Basketball

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 28, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are Elite once again, and they face a familiar foe in Big Ten rival Iowa. The 9 seeded Hawkeyes have found a way to pull upsets over #1 seed Florida and #4 seed Nebraska and are the last ‘Cinderella’ remaining in the bracket.

Illinois has won 3 games by double digits and has continued to showcase a dynamic offense, but have added in a tremendous defense, slowing down all 3 opponents with precision execution on both ends.

Here. We. Go.

Setting the Stage
2026 NCAA Tournament // Regional Final // South Region
3 Illinois (27-8, 15-5 B1G) vs. 9 Iowa (24-12, 10-10 B1G)
Saturday, March 28 // 5:09 p.m. CT // Houston, Texas // Toyota Center
TV: TBS/TruTV – Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy, & Lauren Shehadi
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas National Radio: Westwood One – Spero Dedes (Play-By-Play) & Fran Fraschilla (Analyst) Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 209 or 202

Notable
*Following Thursday night's 65-55 victory over 2 seed Houston in the Sweet Sixteen, the 3 seed Fighting Illini advance to the Elite Eight against 9 seed Iowa on Saturday in Houston (5:09 p.m. CT, TBS/TruTV).

*Illinois won its 27th game of the season, tied for the fourth-most wins in program history. Brad Underwood is the first head coach in Illinois program history to win 27+ games in multiple seasons. 1. 2005 - Bruce Weber, 37-2 – National Runner-Up 2. 1989 - Lou Henson, 31-5 – Final Four 3. 2024 - Brad Underwood, 29-9 – Elite Eight T4. 2025 - Brad Underwood, 27-8 – Elite Eight T4. 2001 - Bill Self, 27-8 – Elite Eight

*Illinois also picked up its third win over an AP top-5 ranked opponent this season, tying the program record set in 1951-52. Illinois is making its 36th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and sixth* straight (*seventh precluded by cancellation of 2020 Tournament due to COVID-19).

*Illinois is playing in the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. In 2024, Head Coach Brad Underwood also led the Fighting Illini to an Elite Eight appearance, the program's first since 2005.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 28, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini have advanced to the Elite 8 and will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday at 5:09 PM CST in a battle of Big Ten rivals. But before we move on, let’s clean up the notebook from the Houston game.

First-year defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker continues to earn praise from his boss after Illinois holds Houston down in one of the program’s best results on that end of the floor.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

HOUSTON — Asked how Camryn Crocker got this new group of Illinois players to buy into his defensive philosophy and teachings, Kylan Boswell summed it up fairly succinctly.

“If we didn’t do it, we ran,” Boswell said. “So, yeah, pretty simple.”

Crocker was hired in May after conversations between him and Illinois ninth-year head coach Brad Underwood centered around the thin margins of turning the Illini defense from good to great. Crocker’s offseason questions about the defensive end of the floor was how a younger and new assistant coach would get these group of players to collectively agree on the system differences and philosophical changes.

“Whether it’s Xs and Os or being able to relate to us as players, Cam is just a rising star as a coach,” Illinois veteran wing Jake Davis said. “I think the coaching staff has 100 percent trust in what he’s doing with our defense. Day one, he forced us to buy in and showed us that his knowledge is off the charts. If you can prove to us players that you know what you’re talking about, it’s 100 percent buy-in from that point.”

Less than 24 hours, we look at whether Brad Underwood can get on the same historical tier of Lou Henson with a win on Saturday notching Underwood’s first Final Four appearance.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

HOUSTON — Even after arguably the biggest win in his tenure in Champaign-Urbana, Brad Underwood couldn’t help but acknowledge there’s two banners he’s still not guaranteed at State Farm Center: Final Four and national championship.

“It’s simple and I’ve never run from this when I’m asked. The goal has been to win a national championship here,” Underwood said. “If the day were to ever come where I don’t feel like we’re capable of doing that here, I’ll step aside and go do something else.”

The obvious question becomes if Illinois (27-8) can advance past tomorrow evening and into a Final Four, does Underwood, in his ninth season leading the Illini program, match the overall postseason production and legacy of legendary head coach Lou Henson?

While it may seem overwhelming for Underwood, who is the is the fourth Illinois coach (along with Henson, Bill Self and Bruce Weber) to lead the Illini to multiple Sweet 16 appearances since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975, to be compared to the man whose name (along with his wife, Mary) is on the playing floor at State Farm Center. The story of postseason success may actually lean toward Underwood, who is now 11-9 all-time in NCAA Tournament history, but the overall longevity of program consistency will likely always stay in the category of Henson, who roamed the Illini sidelines from 1975 to 1996.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuy Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When the season began, the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball had national title aspirations. The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball were simply hoping to make the NCAA Tournament.

Now, both programs meet Saturday in Houston with a trip to the Final Four on the line in Indianapolis.

