a great time.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

No, that that that's awesome. And and obviously to to be here at this time, and we've talked about this on this pod before, to be here at this time in Illinois history is pretty remarkable. They haven't done this in 21 years, and obviously, we know people who have been on this campus before us and have suffered through just so much bad football, bad basketball, bad sports all around. So we don't really have to talk about that all that much, but I guess what do you make of because we we've talked about this kind of a little bit as well on your radio show? We've debated right the the validity of fans arguing for I don't know, arguing against Brad Underwood and and what he's done and him coming up short so many times throughout the tournament in throughout past tournaments. But to him for him to finally break through at year what nine leading this program, I can't imagine like and and we we saw him uh we talked to him for media availability yesterday, I believe, or what's that today? Things are becoming a blur. That was yesterday, and uh he was so giddy talking to us, the local media, and as he I'm sure he's been, because he's been waiting for so long to kind of or not waiting, but working for this for so long. I mean, what do you make of him kind of getting this achievement, doing this, reaching this milestone?

SPEAKER_01 5:16

I I mean look, I never was one who who bought into the like the doubters and the hate of Brad. I understand that this fan base has been through a lot, they've seen a lot of dark times. Um, and and obviously Underwood has had his shortcomings. Like you look at the Loyola Chicago upset when that team was like a national title contender and just like um a streak of not being able to get past the first weekend in the tournament, let's say. But he took over this program when it was in its darkest days, it hadn't made a NCAA tournament for four years, and that's something that the fans don't tolerate here in Champaign. Like, I love how much support that the football program has been getting recently, but Champaign is a basketball town, like the fans here go crazy for line-eye basketball. And when Brad came here, he his whole thing was we're gonna turn this ship around, it's not gonna happen right away. And it didn't because his first two years were rough, like they didn't win a lot of games, they weren't very competitive. But by the time that third year rolled around, things were really getting going in Champaign. And since then, they've made the NCAA tournament in every year except in COVID when it got canceled. And it it it it was you're right, he was known for early early exits for a while, but he's proven this year and even two years ago that that's not always the case, and I think that's just a testament to the fact that if you consistently put together good teams and he's always been good in the regular season, he's hung two Big Ten banners in the state farm center in 22 and 24. And if you just keep hammering home the idea of we're gonna win, we're gonna keep winning, eventually it's gonna come, it's gonna come around to you in the NCAA tournament, and that that's exactly what happened this year. And I I could not be more happy for him because it just seems like he is overjoyed with it. He's been this is his 39th year of coaching college basketball, he's 62 years old, and he breaks through and gets the final four. That that's just an unbelievable story.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Uh a hundred percent. He's been soaking in the joy, the umbridled joy that he is reaching this kind of milestone. I asked him about you know what it's been like this week, and he he told me that he's he's just been enjoying the fact that a bunch of people have been reaching out from all of his past stops, have been reaching out to him asking for tickets for the final four. And that's selfishly, right? He he did mention that selfishly, but it is a human thing, and it it is refreshing to see what is normally a very serious Brad Underwood to see him in this kind of position. Obviously, as they they are now in Indianapolis, I'm sure the tone has shifted, more business-like attitude. But to for him to have that, to enjoy that, I think is well deserved because one thing he isn't known for is he he can change this narrative is the idea that he is not a great in-game adjusting adjustment head coach. And we saw that this year, 0-4 in overtime. But man, let me tell you, and you would agree, this is a hell of a roster. He's been building hell of a roster for so many years. And the fact that yeah, Illinois, we have talked about we have uh Illinois fans and and media alike uh have come to expect there to be serious postseason runs in March, whether that be in the Big Ten tournament or whether that be at uh in the NCAA tournament and last year, and obviously this past year with football, everything that goes on there, women's basketball. I want to globalize this. Josh Whitman has been a guy that's been key to all of this, and we've talked about, I mean, like when I told you when I my realization that this guy had a gray beard, and it's like holy shit, man! How old is he actually? He's still young relatively, but that's not my point. My point is what a lesson in life of the idea of buying into the guy that you hire, uh, believing in the guy that is Brad Underwood. Because how many times would it have been easier to take the highway that to excuse me to to say, hey, Brad Underwood has gotten us far. Like we were at the the bottom of the totem pole in the Big Ten. Now we're at a higher level, but how can we reach out for more? How can we keep but he believed in him the entire time, and I just think that's a testament to the belief that Josh Whitman had in Underwood and the program that Whitman has built around it, the resources to give Underwood the ability to make this team. Because I think so many times fans fans would have agreed throughout the past however uh maybe five or six years, hey, what if we can get an upgrade at Illinois? But no, instead, this has become Underwood has made Illinois a destination job. Like that's what it used to be. The the Illinois athletics and and men's basketball used to be at such low level that you would have said, hey, if you're a good head coach in in who's being sought after by a lot of big schools, you would have said, Do I want to go to Illinois? Now whatever Underwood does retire, or whatever happens after Underwood, this is a place where where Illinois, where coaches will want to be coaching. This is a destination spot in basketball, period.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Yeah, yeah, 100%. I agree. I mean, it happened to Illinois, right? Bill's self is here, they start getting good. Kansas comes knocking and he's gone, right? And you're you're 100% right. I'm sure Brad could have interest at more historically prestigious, like blue blood-esque programs than Illinois, but it why would he leave at this point, right? He's been the catalyst to change everything. I I think he's gonna be here until the day he retires and even passes the keys down to his son. I don't know if we're ready to have that conversation.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

