March Madness: Behind one lesson that will benefit Illinois basketball the most vs. Kentucky
Illinois basketball's Brad Underwood and players talk preparation for Kentucky
For the first time in 41 years, Illinois plays Kentucky. Here's what coach Brad Underwood and his players said Saturday.
MILWAUKEE - Illinois basketball is moving on to the next task.
That's a game against Kentucky, the NCAA basketball blueblood that's expected to compete for national championships, with a right to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
That's plenty of pressure for the younger Illini. But, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood took inventory of Saturday's preparation.
"We had an inspired practice today. And it didn't go too long, but we got after it again," Underwood said. "Mentally, we've got a few more hours here tonight to keep them ingrained in what is the next task, which is Kentucky."
The mental aspect is what's going to help this Illinois team on Saturday.
Playing Kentucky, there are plenty of common opponents that the Illini can connect themselves to the Wildcats.
Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama and Arkansas were all games the Illini have in common with Kentucky.
Physical preparation is one aspect. Illinois understands this from the tough games it played during the regular season. Recently, Illinois found out how imperative mental preparation is. Try as recently as a week ago, when Illinois beat Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament and got drubbed by Maryland 24 hours later.
"We enjoyed the Iowa win way too long," Underwood said Saturday. "It's next game or you go home, and you've got to get mentally engaged."
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Illinois was engaged on Saturday in the locker room. The players understood where they were and how they were going to prepare.
There was no lasting elation about a win that happened 17 hours prior. Instead of celebrations, the Illini had premonitions of the Terrapins in the back of their minds.
"We can't think about the last one," freshman forward Will Riley said. "We got to think about what's coming up because we know we played well, but we did that last time with Iowa and we saw what happened."
The 88-65 Maryland win over Illinois was a sticking point for a team that's suffered lessons all season long. From Duke and Tennessee, to Alabama and Michigan State, lessons linger for Illinois.
Recency bias might mean the Maryland loss sticks with the Illini more vividly. That might be the lesson they needed.
"We got to stay solid," Riley said.
Key matchup: Kylan Boswell vs. Lamont Butler
Guard Kylan Boswell is a Champaign native. He knows what it means for the Illini to find success, especially in the postseason.
He has a chance to help lift Illinois to consecutive Sweet Sixteen berths since the 2004 and 2005 NCAA Tournaments.
"Playing for my hometown up – in that jersey in orange and blue – my family's going to watch me play, it means everything to me," Boswell said.
Boswell will be one of the guards tasked with defending UK guard Lamont Butler Sunday. It's not just guarding Butler; it's about taking care of Illinois' own offense.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 21: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini draws on the whiteboard against the Xavier Musketeers during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Fiserv Forum on March 21, 202
The Illini had 14 turnovers on Friday vs. Xavier. It allowed the Muskateers to stay in the game and make runs. As a team, Illinois averages 11.6 turnovers per game.
Take care of the ball, and the offense will keep humming.
Turn over the ball, and Kentucky will have a chance to go on a run or sustain momentum.
Conversely, Kentucky averages 11.1 turnovers per game. They suffer from the same issue that Illinois does.
Boswell can put the pressure on Kentucky and Butler with his offense. Scoring consistently as either the top option or the secondary option could create chances for Illinois to force turnovers.