Underwood New Illinois Coach, Illini Readying for Second Round at NIT

University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman hired Brad Underwood as the 18th Fighting Illini men's head coach on Saturday.

Underwood arrives at Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led OSU to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys had one of the most exciting and prolific offenses in the country, standing eighth in the NCAA in scoring (85.7 points per game) and leading the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency in the current kenpom rankings.

Oklahoma State finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 conference record in a season where the Big 12 was rated as the best conference in the nation. Oklahoma State came on strong during the second half of the season, winning 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, which included a pair of five-game winning streaks.

Underwood arrived in Stillwater following a dominant run at Stephen F. Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons. Underwood compiled an 89-14 record at SFA, tied with Brad Stevens (Butler, 2008-10) for the most wins by a head coach in his first three seasons at an NCAA school.

He led SFA to a 28-6 overall record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance in 2016. The Lumberjacks rolled past No. 3 West Virginia in the first round, 70-56, before narrowly missing a trip to the Sweet 16 with a 76-75 defeat to No. 6 Notre Dame in the second round. The Lumberjacks averaged 80.2 points accompanied by high-pressure defense that forced the highest turnover rate in the country (.259).

Underwood's second SFA team went 29-5 in 2015, also advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks ranked seventh in the nation in field goal percentage (.487) and led the NCAA in assists (18.7 apg).

His debut season in Nacogdoches in 2014 included a 29-game winning streak and culminated in a 32-3 record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance after a victory over No. 5 seed VCU in the opening round. Underwood earned the Joe B. Hall award, given to the nation's top first-year coach.

Underwood is a 1986 graduate of Kansas State. He played for the legendary Jack Hartman, K-State's all-time winningest coach. Former Illinois head coach Lon Kruger also played and coached for Hartman at Kansas State. Underwood began his college career at Hardin-Simmons, where he later entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant. Hardin-Simmons was the first college job for Lou Henson, the Fighting Illini's all-time winningest coach, and whose name permanently adorns the court at State Farm Center.

 Following an 82-57 home victory over Valparaiso, the Fighting Illini continue their run in the NIT, hosting Boise State in the second round on Monday at State Farm Center (8 p.m., ESPN).

• Jamall Walker is serving as interim coach during the NIT. Walker has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Illini (Walker bio on p. 12).

• Illinois will take the court in search of its 20th victory, aiming for the program's 32nd 20-win season all-time.

• Senior Malcolm Hill enters Monday's game on the verge of moving into third place Illinois career scoring list. Hill currently ranks fourth with 1,804 points, just behind Illini all-time great Dee Brown (No. 3, 1,812 pts, 2003-06).