Basketball

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Illini at #9 Iowa Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 - […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 25, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Girls Hoops)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As Illinois women’s basketball continues to build under head coach Shauna Green, assistant coach DeAntoine Beasley has remained a steady presence since the staff’s arrival in 2022. Known as “Cat,” Beasley’s long standing relationships in the game are helping the Illini connect with prospects early, including one of the nation’s most promising young players with Illinois ties.

Beasley, who played collegiately at Tennessee Tech, has maintained a close bond with former teammate Rusty Strange. That connection has helped bring Rusty’s daughter, Austin Strange, onto Illinois’ radar as she develops into one of the top young players in the country.

Austin Strange, a member of the class of 2030, already stands a legitimate 6-foot-3 wing with guard-like skills. The Strange family recently visited Illinois and came away thoroughly impressed with what they saw in Champaign.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 23, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s basketball program recently hosted several recruits on campus for a home game against Indiana at State Farm Center. Among the visitors, few names generated more buzz than Warren Township High School four-star guard Jaxon Davis.

The 6-foot-0, 165-pound standout from Gurnee, Illinois, is widely regarded as one of the state’s premier prospects in the 2027 class. Illinois did not bring Davis to campus as a courtesy visit. The Illini staff, led by assistant coach Zach Hamer, is working diligently to secure his commitment in what is shaping up as a highly competitive recruitment.

In an era when many elite prospects leave their high school programs for national prep schools, Davis has chosen a different path. He has remained at Warren Township, a decision rooted in family, community, and continuity.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green is now 8-0 against […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 22, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Up 23 in the first half, No. 10 Illinois looked untouchable. By the end, it looked stunned.

Following the loss, members of the team were on the same page that the loss stemmed from mental lapses and issues with the team’s scout. The Illini stuck to their scouting report by leaving low-percentage shooters open and playing the numbers game. UCLA made them pay.

“It was so easy early, but there’s no let-up,” head coach Brad Underwood said. “You can’t do that. We let them find a rhythm, and we let really average shooters on their team start making shots and get comfortable, and then it stressed us.”

The bubbling stress culminated at the end of the first half with what Underwood called a freshman mistake from guard Keaton Wagler – a foul on a Trey Perry desperation heave from beyond the arc that was called a shooting foul, leading to three points from the free-throw line. IlliniGuys’ Zeno Jo asked Underwood about whether Illinois’ failures down the stretch simply boiled down to trusting the scout to a fault, which he responded to with a resounding yes.

Illinois moves to 0-3 in overtime games as they […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 21, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Beyond the memes, the devoted fans, and the hairstyle that has captivated a fanbase, forward Jake Davis has steadily grown to become one of the most important rotational pieces in an Illinois men’s basketball team that seems destined for postseason success.

By the numbers, Davis has improved his points, assists, and rebounds per game while more than doubling his minutes per game, all while shooting more efficiently than he did last year. While all of those numbers are up, they pale in comparison to Davis’s freshman season at Mercer, where he was the third option in the Bears’ offense.

Now in the role of a glue guy, Davis says “I think I’m very self-aware, you know what I mean?” Davis said. “Even on my high school team, I had a bunch of really good players around me. I realized that to win games, you take advantage of people’s strengths, and at this level, we have so many guys who are so good at different things.”

Head coach Brad Underwood called Davis and teammate Ben Humrichous two of the greatest glue guys in the nation following the team’s 101-65 win over USC earlier in the week. In the blowout, the pair combined for 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting from deep. Davis says that he defines a glue guy as someone who does the little things on and off the court to help the team improve.

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

February 21, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini have one more West Coast matchup on Saturday night when they take on UCLA in a matchup of NCAA tournament teams. Illinois still has an outside shot at a Big Ten title and a #1 seed, but this win would likely keep them entrenched on the 2-line and make the Michigan matchup next Friday the biggest game of the Big Ten season.

Here’s a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage
#10 Illinois (22-5, 13-3 B1G) at UCLA (17-9, 9-6 B1G)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 // 7 p.m. CT (5 p.m. PT) // Los Angeles, Calif. // Pauley Pavilion
TV: FOX – Tim Brando (Play-by-Play) & Jim Jackson (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

Notable
* No. 10 Illinois closes a two-game road trip to Los Angeles on Saturday night, facing UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.

*Illinois is coming off two wins coinciding with the returns of Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic from injury. The Illini posted a 71-51 home win over Indiana on Sunday as Boswell returned from a seven-game absence (hand). Illinois limited the Hoosiers to a season-low 51 points (20 in the second half). David Mirkovic led all scorers with 25 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists. Wednesday night, Stojakovic returned after missing two games (ankle) and tallied a game-high 22 points – one of seven Illini to score in double figures – to help lead Illinois to a 101-65 road win at USC. The 36-point victory was Illinois' largest in a B1G road win in 80 years.

*Keaton Wagler, named Thursday to the Naismith Trophy Late-Season Team, is also the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the sixth time this season. Wagler has netted 490 points, just five away from breaking the Illini freshman season scoring record of 494 total points set by Cory Bradford in 1998-99 and equaled by Kasparas Jakucionis last year.

*Illinois leads the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (131.9), owning what currently stands as the highest offensive rating in the history of the kenpom era (since 1996-97).

