Brad Underwood Wants Illinois Basketball to Play Faster—and Here’s Why

Brad Underwood has dropped the same hint twice this summer. He wants Illinois basketball to play faster.

That may not sound groundbreaking on the surface, but when a veteran coach circles back to the same point multiple times during the offseason, it’s usually intentional. Underwood isn’t simply hoping his team runs more. He’s telling us what he believes this roster is capable of becoming.

And that’s a noticeable shift from last season. Illinois basketball averaged just 67.9 possessions per game in 2025-26, ranking 305th nationally in tempo. It wasn’t necessarily a flaw for an offense led by Keaton Wagler. The Illini were one of the country’s most efficient half-court teams, relying on elite passing, skilled frontcourt play and shot-making to dissect defenses without needing to play fast.

But efficiency and pace don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, Underwood’s best teams have blended both. This year’s roster appears built to score before the defense ever gets a chance to set.

Adapting to personnel

Quentin Coleman, Andrej Stojaković and Stefan Vaaks all thrive in the open floor. They’re athletic enough to finish through contact, skilled enough to make the extra pass and versatile enough to attack mismatches before help defenders can rotate. If Illinois creates more transition opportunities, those three could turn fast breaks into one of the team’s biggest offensive weapons rather than simply flowing into another half-court possession.

The frontcourt may be the biggest reason Underwood believes that can happen. The Ivisic brothers’ ability to spread the floor is a major part of this strategy. But the main reason this can work is that David Mirković is more than just a trailer in transition. At 6-foot-9, he’s comfortable handling the ball, making reads and initiating offense from the perimeter, much like Danny Wolf did for Michigan during the 2024-25 season.

If the initial break doesn’t produce a layup, Mirković can catch the ball on the move, force a mismatch and immediately trigger the next action. Whether it’s attacking a slower defender off the dribble, throwing a hit-ahead pass, finding a cutter or flowing into a dribble handoff, he gives Illinois a playmaking hub without slowing the pace. Instead of resetting the offense, the Illini can keep the defense in rotation until it finally breaks down.

A different kind of offseason for Illinois basketball

Continuity should also make it easier to execute. Unlike a year ago, Illinois basketball isn’t spending the offseason teaching an entirely new roster how to play together. Much of the core already understands Underwood’s spacing, timing and offensive concepts, allowing the coaching staff to focus on sharpening pace rather than installing the system.

If Underwood keeps mentioning playing faster, it’s probably because he sees a roster capable of doing it. And if Illinois can pair last season’s offensive efficiency with a significant jump in tempo, the Illini may once again become one of the most difficult offenses in the country to defend.

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