Brad Underwood, Illinois, sent NCAA Tournament warning after UCLA completes historic rally

Four days sit between the Illinois Fighting Illini's marquee matchup with the Michigan Wolverines in Champaign.

But any thought of Brad Underwood's team winning a league title was all but put to rest Saturday night in Westwood when the UCLA Bruins stormed back from a 23-point deficit to complete the second-largest Big Ten comeback ever in a 95-94 overtime thriller.

This stunning loss for the Illini, who led 50-43 at halftime in their second of back-to-back road games in California (the other being a 101-65 win vs. USC), now leaves more questions than answers following guard Donovan Dent's coast-to-coast game-winner.

Field of 68 college basketball analyst Mike LaTulip weighed in on the collapse, delivering the harsh reality as March Madness looms: this can't become the new normal, especially overtime losses.

"A game like this should serve as a wake-up call," LaTulip said. "This is the EXACT type of game that will get you beat in the NCAA Tournament."

Underwood took responsibility for the loss upon speaking to reporters.

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"We're as good as anybody in the country," Underwood said. "I'm pissed off we didn't get a frickin' defensive rebound [to give Tyler Bilodeau two go-ahead free throws with 44 seconds left in regulation], and that's the toughest stuff that you have to have to win. We lose a game like this because we don't get a damn defensive rebound against a team that's hungry. We're plenty good enough. We are plenty good enough. We can't do anything about the injuries and the losses we've had when we haven't been whole. But the missed free throws and the defensive rebounding, that's the stuff that just burns my rear end."

Now, it's onto the Wolverines.

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Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

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