‘Time to go have fun’: Illini look to get unfastened in Chicago

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The marathon of the Big Ten common season is over. For No. 9 Illinois, the reward is a clear slate and an opportunity to hold momentum into March.

Following a gutsy highway win over Maryland, head coach Brad Underwood is urging his crew to embrace the abruptness of the postseason.

The Illini enter the Big Ten Tournament because the No. 4 seed after tallying 24 regular-season victories, this system’s most in 20 years. The path to a Big Ten title seemingly begins with a revenge sport.

Illinois is prone to matchup in opposition to Wisconsin on Friday, the identical crew that handed the Illini an time beyond regulation loss in Champaign whereas guards Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic remained sidelined.

Their absences had been felt in that matchup, and Wisconsin guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd took benefit of it.

The Illini haven’t forgotten the 13 turnovers or the fatigue of that stretch, however they enter the United Center now wholesome and unfastened.

“Now’s the time to cut it loose,” Underwood stated. “Now’s the time to go have fun… We want to be the toughest, hardest playing team out there every night. If we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”

With Underwood and Andrej Stojakovic battling the flu post-Maryland and Keaton Wagler managing again spasms, Underwood famous that a number of days off have been “really good” for restoration.

For freshmen like David Mirkovic, the postseason is a brand new problem, however one he feels ready for.

While the system has simplified his transition to varsity ball, Mirkovic is leaning on veterans like Ty Rodgers, a giant issue for the 2024 Big Ten title crew, to grasp the psychological grind of the postseason.

“We had a talk after the practice with Ty Rodgers,” Mirkovic stated. “Coach just asked him how the 2024 run was and he said every day was like the best day ever.”

The focus has now shifted completely to the win or go residence actuality of March.

“I think every game you just got to take that mentality of one-and-oh,” Boswell stated.