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Underwood

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Gocatsgo2003

All-Conference
Mar 30, 2006
46,654
3,033
78
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
 
R

ricko6543211

Junior
Nov 15, 2006
4,223
207
47
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
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He's a total jerk. Threw them under the bus in the postgame too, a lot of comments like "we coach them over and over to do all this stuff and then they get into a game and they all make terrible decisions". We complain about Fitz giving no useful information in his press conferences, but I'd prefer that to our coach being a jerk. Glad Underwood is not coaching our guys. Collins has struggled in recent years but he's always been a class act, doesn't embarrass the school at all like Underwood did.
 
GatoLouco

GatoLouco

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2019
5,636
116
63
01/07/2021

IL trailed by 15 at the half in Evanston. 28-43

Undie lost his poop. IL outscored NU 53-13 in the 2nd

01/04/2023

Great jacket probably hindered any chance the players would react to his tantrum. Too magnificent to focus on anything else

 
S

Sec_112

Junior
Jun 17, 2001
6,602
208
63
I don't buy that a technical alone makes that much of a swing. But I can see where a technical and a coach overplaying its impact might bring down a group.
 
R

ricko6543211

Junior
Nov 15, 2006
4,223
207
47
GatoLouco said:
Agree, though don't ask him any tough questions on pressers. Especially if you are 20 years old.
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Random Q - in the postgame he mentioned that he used a smaller lineup to finish the game and then pointed to one of the journalists there saying happily "the small lineup that you've been asking about - in that situation we thought it made sense to hedge on their pick and pops with Hawkins and FT shooters to close out the game"... does anyone know who he was looking to with that?
 
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NU Houston

Junior
Apr 12, 2010
6,371
322
83
Why would anyone want to play for that guy? At another point in the game (first half, I believe), Hawkins missed a fadeaway 3 over MN and then was lazy on D and gave up a 3 to Audige. Underwood called a timeout, stewed in silence for a few seconds, and then just lit into his team. The TV commentators laughed and mentioned that he needed his blood pressure pills. The guy looked like his head was about to explode, like Bob Knight on steroids.
 
U

usopen30

Redshirt
Jan 22, 2017
281
0
0
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
Click to expand...
He's the 2020's Bob Knight--over the top but without the same results.
 
R

ricko6543211

Junior
Nov 15, 2006
4,223
207
47
usopen30 said:
He's the 2020's Bob Knight--over the top but without the same results.
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They have been quite good the past few years. But this year with a young team that is learning... I'm not sure that he's taking the best approach. I might suggest they could use a bit more constructive criticism. Maybe if he didn't yell at them like a deranged man they might listen to his coaching points more. We will see how it plays out over the remainder of the season...
 
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NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,330
1,503
113
ricko654321 said:
... does anyone know who he was looking to with that?
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No, but I thought it was interesting that he remembered the question from the OSU game. He said it without Fitz-snark too. Came off very well.
 
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NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
19,469
495
0
I don’t think he was overly critical in the postgame — I thought he was appropriately critical. ‘We have to learn to get a shot in situations where there’s not time to draw one up’ (which is, you know, just about always). That seems a fair assessment.

During the game was an embarrassment, just as a being a human. I have no idea why any recruit would choose that.
 
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Jonny2TheP

Junior
Dec 11, 2007
8,554
303
57
This is kind of his thing. He is who he is, and in fairness to him, it's a formula that has worked for him pretty much everywhere he has gone (though he still doesn't have a deep NCAA tourney run on his record). But there's no doubt that it's a fine line to walk and some players just won't respond to that well.

I, for the record, don't care for the guy. In my professional life (though obviously a very different type of setting), I never see the point of resorting to going off on someone for a mistake or an error. I just don't believe most people respond to that well no matter what the setting is, and I think the long-term effects of it are more negative than positive. Maybe that partially explains why his teams have never made deep tourney runs (who knows?).
 
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SDakaGordie

Sophomore
Dec 29, 2016
2,372
165
53
Jonny2TheP said:
This is kind of his thing. He is who he is, and in fairness to him, it's a formula that has worked for him pretty much everywhere he has gone (though he still doesn't have a deep NCAA tourney run on his record). But there's no doubt that it's a fine line to walk and some players just won't respond to that well.

I, for the record, don't care for the guy. In my professional life (though obviously a very different type of setting), I never see the point of resorting to going off on someone for a mistake or an error. I just don't believe most people respond to that well no matter what the setting is, and I think the long-term effects of it are more negative than positive. Maybe that partially explains why his teams have never made deep tourney runs (who knows?).
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Agree on the opinion of him. And maybe he’s also got some technical coaching deficiencies? Loyola certainly exposed them a few years ago in the NCAAs.
 
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Hungry Jack

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2008
37,234
2,715
67
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
Click to expand...
Every time I see Underwood on TV during a game, it seems like he's yelling at his players. His *** is redder than a Wisconsin dairy barn.

I don't know about crossing a line as we don't know what he said to his players, but continuous negative reinforcement is not a sustainable coaching strategy.
 
S

Sec_112

Junior
Jun 17, 2001
6,602
208
63
NU Houston said:
... like Bob Knight on steroids.
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Like Bob Knight without championships.

I could go on and on about the coaching effectiveness of red-face, getting in somebody's face. In the end, I think it's a poor choice in an era where a kid can transfer on a whim.

And I wonder if this is a guy who is losing his team.

Johnny2, I agree with your statement about how people don't react well to it in a professional setting outside sports. I've had experience with screamers. Show me a guy who goes off on his work team more than three times a year, and I'll show you guy who's pretty ineffective and doesn't get nearly as much as he can out of that group.

There's many differences between the screamer at work and the screamer in college basketball. The most important is that the basketball coach only needs the attention of the kid for four years.