Much has changed since Illinois escaped Iowa City with a 75-69 win on Jan. 19. Iowa has evolved offensively, developing a more balanced attack around All-Big Ten performer Bennett Stirtz. Contributors like Cooper Koch and Alvaro Folgueiras have emerged as reliable scoring threats, giving the Hawkeyes added depth.

Illinois, meanwhile, has remained potent offensively. But its postseason surge has been defined by defense, led by senior guard Kylan Boswell and freshman Keaton Wagler.

The Illini backcourt has reshaped the team’s defensive identity, setting the tone with toughness, communication, and trust. Any notion of Illinois overlooking Iowa has been dismissed internally, especially by a duo that understands the stakes.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer March 27, […]

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

In a game where he missed six of his first seven shots, Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler posted career-high 12 rebounds and his third double-double in the Illini’s win over Houston.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

HOUSTON — In the midst of the post-game media conference at podium, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp happen to look down for a second at the box score placed in front of his microphone in utter amazement.

“Wagler had 12 rebounds,” Sharp exclaimed. “That's crazy.”

Keaton Wagler says he doesn’t remember which Illinois coach told him in locker room before his pre-game warmups that 10 rebounds was an objective. And It’s too bad because the consensus All-American would probably like to go to that person to say this task was completed and then some against one of the more physical and fierce opponents the Illini has faced this season.

“Yeah, he's a great listener. We've talked for a week about it,” Underwood said about his team’s need for perimeter rebounding. “Our bigs were going to have to hit bodies, but our guards were going to have to come clean it up. So we needed a big, big rebounding game from our guards. I thought Keaton just takes everything to heart.”

More than once, what you saw numerous times Thursday night in the painted area near the rim was big bodies flying in every direction once the basketball hit the rim and then TBS/TruTV play-by-play Kevin Harlan would say the name “Wagler” with the ball through all the carnage.

“I took that challenge on. I went in there, tried to play as tough as I could, not let them get any second-chance rebounds,” Wagler said. “So I went in there and tried to get every rebound I could.”

And if you could only see the smile that came across Underwood’s face when he heard the Big Ten Freshman of the Year selection seated right next to the Illini ninth-year head coach say the words “play as tough as I could”.

Illinois took Houston’s reputation as a physical bully and turned it against the 2-seed Cougars in their hometown to pull off a satisfying Sweet 16 victory.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 27, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

HOUSTON — Since arriving in Houston this week, seemingly everybody on the Illinois roster had been describing this regional semifinal matchup as a fight.

After 40 minutes of what seemed like every form of physical contact, the Illini won on all scorecards in form of a what manifested itself in a dominating 65-55 victory. Whether it was about defensively keeping Houston out of the paint, Illinois threw more punches by holding the 2-seed Cougars to just 18 points in the paint. Whether it was about keeping Houston off the offensive glass, the hometown team here in the Bayou City to just 10 second-chance points.

Houston (30-7) didn’t get a single run-out for a fastbreak bucket. If the goal was defending without fouling, the Illini held their opponent to just two free throws. And maybe most importantly, Illinois (27-8) threw the first representative punch in this fight by running off an early eight-point lead in the first half despite shooting just 35 percent from the field.

“We were just ready to set the tone and we delivered the first hit and didn’t stop throwing punches at them,” said Illinois freshman forward David Mirkovic, who ended with 14 points and 10 rebounds. “When we have that physicality on defense and control the boards, we’re a very, very good basketball team.”

The game plan created by defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker to hedge ball screens and not allow Houston’s perimeter scorers to get downhill in the paint limited Houston to just seven layup or dunk attempts on Thursday night in front of a mostly stunned partisan crowd.

By IlliniGuys Staff March 26, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As Illinois prepares for a high-stakes Sweet 16 matchup against Houston, the program’s future is already taking shape. The Illini have secured three commitments in the class of 2026, and each incoming freshman reflected on their high school careers while offering insight into tonight’s showdown with the Houston Cougars.

Ethan Brown
Ethan Brown, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Rolla, Missouri, capped off an impressive high school career despite a disappointing finish.

"Our season ended not the way we expected it to. We lost in the second round of the postseason on a one-footed, prayer- one three-pointer at the buzzer. I also played with the flu that game, and it just wasn’t a great way for me to go out, but I competed."

Brown helped lead Rolla High School to a 22-6 record while putting up standout numbers.

"We finished our season with a 22-6 record. I finished the season averaging 24.0 points a game, 6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.2 steals per game. I also passed the 2,500 scoring mark during my career at Rolla Sr. High School."

Amongst the pay-for-play and transfer portal-centric nature of the sport, both Illinois and Houston have built Final Four caliber operations in 2025-26 around talented freshmen.