I do no, I I no, I agree. I was thinking about that earlier today, because at this point, you it's just a thing in college basketball, and I would say in sports in general, like the idea that Auburn, and then this is a different situation, but that Auburn would have hand the keys to the son of the guy who was the head coach, like like I think that is a little different because he was kind of a the that the guy who used to be the head coach used was more of a a weasel in the way that he kind of did it. But but like like John Shire getting that job, the Duke job, like there's you have you're gonna have to get the blessing of the guy who had retired and left him to actually fire him. And I think that's what it's gonna be. Brad Underwood's gonna leave the keys to his son, and then it might resonate with Duke fans to some degree because you'll if you if something goes wrong with that, and we this is speculating way far beyond, but if something goes bad with exactly if something goes bad with Underwood's son, then you would probably be like, You're gonna have to get Brad's blessing to fire this kid. At that point, he wouldn't be a kid, but like that's my point. Like, that's usually what probably happens in sports and in life, and you know, and in college sports in specific. But no, I do agree. I I do think Underwood's gotten enough leverage to really make that maneuver, and you will like he's led this team to the top two Ken Palm, one of the best offenses in Ken Palm history, so you know, there's that.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Right, there's really not much you can complain about that. I mean, I switch switching gears to what you were originally asking me, like we saw that that people were even saying that Brad has done a lot to change the scope of this program, but I don't think that he is the guy to take us to the next level. Like, that's something that you would see in a lot of different areas. Like, hey, he was great, he served us time, it's time to boss up and get somebody else. Clearly, those people have to be eating their words right now. The fact that that Brad got them back to the Final Four for the first time in 21 years, and the fact that they're two frickin' games away from winning the first national championship in the history of Illinois basketball. Like, I I can't overstate how wrong those people are and how hard I want to laugh in their faces because I I never subscribe to that. And like you see, schools think that you know, coach the coach they have is it's things have run their course, it's time to move on. Like you saw it with Coach Cal in Kentucky, and he leaves, he goes to Arkansas, they hire Mark Pope, and things have never been the same since Cal left Kentucky. They've consistently been worse since he left, and Arkansas has made a deeper run than them pretty much every year. The grass is not always greener. That's I think that's the message, and yeah, Brad is proving that.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

100%. Yeah, like like I said, the lesson of truly believing and truly buying in to a guy, to someone, the person you hire, the person you give the keys to, and letting him or her do the job. And it's such a well-oiled machine at this point that what Illinois is the first school in history to have back-to-back all three big teams make it to the postseason and some level women's basketball, men's basketball, and football two years in a row. That's impressive.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

But not just that, it's it's win, yeah, it's win a game.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Not just yeah, win a game, yeah, win a game. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, and like the fact that no other school has done that, like that's insane to think about. I think uncharted territory for it what uncharted territory in relative to the 2000s for Illinois, because that certainly was not the case 20, 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, 100%. I mean, basketball had their heyday in the early 2000s, men's basketball did, but the women's program before Shauna took over was a dumpster fire. Before Bulema came to Illinois to start coaching the football team, things were not good either. Like you're a hundred percent right, and Whitman should get so much credit for that.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

100%. But going back to this basketball team, yeah, I have a question for you. And the question is when did you know? Because I had a specific moment, when did you know that this team was as special as it was? It could be at any point, because for me, you're gonna think it's obscure, but well for you, what was it? What would you say?

