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Big Ten basketball: 5 bold predictions for 2020-2021 NCAA basketball season

By Cody Williams

Feb 29, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes center Luka Garza (55) reacts during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 29, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes center Luka Garza (55) reacts during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Big Ten basketball
Illinois Fighting Illini (Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports) /

Big Ten basketball Coach of the Year: Brad Underwood, Illinois

The first testament to Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood is the strength of the roster that he has in Champaign. He kept a team that almost won the Big Ten basketball title a season ago almost wholly intact and is now ready to run it back for another push to win the conference. And this year, he may well get the job done.

Underwood’s team is perfectly set up for him to make a strong push to win Coach of the Year. This is a veteran team whose best players are experienced but that has also brought in a host of young players who should contribute meaningful minutes this season. And how Underwood manages that and likely succeeds in doing so will be to his credit.

Furthermore, it should be stated that Underwood doesn’t necessarily need to win the Big Ten to capture this award. He doesn’t have the superstar that other teams do but, rather, has a strong overall roster and gameplan that he has cultivated. If the Illini are even competing at the top of the conference again, he should be getting his due for that happening.

There are some heavy hitters in the Big Ten coaching ranks but Underwood’s situation and the job he’s already proven capable of doing should be enough to get him the nod as the conference’s best this year.