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

ILLINOIS vs. HOUSTON

Records: Illinois 26-8, 15-5 in Big Ten Conference; Houston 30-6, 14-4 in Big 12 Conference

Date/Time/Place: Thursday March 26, 2026: 9:05 p.m. CST, Toyota Center in Houston

Capacity: 19,000

ODDS: Houston by 2.5

Series notes: Series tied 3-3 but Houston won the only meeting between the two schools in the NCAA Tournament 68-53, in the 2022 second round matchup in Pittsburgh. Taze Moore scored 21 points and Jamal Shead added 18 as Houston advanced despite Illinois. All-American center Kofi Cockburn scoring 19 in 38 minutes to lead Illinois. The Illini didn’t have an answer for poor shooting (6-for-25 on threes) or turnovers (17).

TV: TBS/TruTV; Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel & Stan Van Gundy (color analysts) and Lauren Shehadi (sideline reporter)

Local Radio (Illinois); Brian Barnhart (play-by-play); Deon Thomas (analyst)

National Radio: (Westwood One); Spero Dedes (play-by-play) & Fran Fraschilla (color analyst); SiriusXM – 209 or 202

HOUSTON — Within the race of nearly every dominant college basketball program to get older and more experienced, the highlighted regional semifinal matchup have put up a red flag to win with youth.

It’s not an accident that both Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson both generate over each’s opposing scouting report with a smile because they’re both eerily similar in terms of roster construction philosophy.

“I think we’ve both done it with players that fit him and players that fit us. It’s not just a talent grab and pay a guy this or that.,” Underwood said Wednesday. “We saw their freshmen on the summer circuit and when they committed and signed (at Houston), it was like ‘oh yeah, that makes sense with the way they play and what they demand’.”

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 26, 2026

The Illini are back on the big stage in the Sweet 16 against perennial power Houston in the best matchup of the Thursday action. Of course, due to the Illini luck factor they will play Houston in Houston following the Iowa-Nebraska game on the other side of the bracket. These two teams have each had moments of struggle during the season, but both teams are now peaking and lead the tourney in point differential thus far.

It will be the #2 offense against the #4 defense in a matchup that everyone has been waiting to see.

Setting the Stage
2026 NCAA Tournament // Regional Semifinal // South Region
#3 Illinois (26-8, 15-5 B1G) vs. #2 Houston (30-6, 14-4 Big 12)
Thursday, March 26 // 9:05 p.m. CT // Houston, Texas // Toyota Center
TV: TBS/TruTV – Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel & Stan Van Gundy & Lauren Shehadi
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas National Radio: Westwood One – Spero Dedes (Play-By-Play) & Fran Fraschilla (Analyst) Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 209 or 202

Notable
*Houston has just 1 win against teams remaining in the field. Illinois has 3. The Illini are 3-3 against the remaining field, while the Cougars are 1-4.

*Houston and Illinois have both struggled in close games. The Cougars have a 3-4 mark , while the Illini are 4-6 in games within 2 possessions. Houston’s close wins are against Auburn, Syracuse and Texas Tech.

*The Wagler and Flemings matchup should have NBA Scouts drooling, seeing two talented guards with the ability to take charge of games. Who takes this one over? I expect both teams to work hard to slow the other one down. Look for Illinois to match up hunt against Flemings to make him play defense, but also because he is not known as being a great defender at this point in his career.

*We have often talked about how David Mirkovic is the key player for the Illini, and one of the key players for Houston is Chris Cernac who will be matched up with him. Chris Cenac Jr. had 17 points and nine rebounds in their blowout win over Texas A&M. Both are talented freshmen who are key cogs for each of these teams.

*Since 1975, when the field was increased to 32 teams, Illinois has advanced to the Sweet 16 10 times, the Elite Eight five times, and the Final Four twice. Illinois has 10 all-time Elite Eight appearances, and 13 total Sweet 16 appearances. The Illini most recently played in both of those rounds in 2024.

*Illinois’ five Final Four appearances are second-most among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Houston (7), and tied with Oklahoma

*This is the first time in more than 20 years that Illinois has made two Sweet 16 appearances in a three year span, since a run of four Sweet 16s in five years from 2001-05: » 2001-Elite Eight » 2002-Sweet 16 » 2004-Sweet 16 » 2005-National Runner Up.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – March basketball has once again placed Illinois in familiar territory.

The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team is headed to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three years under head coach Brad Underwood, establishing a stretch of postseason consistency that has energized the program and its fan base. While the focus remains on the court, speculation is already building off it as the 2025-26 season nears its conclusion.

With only 16 teams remaining and the season dwindling, conversations around roster movement, recruiting, and retention have intensified across college basketball. Illinois is no exception, but those closest to the program suggest the priority remains firmly on the present.

“Don't believe everything you hear about certain players leaving and how many are staying. If possible, the idea is to keep as many players as possible who can help Illinois and want to be there. The team is still trying to get back to a Final Four (for the first time) since 2005, and the school's first national title. So right now there's no talk about any of this until the season is over", said one source.

That message reflects a program locked in on making a deep tournament run rather than getting caught up in offseason noise.

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