SPEAKER_01 16:37

So that's a that's a good question. I I think that the first time I had it, there's two moments that stick out to me. And the first one was Purdue, right? You're at you're at Mackie, you're down Kylan. I was already nervous about how this team is gonna survive in a really tough stretch of games without Kylan Boswell, and then it's it's the Keaton coming out party, drops 46. I'm like, oh my god, this team is insane. Once Kylan comes back, things are gonna keep going just the way they are, they're gonna be a juggernaut. That wasn't necessarily true, but that is what I was thinking at the time. And then I would say the other time was probably this is later on, and this is more of when my hope was restored a little bit after losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin. It was the the USC just absolute beatdown, where everything was falling, the offense looked as good as we've seen it all year long, and in my head, I'm just like, oh, this team could win the national championship. And I genuinely believe that. And obviously, that is a really very real possibility, perhaps even more real than you or I or anybody else could have predicted.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

100%. I that the fact that I asked this question is remarkable itself because our tune, my tune, was so different like a week and a half ago. Because after that Big Ten tournament, and we'll talk about that later. Like, I was I was so like, man, this is just a shame. Like, this it's crazy that like this team has come, uh has kind of come back down to earth so much. But I do have two specific two, maybe two moments, but one specific moment was or game itself was actually um way before kind of what you had with USC. February 4th of 2026, Illinois, Northwestern comes into town against Illinois, number 13 ranked at the time, and Illinois puts down an 84 to 44 beatdown. And I remember watching that game and how dominant Illinois won that game, how they imposed their will after having played that team earlier in the season, it was back in January, and having only won that game 79 to 68. Um, but here's my thing the thing with me was that this Illinois team was putting up that kind of beatdown, and it was historic at the time. I don't remember the exact stats, but they were close to breaking some crazy history with like beating a Big Ten team by 40 points. Like that it by itself is pretty insane. And to see those kind of flashes was really. I remember there's uh my colleague where I interned this past summer at CNN Sports. She go she goes to University of Florida. University of Florida, of course, won the national championship last season. I shot her a text, I asked her, hey, when did you know that this team, that the team you were covering for basketball was actually special? And like that that's why. Like I had those feelings since then, and it's really gratifying to know that that wasn't just I was being a victim of the moment. This team is actually special and has hell of a shot to win the whole damn thing. And you're there, might as well go do it. And another part was that I was at um I was at uh Ryan Welsh Ryan Arena for that 79 to 68 win over the Northwestern that first time around in January. And I, you know, maybe it was the fact that I was in the same place, and it reminded me of how last season's team would have collapsed in that kind of situation. Illinois did collapse against Nick Martinelli and the Northwestern Wildcats back in 2024. That was December of 2024, but this time around, in January of 2026, they did not flinch, and they were able to get that win really well, and they didn't really struggle all that much. And I think that just speaks to the maturity of this team, a maturity that is surprising to see based on you have two freshmen who are leading this team in a whole different way, and they're leading this team to the promised land. That to me, that those are the two, I guess, northwestern moments that I that I would, I guess, say those are the northwestern moments where I knew it will be this kind of team. That's not to say that we didn't have the moments of doubt, which we did, but how how do you explain this run then? Because we we obviously knew, right? We we knew that this this team was at a inflection point after it was struggling to muster up. It was 0-4 in overtime wins. Oh yeah, 0-4 in overtime. They had lost all those games, and then they go into Wisconsin, they they lose another, like they they lose another against Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament. And by that point, I was so distraught. And I was like, I don't know if like I could see them winning those two games in the tournament, but. Sweet 16 Elite Eight. I don't I don't know if I can trust this team.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah, I was right there with you. I was on a plane during the Wisconsin game. Uh, me and my buddies were heading to spring break. We paid the eight dollars to get Wi-Fi just to watch the game, only to end up just pissed off for like the entire last probably hour and a half of my flight just because of how infuriating that game was to watch. And I would say the resounding kind of sentiment was oh, like we're gonna be lucky to get out of the first weekend if this is how things are gonna go. And I I mean, I think their run to sum it up, it's a testament of what a lot of people have been saying all year long. Is that when you have a defense this good and the pieces come together and you get hot at the right time, you can beat anybody. And I'm not saying that they've had a hard path because they've had a favorable draw. Like, I'm not gonna deny that.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Houston's a really apologize for that.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Yeah, definitely not. I mean, I still think like Houston is a great team, and Illinois forced them into having one of the worst offensive performances they had all year. Iowa was playing really good basketball. I I just think that when you couple that offense and when it's really firing on all cylinders, combined with like almost a newfound defensive, gritty identity that this team has had throughout the postseason, I I guess just the NCAA tournament, not really the Big Ten, but in the NCAA tournament, I feel like that the defensive intensity has been cranked all the way up. I mean, the rebounding numbers have been good all season long, but they've been outstanding over these past four games in March Madness. And I mean, if you if I told you that Illinois is going to have an elite eight matchup against Iowa, and if they win, they're going to the final four, and they shoot 17.6% from three, you're like, oh, we're screwed. We really just sold a chance to the final four. But no, that's what happened, and defense and tenacity and rebounding, and actually having, and I know we're going to talk about them later, but having an Andre Stoyakovic that is willing and ready to attack the rim changed everything. And if Illinois can win games when they're shooting that poorly from three, there's no reason why they can't beat Yukon and then go on to beat Michigan or Arizona if they shoot well from beyond the arc.

