“I am no longer a college basketball player.”
That was the realization that Ben Humrichous had to deal with as Illinois’ season came to an abrupt end Saturday night. After six seasons in college and two at Illinois, the graduate student forward was faced with not only the emotions of a historic season ending, but also the reality that this stage of his life is over.
Despite falling short of his ultimate goal, a Final Four being the last game of his college career has been a dream come true for Humrichous, who started off playing NAIA basketball out of high school. Humble as he always is, Humrichous attributed that success to God. He’s spoken openly about his faith since he set foot in Champaign, but Humrichous expanded a lot on that relationship postgame while speaking with reporters.
“When the buzzer sounded, all I wanted to say was praise God for the gift that this was,” Humrichous said. “By God’s grace, I was an Illini, and I had an incredible experience … It’s unlikely a guy would transfer up to Division I at the time and be able to do that. … Understanding what was important every step of the journey, and God’s grace just supplied what I need for that.”
Humrichous has not been alone in his journey, whether that was with basketball or his faith. Head coach Brad Underwood helped Humrichous hone his purpose beyond basketball. Humrichous said that he could speak for “30 minutes” about Underwood’s impact, but he boiled it down to one takeaway: the life lessons are more important than any basketball-related advice, even though Underwood was instrumental in his on-court growth too. Above all, Humrichous learned how to find success outside the confines of the hardwood.
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“He developed the desire to win so much, but above all, what he did is he taught me that winning is finding what’s important, and then dedicating your life to what is important,” Humrichous said. “So, for me, my faith is what’s first. I’m gonna dedicate my life to growing a relationship with Jesus Christ … taking care of my wife and my family. And then finding an avenue of work that’s important, and dedicating your life to that … that’s the core of what coach Brad Underwood taught me while I’m here. I’m incredibly indebted to him, and grateful for him.”
Underwood was trying to hold back the tears and was visibly emotional during his postgame media gaggle. Upon hearing what Humrichous had to say about him, that same emotion stayed on his face.
Relationships are what Underwood has said, time and time again, as being what he values the most as a coach. It’s the end goal with everyone who Underwood chooses to have join his teams – a forever bond that they can use whenever they need. A phone call in 10 years, a lesson that resonates for the rest of their lives or a program that they can always call home. Whatever it is, Underwood is there for them, always.
“Unfortunately I have to win some games to stay employed, but if we impact people, that’s a lifetime,” Underwood said. “I went to his wedding. Not going to be around to coach his kid, but that’s what this thing’s about.”
For Humrichous, all the great things that the Illinois program gave him will define his time in Champaign, despite the end hitting hard in the moment. It wasn’t his or the team’s plan to leave Indianapolis after one game, but it was what happened. Humrichous can accept that, knowing that his time as an Illini is so much more than a single game.
“We wanted to play on Monday night, but we’re not, and that’s the reality of where God has us today,” Humrichous said. “But we’re gonna be so grateful for what this was.”
Just like Underwood, the relationships Humrichous developed during his tenure in Champaign have meant so much. He has brothers for life and a passionate community that will cherish his contributions to a historic program that is back on the rise.
The 2026 Illini will forever be remembered, both with a banner in State Farm Center, and in the minds of every student and fan that experienced their run this season. In 20 years, people will speak about the 2026 team like they do the 2005 team right now, and Humrichous is grateful for that blessing.
“A lot of gratitude, a lot of gratitude for what we were able to do this year,” Humrichous said. “Being a really special team, being a group that did a lot for each other, for so many people in this community. There’s so much gratitude for the coaching staff and the effect that they had on each and every player. The gratitude, player to player … watching so many of my teammates grow over the years.”
That feeling of appreciation will never go away for Humrichous. He’s forever etched his place in the history books, and he did it alongside a group that helped him grow into a better player and person.
As for what’s next, Humrichous is not focused yet on where the game may take him. Putting the finishing touches on this season when he gets back to Champaign is his first priority. This group is not guaranteed to have many more days around each other, and he wants to take full advantage of the time he has left with them.
“Probably spend a lot of time in prayer, just praising God (when I get back),” Humrichous said. “God helped me find a lot of freedom in the game of basketball, but these guys were a big part of that too. So hopefully over the next few days, I’ll be able to show how much of a gift they were in helping me grow and challenging me to play basketball.”
All good things must come to an end, and that is getting closer for Humrichous as he transitions away from the college game over the next few weeks. Champaign, and what this team was able to accomplish, will always have a place in his heart. It may be over, but the memories will never be lost.
“I will not forget this,” Humrichous said. “It was a joy.”
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