All basketball, all the time at semester break

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Dec. 26—CHAMPAIGN — It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Seriously. Just ask Illinois men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood. And it’s not just because of the opportunity to take a few days to celebrate the holiday season.

Underwood loves this time of year for what comes after. The first day of classes for the spring semester at the UI isn’t until Jan. 21. Until then, it’s all basketball, all the time.

The 24th-ranked Illini (8-3) will play seven games between now and the start of the new semester — a 1 p.m. Sunday date with Chicago State (0-14) at State Farm Center is up first — but Underwood intends to make the most of the extra time he has with his team.

“It’s our time,” the Illinois coach said. “Never in my history as a head coach have we not gotten better at semester break. The academic focus is not there. Guys getting in the gym. Guys get extra free throws, they get extra shooting. We can bring them in twice. We can spend a little more time adding and dummying stuff so it sets in.

“Things become habit at this time of year. Guys love it because it’s a time for them to keep adding to their arsenal with individual workouts. It’s been a huge, important time for us.”

A lighter game schedule through the final two weeks of December was simply the entry point to the mid-semester push.

The Chicago State game will be just the third in a 15-day span dating back to the showdown with No. 1 Tennessee on Dec. 14.

End-of-semester responsibilities (i.e. finals) took precedent at some points in that stretch, but there were more days at Ubben Basketball Complex devoted just to practice instead of game prep than at any other point the Illini will have during the season.

“That’s very important — especially just being in the role I’m in,” sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “You never know what you’re going to have to come do. It’s getting the proper reps, and not only that but keeping your body rehabbed, as well. Keeping yourself healthy.”

Underwood will use the next few weeks…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/basketball-time-semester-break-154700039.html

Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Publish date : 2024-12-26 15:47:00

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