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Yeah, on that point, I do want to quickly say, uh, like a lot of people are saying, which I I kind of agree with, it's a little off topic, but the idea that Arizona and Michigan, that's the de facto championship game. I would like to think that because of the turnaround and because it might be a bloodbath, you you would actually, if you're either Illinois or Yukon, feel pretty good about facing that either team the next within the next 48 hours, simply because of you know the turnaround that is. You it seems like you have some thoughts on that.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

I am so sick of people saying that shit because that just completely discounts everything that Illinois and Yukon have done, not just in the NCAA tournament, but all season long. Like, I understand that Michigan and Arizona are two of the like highest rated teams in a very long time in terms of Ken Pom and other efficiency, like high-level statistics, what have you. That's bullshit, dude. Illinois and Yukon could beat them. Yeah, I think if things are going the offensive firepower alone.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

Yeah, we we've talked about we've talked about the variance of the turnaround. That's the whole point, right? Like, yeah, right. And I I do I do agree. I do agree with you. Like, like to me, it's mostly about how tight the turnaround is. You underestimate how how much game planning it, how much time you would need to take to really, really putting your best effort if you get them on the right night. Listen, I'm not saying Illinois can beat beat uh beat Michigan or either Yukon or Illinois can beat Michigan or Arizona, uh like 10 times out of 10, but they can do it three, four times out of ten. Like, and it's a one one game sample size. So, anyways, back to back to that point about Illinois. Let's bring it a little bit back to Illinois. The surprising part to me is that they you you mentioned the time the thing about getting hot at the right time, they were not hot, they they weren't, but they somehow found it in the nick of time, and I do think something the whatever whatever whatever they said at that players-only meeting that they had right before the tournament must have either something must have must have clicked because it must have really settled in that you know Tommy was telling me at the Big Ten tournament that hey, like if if we play well in the Big Ten tournament, or excuse me, the NCAA term, no one's gonna remember the Big Ten tournament that was, and yeah, I think most people can forget about it. I I certainly don't give a shit about that. Yeah, I don't no one gives a shit about it, right? But, anyways, my point made, like he one of the quotes that stood out to me the most was that yeah, just knowing that it is our last game to play with each other should be enough motivation. Like that to me, that's that's that's that shit hits, right? Like that shit hits because think about the way that this team came together, the the butt balkan block, Keaton Waggler having his ascension, David Murk Mirkovich being one of those guys that ascends along with him and doesn't become that um doesn't become that that top top player because you have another freshman who is better than him, miraculously, who went under-recruited. So many things came together. Ben Humrikaus and Jake Davis being these two guys that are you know complementary pieces, but somehow make it work and the roles fit really well with the team, understanding that they they just want to win and it doesn't matter. Like you have the hometown hero of Kylan Boswell wanting to win, he gets injured midway to this, like all of it just came together and it made for this perfect blend, along coupled with the fact that you have a favorable draw, and now you have some magic in your pocket, and you can go and win it all. To me, that's the beauty of this tournament, and that's why I feel like you know this is the year to do it, this is the year to do it, and and it they're forever immortalized. This team is gonna be remembered for so so long. Um, I even lost track of what what it is, what what direction we were going with this, but that to me, that's how I explain this this kind of tournament run. Because you you obviously you you you mentioned the the rebound, the offensive rebounding, the three-point shooting, the Andre being that guy to the six man to really really come in clutch and give teams a different look, especially against Houston, especially against Iowa, really, really played in your favor. But the next question, and we can just we can honestly we can probably just skip the question because we're we're already here. The fact that Andre is the most surprising guy to really like pop up, crop up in this NCAA tournament. I was not expecting him to I I expected almost the complete opposite. I I doubted the fact that he could he could come in and be a guy who can be complimentary, to not get tunnel vision, to really, really uh be smart when he has the possession and really lock in. And and he's been that for Illinois, he's provided a different look for against other teams, and he's been able to drive into the rim and be efficient. And man, I'm just I'm really happy for him specifically because you know we we know where he came from, and now he gets the taste of winning, winning big.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

