The Secret Weapon Behind Illinois Basketball’s Elite Eight & Final Four Runs

Brad Underwood has coached plenty of talent at Illinois basketball. Ayo Dosunmu. Kofi Cockburn. Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Keaton Wagler, Andrej Stojaković. But one of the biggest reasons the Illini have reached an Elite Eight and Final Four in the last three seasons may not be a player at all.

It’s a behind-the-scenes system called Profile that a host of NBA teams use.

Developed by former coach Chad Brown, Profile is an athlete-focused personality assessment designed to identify the values, mental traits, and behaviors that often lead to winning basketball. It looks beyond points per game or vertical leap numbers and helps coaches understand who a player really is before he joins the roster.

Illinois has taken it a step further by pairing Profile with AI tools that provide instant feedback on a recruit’s best fit. Coaches can ask whether a player projects more as a star, specialist, glue guy, spark plug, or stabilizer. They can also learn how to motivate that player and maximize his strengths.

Sustained Success for Illinois Basketball

That matters in today’s portal era, where talent alone doesn’t guarantee chemistry. Underwood has prioritized trustworthy, coachable workers over players chasing numbers or quick opportunities.

The best example remains Marcus Domask. Underwood initially had doubts about the Southern Illinois transfer, but Domask’s Profile evaluation highlighted leadership, competitiveness, and team-first qualities. Illinois trusted the process and landed one of the smartest portal additions in program history. Domask averaged 15.9 points, led the team in assists, and helped power the Illini to the Elite Eight.

More recently, Keaton Wagler’s rise showed the same principle. Illinois saw not only talent but the mindset needed to thrive in Champaign.

Every program wants talent. Illinois basketball wants talent that fits.

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