Basketball

By IlliniGuys Staff February 1, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

February 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini flew into Lincoln on Saturday for their biggest game of the season, at least this week. They will take on the surprising Nebraska Cornhuskers who continue to defy expectations. In their first meeting, the Illini lost 83-80 on a last second 3 pointer, but Nebraska controlled the game with their physicality and offensive precision for much of the afternoon before a late Illini surge almost stole the game.

Since that outing, Illinois has been the #1 team in the country, winning 10 in a row, while Nebraska finally lost earlier this week in a heartbreaker at Michigan. This should be a good one. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Setting the Stage
#9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 B1G) at #5Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 B1G)
Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 // 3 p.m. CT // Lincoln, Neb. // Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: FS1 – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Nick Bahe (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger
National Radio: Westwood One – Nate Gatter (Play-By-Play) & Will Perdue (Analyst)

Notable
*Sunday's game is a White Out and it is the first time the Huskers have hosted a top-10 matchup in Lincoln and just the third top-10 matchup in school history.

*The Illini and Huskers are both 9-1 midway through the Big Ten race, with Sunday's winner moving into a first-place tie with Michigan. Illinois is riding a 10-game win streak, the program's longest since opening the 2012-13 season at 12-0. It is the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, third among Power Five teams, and seventh nationally. Sunday is a rematch from Dec. 13 in Champaign, when Nebraska won on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, 83-80. That game marks the only loss for the Fighting Illini over the last two months (12-1).

*Illinois heads to Lincoln in search of another top-10 road victory. The Illini have earned six top-10 wins in visiting arenas under Brad Underwood over the last seven seasons, tied with Alabama for most in the nation.

*Following last Saturday's win at No. 4 Purdue, the Fighting Illini enter the matchup at No. 5 Nebraska in search of consecutive road wins against top-5 teams for the first time in school history.

*Illinois is 18-3 overall, owning its best start in 20 years, since opening the 2005-06 season at 20-2.

*The Huskers (20-1, 9-1 B1G) look to bounce back from a 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday. Nebraska, which was without two of its top three scorers, led for most of the game and was up 72-69 before the Wolverines closed the game with a 6-0 run to escape with the win. Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort led the Huskers with 20 points apiece while Sam Hoiberg added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nebraska held Michigan to 1.05 points per possession and forced 19 Wolverine turnovers. The loss snapped Nebraska's 24-game win streak dating back to the 2025 College Basketball Crown and ended the longest win streak in college basketball since Gonzaga won 35 straight games spanning the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSOcMt6yawA    

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

January 30, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini won their 10th in a row over a tough Washington team 75-66 at the State Farm Center on Thursday night behind another stellar performance from Keaton Wagler, who posted 22 points 8 assists and 5 rebounds, while also getting 129 from David Mirkovic and 14 from a revitalized Ben Humrichous.

The Illini got off to a slow start offensively and trailed 7-0 early, but once they took an 8-7 lead they never trailed and never saw Washington get closer than 5 in the second half to move to 18-3 and 9-1 in the Big Ten.

Here’s a Rewind.

These 3 Things

Poise and Precision

By IlliniGuys Staff January 29, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

January 29, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Setting the Stage
#9 Illinois (17-3, 8-1 B1G) vs. Washington (11-9, 3-6 B1G)
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 // 8 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: FS1 – Jeff Levering (Play-by-Play) & Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

Notable
*Winners of nine straight games, No. 9 Illinois is back in action at home on Thursday night vs. Washington. It is the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers game at State Farm Center. Illini head coach Brad Underwood will be wearing custom-painted CvC Nike Air Force 1s on the State Farm Center sidelines Thursday night when the Illini take on Washington. The Fighting Illini staff is joining coaches from across the country who are participating in the annual Suits & Sneakers Week.

* Illinois' nine-game win streak is the program's longest since opening the 2012-13 season at 12-0. It is the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, third among Power Five teams, and seventh nationally. Illinois is 17-3 overall, matching its best start since 2008-09. The Illini enter Thursday in search of the program's best 21-game record since opening the 2005-06 campaign at 19-2.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green has hope her program’s fifth loss of the 2025-26 season to a ranked team will serve as a preparation lesson for an upcoming March game.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 29, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If Wednesday night served as possible preliminary contest to a future NCAA Tournament matchup for Illinois, the 13-point loss could represent something that might carry Shauna Green’s young team for the final two months.

While NCAA Tournament bracket projections are much more difficult to find in the women’s basketball world, ESPN.com analyst Charlie Creme has had Illinois on the 8-9 seed line for much of the last two months. If Creme’s analysis is to be taken seriously, Illinois (15-6, 5-5 in Big Ten Conference) would see a national championship contender in a second round matchup similarly to how their 2024-25 season ended to top-seed Texas in the Moody Center in Austin, Texas to a Longhorns team that eventually advanced to the Final Four.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 28, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois vs. No. 2 UCLA Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 27, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Once labeled a lightly regarded recruit and questioned for his frame, Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler has rapidly transformed from an overlooked high school prospect into one of the most talked-about young players in college basketball and a potential NBA lottery pick.

While much of the country has been stunned by Wagler’s rapid rise, there is at least one person who is not surprised: David Birch, the head boys basketball coach at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Kansas.

Birch, Wagler’s high school coach, recently spoke with IlliniGuys in an exclusive interview about Wagler’s development, recruitment, and what always set him apart.

At the high school level, Wagler’s recruiting rankings hardly suggested a future NBA discussion.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular January 27, 2025 The […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Let’s start this week’s edition with the big win at Mackey Arena over the Purdue Boilermakers, 88-82.

Some people in the Purdue camp are a little baffled as to why the Illinois players and coaches celebrated so much after the win. There are several reasons. Brad Underwood and Matt Painter both understand the significance of wins and losses between the two programs, recruiting some of the same players as of late for starters.

Don’t let anyone underplay the competition between the two programs. Since the early 2020s, Illinois has 89 wins, and Purdue has 88. The Boilermakers have made one Final Four; the Illini have advanced to the Elite Eight.

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

January 25, 2026

Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith was amazing on Saturday for Purdue, posting 27 points and 12 assists, Illini Freshman Keaton Wagler was better. Wagler scored 46 points to lead Illinois to an 88-82 upset in Mackey Arena over #4 Purdue, setting a flurry of records and getting Illinois to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play.

The most amazing thing was that Wagler scored his 46 points on just 17 shots. His efficiency was off the charts, and it wasn’t just the 9-11 from 3, it was the assists, the hockey assists, making 2’s, and getting to the foul line. Even one of his turnovers was a clear no call on a drive

These 3 Things

The Right Reads

On a night he scored the most points ever for a Purdue opponent inside Mackey Arena, IlliniGuys.com looks at four straight possessions where Keaton Wagler made the perfect pass.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 24, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With four minutes remaining, Keaton Wagler had already produced 42 points.

At that point, the Illinois freshman guard owned the record for the most points by a single player opponent in the 58-year history of Mackey Arena. The problem for Illinois was they were still behind on the team scoreboard 73-70. It was at point that Wagler, one of the biggest surprises in this supremely talented freshman class of players, had clearly showed his ability to pump in points and fill up his own scoring column. It was the final four minutes where Wagler showed the mental, emotional and physical maturity critical to winning.

In four straight possessions that all ended with a made three-point shot, Wagler had the basketball in his hands and did exactly what both benches wanted him to do - give it up to a teammate. A three-pointer to Tomislav Ivisic on a two-man game where the Purdue center Oscar Cluff blitzed Wagler in a double-team leaving the veteran Illini big all alone at the top of the key tied the score at 73 with three minutes and 31 seconds left.