I heard Tom Thayer once talk about the Ditka screaming act. The point was that it wears out over time, and the team simply stops listening. The screaming act never stand the test of time.

Having said all this, to be fair, CC is no saint either. He goes a little too Chrissy every once in a while. However, he learned well from Coach K how to hide it and balance it. K is underrated for how nuts he can be.
 
H

Hungry Jack

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2008
37,234
2,715
67
GatoLouco said:
01/07/2021

IL trailed by 15 at the half in Evanston. 28-43

Undie lost his poop. IL outscored NU 53-13 in the 2nd

01/04/2023

Great jacket probably hindered any chance the players would react to his tantrum. Too magnificent to focus on anything else

Click to expand...

I really did like that jacket. Seriously.
 
GatoLouco

GatoLouco

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2019
5,636
116
63
usopen30 said:
He's the 2020's Bob Knight--over the top but without the same results.
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Players are, with these toxic dudes, in abusive relationships.

And just like in old fashioned spousal abusive relationships, it takes a while to understand she/he is in one. That is, if that time ever comes.

The natural evolution is for kids to be more aware. Used to be seen as tough love. More and more is just plain abuse that leaves marks one is not even aware of.
 
R

Rebel II1

Redshirt
Dec 7, 2021
1,771
1
0
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
Click to expand...
It could well be the reason they are so inconsistent. Coaching today is a lot more than intimidation, screaming, and threats. He was really bad last night, embarrassingly bad.
 
M

mshelton33

Senior
Staff member
Jun 16, 2021
3,025
821
113
ricko654321 said:
Random Q - in the postgame he mentioned that he used a smaller lineup to finish the game and then pointed to one of the journalists there saying happily "the small lineup that you've been asking about - in that situation we thought it made sense to hedge on their pick and pops with Hawkins and FT shooters to close out the game"... does anyone know who he was looking to with that?
Click to expand...
Coach Collins was pointing to me, I have asked him a couple times about playing small ball this year. I asked the first time when they beat UIC because he played the lineup for about a minute at the end of the first half, and then after Ohio State because of the offensive struggles from the big men.

He stuck to his guns both times, saying it was something they had practiced but will mostly be situational for free throws or matchups. He definitely got a kick out of bringing it back up after a big win, and one where Nicholson played very well.
 
P

Pasadena Bound

Sophomore
Nov 13, 2002
1,259
129
53
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
Click to expand...
I refer to Underwood as “The Rooster” because his face can turn bright red when he loses it, which is a regular occurrence. Will never forget the presser after his first game at Welsh-Ryan as HC for Illinois, which Illinois won. He had some disparaging remark about the turnout of NU fans for a home game and how Illinois fans outnumbered us in our own house. While not far from the truth, it was totally inappropriate and showed zero class. What a jerk, glad we kicked his a$$ last night.
 
J

JournCat

Junior
Aug 4, 2009
4,512
242
63
Pasadena Bound said:
I refer to Underwood as “The Rooster” because his face can turn bright red when he loses it, which is a regular occurrence. Will never forget the presser after his first game at Welsh-Ryan as HC for Illinois, which Illinois won. He had some disparaging remark about the turnout of NU fans for a home game and how Illinois fans outnumbered us in our own house. While not far from the truth, it was totally inappropriate and showed zero class. What a jerk, glad we kicked his a$$ last night.
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It was Allstate — I remember that one well because it was especially unfair …
 
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Titanium999

Redshirt
Jan 16, 2014
4,573
0
0
GatoLouco said:
01/07/2021

IL trailed by 15 at the half in Evanston. 28-43

Undie lost his poop. IL outscored NU 53-13 in the 2nd

01/04/2023

Great jacket probably hindered any chance the players would react to his tantrum. Too magnificent to focus on anything else

Click to expand...

Gonna get a stroke
 
4

4IUSox2

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2003
6,673
3,946
0
With Underwood’s hand gestures, and in the face of his players, he really had a Matt Foley-kinda look to him.
 
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NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
21,330
1,503
113
NUChicago said:
Yep, i remember that as well. In all honesty, he is a very underwhelming coach.
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He's had Illinois winning an average of 23 games the last 3 years, and ranked as high as #2. I'd take that underwhelming performance at NU.
 
NUChicago

NUChicago

Junior
Aug 23, 2001
3,685
250
83
Fitzphile said:
He's had Illinois winning an average of 23 games the last 3 years, and ranked as high as #2. I'd take that underwhelming performance at NU.
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Let me qualify, with all that talent he flames out in the tournament.
 
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hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,326
1,117
113
T
gocatsgo2003 said:
I understand that it’s been a frustrating year for the Illini and Underwood is known as a hard-***, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a coach going off on his team like that in a game situation. He was extremely fired up throughout, then absolutely laid into his team after the technical foul in the second half. Yes the technical was extremely dumb as Illinois was on a nice little run, but it felt like he lost his guys in that moment with how he got after them. NU went on its own run after the technical (something like 21-7 if I recall correctly), then game over.

Frustration is understandable, but felt like he crossed the line and the results showed it. Anyone else notice it?
Click to expand...
Thought I heard that there was a run of 22-2
 
H

hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
37,326
1,117
113
ricko654321 said:
He's a total jerk. Threw them under the bus in the postgame too, a lot of comments like "we coach them over and over to do all this stuff and then they get into a game and they all make terrible decisions". We complain about Fitz giving no useful information in his press conferences, but I'd prefer that to our coach being a jerk. Glad Underwood is not coaching our guys. Collins has struggled in recent years but he's always been a class act, doesn't embarrass the school at all like Underwood did.
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Thought he had already done that after the PSU loss
 
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