COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Illini try to regroup against Wolverines

Jan. 18—CHAMPAIGN — After a game where nothing went right on Sunday, the Illinois men's basketball team is ready to regroup.

The No. 14 Illini (12-4, 3-2 in Big Ten) hit the road today to face Michigan after a 76-67 loss to Maryland at home.

"It was a game that didn't go our way and everything that could have went bad did from missed layups, fumbled balls and missed assignments," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "Sixteen games in, I was hoping that this team was mature enough to avoid emotionally flat games, but these games are bound to happen. Give credit to Maryland, but we were not the same Illinois basketball team. We gave 43 points off mistakes and that's so unlike us. You learn from that and you grow and that is the beauty of league play.

"We were just flat and I don't know any other way to describe it. It was an one-possession game with under two minutes to go and we missed our shots and didn't guard a soul, so we will get that right. You ask why and try to avoid that and get back to work. We were good yesterday in practice and we have to be tougher and more connected and we have done that all year."

For the last few days, Underwood and the Illini were talking about the Maryland game and what they can do to improve.

"You bring it to their attention and ask Why?," Underwood said. "It is getting them to understand what is happening and if it was me that didn't prepare them or the cold weather. We were a little disconnected and it goes hand in hand with missing 16 layups and fumbling a rebound out of bounds. It is about talking about those things and get their perspective on things and they are mature to handle it. We have to have great energy to play the game the right way and we didn't have that."

The Wolverines (7-10, 2-4 in Big Ten) broke a five-game losing streak on Monday with a 73-65 win over Ohio State, but Underwood is not overlooking them.

"You have a talented Michigan team led by Dug (McDaniel) and he's a very dynamic point guard," Underwood said. "Nimari Burnett is at the two and they are big at the 3, 4 and 5 and the (Terrance) Williams kid is coming off a game where he was 5-for-5 from the 3-point line. They are very talented on the offensive side and they play a lot of ball screens with Dug and he's got jet fuel. He's quick and fast and we have to do a better job guarding him than we did (Maryland's Jahmir) Young. But we will bounce back and be better than Sunday."

It will be a white-out at Crisler Center, which means a tough environment for today's game and Underwood and the Illini are fine with that.

"Obviously they (Purdue's Mackey Arena and Crisler Center) are two of the toughest places to play, but we did some good things against Purdue and I think we have played some our of best basketball on the road," Underwood said. "It will be another challenge against another team and each game has its own identity."

The game will be broadcast on FS1 and the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network, which includes WDAN-AM 1490 and WDNL-FM 102.1