‘There wasn’t anything to say”’: How A Player-Led Timeout Flipped Momentum For Illini

How a 30-second timeout where Illinois head coach Brad Underwood stayed silent turned a possible defeat into a 98-87 victory in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 16, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Pickrell/IlliniGuys)

MINNEAPOLIS — With 18 minutes and 37 seconds left, Brad Underwood took a critical 30-second timeout expecting to be the main character of a much-needed, desperation momentum shift. 

Turns out, the Illinois head coach was not even a supporting actor but just a silent spectator. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Underwood said to IlliniGuys.com in . . .

 

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