Yeah, and I I don't know if you remember this, but there was like a clip that the basketball social team posted where Kylan is like making fun of Andre for never having been to a like a March Madness game. Like, that's cool, he's here, he did it. And in terms of his success, like this is the guy that he's as advertised right now, if that makes sense. Like, this is the guy that you went out and paid reportedly. I this is not confirmed, this is all speculation, but I've heard that he is making close to a million dollars to be here and and play for Illinois.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

This is the guy, big investment, right?

SPEAKER_01 30:52

This was your big investment. This was the guy that you expected to be your premier guy, your 1A scoring option. And obviously, no one could have imagined what happened with Keaton and how much he has just transformed this team. Yeah, Andre ended up taking a bit of a back seat, he comes off the bench now, but still, I I love how he's been able to roll with those punches and just show up in a big way. I think his huge impact is that this is a team that sometimes has a tendency to not attack the rim. Yes, and he's a guy that loves doing it, and I think that that is great. The fact that he's hitting his groove now on the biggest stage in the entire sport of college basketball is super admirable. And I you're right, it's it's it's so easy to be happy for him because of what he's gone through over the course of the season, and he's bouncing back now.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

And I think it would have been so easy for him to be overshadowed or overwhelmed by the moment of the stage, but that's not happened, and that that is the most that is and I'm so happy that that that's the case. But Cooper, you you tweeted something out a couple days ago, and it stood out to a lot of people, it stood out to me. The fact that the last time Illinois faced Yukon, these two teams were very different, specifically Illinois, was so different. What I what do you make of of this matchup against Yukon? And I guess maybe not what do you expect, but I mean, these two teams are so different. So I guess how scary is Yukon, and then how good do you feel about Illinois?

SPEAKER_01 32:34

Oh, dude, I mean Yukon is terrifying, obviously. Yeah, right. You have Dan Hurley at the helm, a guy who he is knock him if you want, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to win basketball games, and I think that's very admirable. I some of his antics, I think they're funny. I understand how people hate it. I think he's a funny guy, but I I I think even if you dislike him as a person, he's an unbelievable basketball coach. And whenever you're going against a guy like that, with your back against the wall, and you know, it's winner go home, and he has that championship mentality, it's nerve-wracking a hundred percent. And I think Yukon's a really good team. What I will say about you know what what I tweeted, the point that I made that both these teams are very different. What I kind of take away from that is you just gotta take what happened in November and just kind of throw it in the trash. Like you can't make can't make any generalizations or predictions off of that whatsoever. It's it's two different teams with different identities. Like Keaton only took three shots in the last game, now he is behind the wheel of the entire offense. Uh, for UConn, like Taris Reed and Braylon Mullins were hardly playing, they weren't integral parts of the offense, and that's what's been willing them through this tournament so far. So it's gonna be different. And in terms of my confidence in Illinois, I'm feeling pretty dangerously optimistic, honestly. I think I need to maybe ground myself a little bit, but I am I'm feeling I'm feeling real good, man.

