CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois’ historically efficient offense is on track to become even more dangerous.
Last season, Illinois produced one of the most efficient offenses in the history of college basketball, anchored by two elite processors in Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler. As the Illini turn the page to a new season, Brad and Tyler Underwood are revamping that offense, aiming to pick up the tempo, share the ball more and continue to hunt for gold medal shots.
“I think we’re trying to play faster.”
— BRAD UNDERWOOD
Mitigating variance with tempo
Tyler Underwood’s 2025-26 offense ranked No. 1 In KenPom for most of the season, partly due to the Illini’s slow, calculated tempo on offense. And when they couldn’t find a basket, they leaned on late-clock playmaking and isolation from Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic.
After falling on the wrong side of the margins in multiple overtime games last season, the coaching staff’s goal is to mitigate variance.
EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 7: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) shoots the game tying free throw during a college basketball game between the Michigan State Spartans and Illinois Fighting Illini on February 7, 2026 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. (Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Tyler Underwood views it as a statistical safeguard.
“If there’s a game where you’re favorite to win the game, if you can get more possessions, the odds are in your favor,” Tyler Underwood said. “Versus if you play slower, there’s more risk.”
At the same time, it’s tougher to take care of the basketball and make the right split-second decision while moving at a faster pace, or “value the basketball” as Tyler Underwood put it.
Brad Underwood echoed that need for composure:
“We need to be able to do that without losing our minds,” Brad Underwood said.
Veteran forward Jake Davis added that if they can take care of the basketball moving at a faster tempo, it’ll tire opponents out more.
Group full of quarterbacks
Instead of searching for a ball-handling replacement and aiming to fill the hole that Keaton Wagler left, Illinois’ goal is to run the offense through a roster that Brad Underwood described as having “a lot of quarterbacks.”
Jake Davis backed that up, admitting that there won’t be a primary ball-handler for this Illinois offense like there was last season.
“It’s gonna be kind of a team effort to take the load off of everybody,” Davis said. “It’s gonna be super free flowing, everybody is gonna do what they need to do.”
Andrej Stojakovic noted that he has been taking a lot more on-ball duties while David Mirkovic recovers from his foot injury, but also highlighted his understanding of creating space for his teammates and staying a threat off the ball.
COLUMBUS, OH – DECEMBER 09: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) drives to the basket against Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brandon Noel (14) during the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio on December 9, 2025. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Tyler Underwood specifically touched on an attribute he’s developed on the ball that his teammates will benefit from.
“He’s gotten better at driving the basketball and making reads underneath the free-throw line, which is going to take his game to the next level,” Tyler Underwood said.
That downhill pressure will work best if Stojakovic’s teammates are just as comfortable switching on and off the ball to find the best looks at a bucket. Freshman Quentin Coleman will do just that with his willingness to play anywhere along the perimeter to keep the offense moving.
“Whatever Brad, the coaching staff feels like I’m best at and what’s gonna impact winning, that’s what I’m gonna do,” Coleman said.
A familiar aspect of last year’s offensive scheme that Illinois is reinforcing is the gold, silver and bronze shot-selection process that played a massive part in the Illini’s efficiency rating. In Illinois’ case, gold-medal shots include open layups and open threes, silver-medal shots include long twos and semi-contested threes and bronze-medal shots include isolation mid-range jumpers, late-clock threes and tough twos.
The returning veterans have spent countless hours in practice perfecting this process, but it’ll take some time for newcomers like Stefan Vaaks who are eager to let it fly to fully grasp the concept.
“I know that I can shoot the ball and I will take some tough ones, and honestly, they sometimes give me the green light which means a lot to me,” Vaaks said. “Even if sometimes I can take a bad shot, they will tell me we can get a better one.”
But at the same time, Tyler Underwood explained that it’s not a black-and-white concept, and depends on the circumstances. Better 3-point shooters may be given more freedom to take tough shots, like Keaton Wagler was given.
“I think the question we’re asking is, you know, who am I? Who are my teammates?” Tyler Underwood said. “Understanding situations, basketball is a complex game.”
If Illinois’ “quarterbacks” can utilize their athleticism to up the tempo while taking care of the ball, they will find themselves with more possessions and therefore more scoring opportunities. If they make the most of those opportunities and learn the difference between a good shot and a great shot, this offense could break even more records than it did last season.