*Illinois ranks fourth in the latest NET rankings and is tied for second in the nation with five Quad 1A wins. Illinois is 22-5 overall, the program's best record since going 25-5 during the regular season in 2005-06 Illinois' 13-3 Big Ten record is its best since the 2004-05 squad that went 15-1, swept Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Final Four before finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2. Illinois has won at least 13 Big Ten games five times in the last seven seasons, with head coach Brad Underwood accounting for five of the eight-winningest Big Ten seasons in school history with a school-record 16 wins in 2021, 15 in 2022, 14 in 2024, and 13 in both 2020 and 2026.

*Illinois is 7-1 on the road in Big Ten play, one away from the school record eight league road wins in 2020-21.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 21, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The buzz around Illinois’ 2025 women’s basketball recruiting class was unmistakable long before the players arrived on campus. Touted as one of the most decorated classes in recent memory, the five-player group carried both international flair and homegrown promise. As the season nears its close and postseason conversations intensify, one freshman in particular has validated the hype and perhaps exceeded it.

The unique makeup of the class includes two international standouts: Cearah Parchment and Manuella Alves-Fernandez. Parchment, from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, attended Fort Erie International Academy. Alves-Fernandez, a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, native who prepped at IMG Academy, has been sidelined this season with a knee injury.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Following No. 10 Illinois’ 101-65 win over USC on Wednesday, head coach Brad Underwood had a luxury of positives to take away, but he was quick to show his praise for two rotational players whom he lauded as the best “glue guys” in the entire country.

One of those guys was Ben Humrichous, who in year two at Illinois has developed in a way that makes him almost a different player than he was last year. The senior, now in his fifth year of college basketball following three years at NAIA school Huntington and one at Evansville, has always carried a reputation as a shooter. This year, he’s one of six players on the roster shooting above 30% from deep.

Humrichous, alongside his glue guy partner Jake Davis, spoke to the media on Friday before the team’s Saturday matchup against UCLA. Humrichous said that the glue guy title is something that means a lot to him, and he also went on to explain what exactly what that role is for him.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Typically, a big-time road win over a conference foe might be met with some braggadocious celebrations. There were no silencers or crowd shushers against the Trojans, but not because the Illini weren’t confident in their 101-65 win.

The split in the crowd was a near-even split to start the game, with the traveling Illini faithful showing out in Los Angeles in big numbers. Once the Trojan student section filed out midway through the second half, it was practically a home game.

“It’s nuts,” senior guard Kylan Boswell said. “I remember being a freshman here for the SC game when I was at Arizona, it was packed red. Now, seeing us and how we’re traveling, it’s pretty surreal. It’s just another great thing about Illinois basketball, just how much our fans love us and care about us.

Boswell, having played at Arizona for two years before making the move to Illinois two offseasons ago, is familiar with the Trojans. In his career, he was 4-2 against the Trojans going into Thursday’s game.

“It’s pretty crazy to see,” the Champaign native said. “We’re all the way in California, and there’s more orange and blue than red and gold.”

Illinois head coach Shauna Green had been pushing and suggested a players-only meeting to change the negative momentum from first-half calamities but knew it had to reach a breaking point.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When immediately asked after a 32-point blowout victory over Wisconsin, who initiated a players-only meeting before a practice, Shauna Green says she didn’t know.

Deep down in her conscious, Green absolutely knew. The Illinois women’s basketball head coach called for it.

“I told them to meet a couple of weeks ago,” Green said with a smile. “I planted some seeds in some of my individual meetings with (players) to do this, to help them. I don’t care who did it really, as long as it happened.”

Following a very energy-less and lethargic loss to Southern California in front of a sold-out State Farm Center, Green knew something needed to happen to cause a spark of emotion with her team and began putting in the minds of players familiar with her (such as Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Berry Wallace) to “get it figured it out”.

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

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois cruised past USC in a 36-point beat down that saw Illinois put seven players in double figures led by Andrej Stojakovic and his 22 points to move to 22-5 and 13-3 in the Big Ten. The Illini got off to a quick 8-0 start and led by 22 points at half and continue to pile on until the final buzzer Illinois led by as many as 39 points in the second half before winning by 36 in the 101-65 domination.

Now the Illini stay in Los Angeles and prep for a big game on Saturday against the UCLA Bruins, attempting to be just the 3rd team to sweep the L.A. schools on the west coast trip since they entered the Big 10.

These 3 Things

Defensive Versatility - We have talked for a while about how Illinois needs to be more diverse on the defensive end of the floor. They have reached that point in 2026.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Everybody in and around the tenth-ranked Illinois men’s basketball program has been raving about being “whole again” and being that at the right time. In its first game with its full roster in nearly a month, Illinois played quite possibly its most complete and dominant game of the season in a 101-65 road win over USC.

The game, which was a blowout from start to finish, saw the Illini roster as close to fully healthy as it has been all year long, with forward Andrej Stojakovic cleared to return from an ankle issue and guard Kylan Boswell suiting up for the second time since returning from a hand fracture. Stojakovic ended with a game-high 22 points in just over 17 minutes off the bench – the most efficient scoring output he’s had in his collegiate career. After missing the last two games, he returned without missing a beat, scoring a majority of his points at the rim or at the charity stripe following a foul at the rim.

“Obviously it’s tough to get my wind back with a lower body injury, so we just tried our best to get me in game shape while staying mentally focused,” Stojakovic said on the days leading up to his return.