Illinois' Brad Underwood gets choked up after snapping 21-year Final Four drought
The Illinois Fighting Illini are headed to their first Final Four in 21 years after beating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight Saturday night in Houston. But, for Brad Underwood, it's much bigger than just another chance to play next Saturday.
Illinois' Brad Underwood gets choked up after snapping 21-year Final Four drought originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . When Illinois coach Brad Underwood first arrived in Champaign over a decade ago, his main objective was ambitious, but attainable: win a national championship.
Now, Underwood’s Fighting Illini are two wins away from doing exactly that. Saturday night’s 71-59 win against the Iowa Hawkeyes (24-13) clinched their first Final Four berth since 2005. For Underwood, the jubilation of his cutting down the nets in front of a sea of orange-clad fans who packed in the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, meant a little bit more as his nearly 40-year dream of getting to the brink of a national title was realized.
“One of the most fulfilling moments personally that I just had was standing on the ladder with the net and then seeing our fans and being able to just -- that wasn't about me,” Underwood told reporters. “That was about our fans, and that was about what's probably going on in Champaign right now, because that's what you believe this to be, and you know it is. And I've said it many times.
Coaches win games. I've got a great, great staff that makes me look good. We've been able to assemble a group of players that I love coaching.