Brad Underwood is rarely at a loss for words. But a reporter's question gave him pause Thursday.
You've won everywhere you've gone, so why not here?
After a brief silence, Underwood replied: "You said that, not me."
Underwood will win at Illinois, I'm sure of it. Why? Two reasons:
First, the aforementioned. He thrived at Stephen F. Austin (89-14) and then flipped Oklahoma State in his lone season in Stillwater. The Cowboys went 3-15 in the Big 12 before he arrived and 9-9 (20-13 overall) last season before Underwood left for his dream job.
Yes, dream job. Which bring us to the second reason: There are an estimated 325 million Americans, none of whom would fit better as the new coach in Champaign.
"There's a personality to every job, and you have to fit it," Underwood said on Big Ten media day. "I like to think that my simple, small-town Kansas roots fit."
And then he illustrated his point in a way that passes the smell test.
"I love the fact that we have the south farm right across from our practice facility, and when the wind blows, it smells like manure. I grew up with that," Underwood said. "I lived in Dodge City, Kansas, for five years, and when the wind blows there, they say it's the smell of money. I say it's the smell of (excrement) because it's not my money."
We all laughed.
"I'm about relationships, I'm about people," he said. "I love college towns because it's real, it's about people, and it's not the hubbub of the city."
But to thrive, Underwood might need to score in the mean streets of Chicago. His program got a huge boost Thursday night when Morgan Park guard Ayo Dosunmu, the top-rated player in Illinois, gave Underwood his verbal commitment.
That's one variable down. The other is whether Underwood will be penalized as the result of the FBI sting into dirty recruiting practices in college basketball. His former assistant Lamont Evans, who remained at Oklahoma State after Underwood left, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and five other counts.
As he waits to learn more about the case, Underwood is bonding with players such as forward Michael Finke.
"He's really personable and wants to get to know you," Finke said. "On the court, it's all business. He might yell here or there, but you respect it because you know he wants you to get better. We love being around him."
Underwood got a salary boost to $3 million annually by accepting athletic director Josh Whitman's six-year offer. But if you sat with Underwood in a ballroom at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, you sensed that money had little to do with this.
Twice during his 11-year stint as an assistant at Western Illinois, Underwood ventured into Assembly Hall. What does he remember from those games?
"Assembly Hall at that time was electric. The whole state was enthralled by Illini basketball. That was a footprint that never left me. Never left.
"The Orange Krush, the students. The hair on the back of your neck stood up when the other team (Illinois) ran out. You're at Western Illinois, you didn't see that. It was even powerful for our kids. You remember those things."
As the story goes, when Underwood arrived at Stephen F. Austin, administrative assistant Carrie Johnson asked him to name his dream job. She wrote his response on a card, dated it and mailed it to him after he arrived in Champaign.
"Very, very few people get to live out their dream and get their dream job," Underwood said. "Our fan base is very passionate. We can have the greatest home court in the country.
"This is one of those jobs where you can win a national championship. We're a powder keg, and the fuse has been lit."
About the Author
