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Illinois Coach Explains Respectful Reason for Skipping Handshakes After Wisconsin Loss

Illinois coach Brad Underwood didn't have his team shake Wisconsin's hands following their game Tuesday due to an illness outbreak in the Illini locker room.

Blake Silverman

Illinois head coach Underwood argues a call during the first half of their game Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Illinois head coach Underwood argues a call during the first half of their game Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-Imagn Images
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Illinois coach Brad Underwood and Wisconsin coach Greg Gard met at half court after the Badgers took down the Fighting Illini handily Tuesday night. After a few moments of awkward discussion, it appeared that Underwood and Gard mutually agreed not to move forward with the traditional handshake line following the game.

The moment didn't seem heated, as both coaching staffs exchanged friendly thumbs-up gestures before they walked back to their respective locker rooms.

Underwood explained the strange scene during his postgame press conference, where he had a thoughtful reason for having his team avoid handshakes.

"At the end of the day guys, we don't have very many healthy bodies," Underwood said to reporters following the game via Glenn Kinley of WCIA, CBS' affiliate in central Illinois. "[Tomislav Ivisic] didn't make the trip with us, he drove up before the game because he said he wanted to try to play and Jake Davis got sick right after pregame. He said he wanted to try to start, but he didn't even join us at halftime, he was in the restroom.

"That's why we didn't shake hands with them after the game. They don't need this. In 38 years I've never seen anything like what's gone through our team."

Underwood said that multiple players on his team have come down with a stomach virus after weeks of some players having flu-like symptoms, as he joked his team needs to wash their hands more. Even though the two teams just played a full game, it was a nice gesture to try and not spread the bug that has worked its way into the Illini locker room.

The No. 11-ranked Badgers beat Illinois 94-75 Tuesday. Illinois won the first game between the two teams this season 86-80 on Dec. 10. The Illini were much healthier for the first showdown.

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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

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