Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:

Geoff Alexander was one of the first people to show up for last week’s Black Lives Matter march organized by the Illinois football team and attended by athletes and coaches from multiple Illini sports. I can say that with authority because I beat Alexander, assistant to the head coach and offensive coordinator for Brad Underwood, to Grange Grove last Monday. The Herald and Review’s Joey Wagner and I were the first people there, arriving at the same time as event organizer Kendrick Green.

Alexander was soon joined by other members of the Illinois men’s basketball staff. Underwood was there himself along with assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman. They participated in the march in support of the Illini basketball players that were also in attendance.

“That means a lot,” Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk said about the coaches marching alongside the athletes. The redshirt freshman forward was one of several Illini basketball players at the march and was joined by Trent Frazier, Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins and Tyler Undewood (at least who I saw).

“Them supporting us means they stand behind us not only as basketball players but really as people on a personal level,” Bosmans-Verdonk continued. “That’s really important to have a good relationship like that off the court, too. We’re athletes, but at the same time we’re more than that. The coaches supporting us? That’s big time.”