SPEAKER_00 34:13

I disagree with you. Don't ground yourself, man. Listen, this is the year if Illinois is gonna win a championship, a full win the whole damn thing, it has to be this year. You've gotten this far. And honestly, like you, like you said, right? Like, like, yes, I I personally think both things can be true. You can be terrified of Yukon and the fact that then the last game against Duke uh in the Elite Eight, they pulled some fucking voodoo magic and and they they out of their asses, and they were able to just totally shock the world and and make a historic moment out of it that we will remember it for the rest of our lives. But you can also feel insanely good about where Illinois is right now, and and yes, they did get get a favorable draw, you're not gonna apologize for it, but this is this is the moment. This is Keaton Wagler understands the gravity of the moment, and he's mature enough to handle it well. David Merkovich is hitting this thread. Everybody's every everything can come together. To me, what it comes down to is can Underwood match the tactician that is Dan Hurley, and and this is this is where you know this is what it's gonna come down to, I think. And we'll see how it all comes down. And I I personally what I would love if if you're an Illinois fan, and just generally, because like yes, we I do cover Illinois, we cover Illinois, but it's better for us when Illinois wins. We get to keep talking about this team, whatever. Anyways, that's my point. But my point, my general point is that what I would love to see is if these two teams go to overtime and Illinois actually pulls it through in overtime, that would be incredible cinema and would make for incredible content to kind of dissect in the ensuing open locker room period and all of that.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

Dude, I think I would have a heart attack if the game went down to overtime, like the little period in between the end of the second half and OT, I would be freaking out. Um, and obviously, like both both of us are gonna be in indie covering the game. It's gonna be awesome. Yeah, it's gonna be unbelievable. But part of me is even thinking a planet way thinking way in advance. I'm like, dude, if they win, I'm just gonna have to sit there with a straight face and be all professional. But under under that kind of kind of disguise, we'll say I'm gonna be pretty excited if that happens.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

A hundred percent. I mean, to have that would be incredible to just witness that even as college students. That like, what the hell are we doing there, man? Like, what the what the what are what are these two call? What are these three college students doing at this freaking final four national champion? Anyways, Cooper, it's been fun. What to kind of end this up and we'll wrap this really quickly. What yeah, who how do you first of all I have two for you? How do you feel about this, about this Dan Hurley versus Underwood matchup, coach specific, but also who you got?

SPEAKER_01 37:17

Okay, I I want to make it clear that my answer has nothing to do with the fact that I think Brad is a bad coach. I think Brad is a really good coach. Yeah, the problem is I think Hurley is the best coach in the sport, so I think that is really difficult because if we're going strictly off coaching, then I'm gonna pick Dan Hurley, but that doesn't mean I don't think Illinois like is gonna lose, right? So yeah, yeah, I think Hurley is a better coach than Brad. I have I would have more faith in him going up against Brad. However, in terms of like game results and final, I'll give you a final score. I'm gonna go let's sit at that Illinois 75, Yukon 69.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

Wow, Cooper just gave us his final score prediction. Illinois going to the natty. Wow, seeing it.

SPEAKER_01 38:17

I had a I had a vision.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

This man had a vision, and he's gonna he's gonna you hear that you hear that first from us from Cooper. I I will give you my kind of quick dissection of this. Uh yeah, I agree with you. Dan Hurley is just probably the best coach in the current college basketball climate. I do think he is not, I don't like I I don't like him. Like I genuinely do not like him, and I think this man needs to grow up uh and and stop being a dick, but um especially headbutting the the ref. But I I do think that um just because Dan Hurley's been here for so long or like been in the stages, uh, I I do think Underwood understands the fact that he needs that that this is like even though this is first time, I mean he's been getting advice from Izzo from Matt Painter about being in the final four several times. Uh so I I I do well, I I'm in the same boat as you. I I do think that coaching-wise, Yukon has the edge, but I I personally feel better about the way Illinois is playing right now and hitting their stride and kind of the way they've been dominating throughout the course of the tournament. Uh there's a reason they're favored, and I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna go with them winning too. Illinois, I think Illinois is going to the natty, and and we will be there on Monday night. God damn. We do as college journalists. But anyways, Cooper, thank you so much for for uh for for being a guest here on the align eye audible podcast. I hope to do this again, and uh we we would certainly hope that it does happen because it I hope so it would be a hell of a it would be a hell of a time to be on campus for this as well. So with that being said, thank you so much for tuning into this episode of the pod. Everyone, subscribe and review. If you so please, please do. Uh, I really hope you enjoy. This was fun, Cooper.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Was it fun?

SPEAKER_00 40:16

I'll see you around. Uh I will see you for the game. I'll see you around. We'll see maybe Friday you end up at in Indy because me and Elliot from TCR, we will be there.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

So I'm gonna try my best. I'm gonna try my best. All right, peace, everyone.