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Baylor vs. Illinois: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 matchup

By Benjamin Zacher

CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball against Joe Toussaint #1 of the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball against Joe Toussaint #1 of the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Brad Underwood Trent Frazier Ayo Dosunmu Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Brad Underwood Trent Frazier Ayo Dosunmu Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

3. Brad Underwood has faced an uphill climb during his tenure at Illinois – and now, four years in, he has the opportunity to separate Illinois from the pack

There is no denying that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood knows how to win.  He turned Stephen F. Austin into a mid-major powerhouse in the Southland Conference, led Oklahoma State to the NCAA Tournament in his lone season there, and has turned Illinois into a premier team in the Big Ten.

It has not been easy for Underwood during his time with the Illini, however.  Inheriting a program that had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013, Underwood struggled and endured his first-ever losing seasons as a head coach, going 14-18 in his first year before following that with up a 12-21 showcase in 2018-19.

His second season provided some marquee victories that indicated that the Illini were an up-and-coming crew, including wins over nationally-ranked Maryland and Michigan State teams.  This past season – obviously, much more successful for Underwood – saw the Illini collect wins over nationally-ranked Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa.

However, considering the highest national ranking that Illinois has received during Underwood’s tenure was 19th, the Illini have not faced expectations as high as this in a long time.  With that brings the need for program-defining wins – particularly for a crew that spent the majority of last year unranked.

Underwood knows how to secure program-defining victories – he did it twice during his three seasons at Stephen F. Austin, with NCAA Tournament victories over VCU in 2014 and West Virginia in 2016.  While those wins over nationally-ranked Big Ten teams have been huge, Underwood has yet to claim a program-defining win out of conference with expectations as high as this.

With the top of the Big Ten currently a log-jam nationally, between Iowa (no. 3), Wisconsin (no. 4), Illinois (no. 5), and Michigan State (no. 8), the Fighting Illini have the perfect opportunity to separate themselves from the crowd.  A win against Baylor would surpass any victory earned by the other three teams, and would almost certainly cement the Illini as the favorite in the Big Ten.

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