Basketball

Illinois defensive back Xavier Scott, who was a first-team All Big Ten selection in 2024, has elected to return to the Illini after suffering a devestating ankle injury three games into the 2025 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The sight of Xavier Scott’s season-ending injury just three games into the 2025 campaign will not be his memory in an Illinois uniform.

Scott has announced his decision to, for the second time in his Illini tenure, pass on the National Football League Draft in exchange of returning to Illinois for one more season - which will be his fifth year of college football.

The 2025 season seemed destined to be Scott’s final one in college football as he was returning to the Illini after being a 2024 All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection by the media and a 2024 Phil Steele All-America honorable mention honoree. However, a severe ankle injury in the fourth quarter of the third game of the 2025 season, a 38-0 victory over eventual Mid-American Conference champion Western Michigan, left open the possibility of Scott returning for another season.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 15, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

January 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Winning in the Big Ten is hard. Winning on the road is even harder. The Illini got the 79-68 win over Northwestern on Wednesday night, but it wasn't easy. Illinois trailed in the in the first half before a late first half run gave them control. Their lead would balloon to 15 points before a suspicious hook and hold call and a technical foul turned that 15-point lead into a five-point lead. But Illini wunderkind Keaton Wagler stepped up and scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and Tomi Ivisic showed why he was expected to contend for All-Big Ten honors in preseason polls with 21 points and seven rebounds, including three huge three-pointers in the second half. Throw in another stellar performance on both ends from Kylan Boswell, and the Illini moved to 4-0 on the road in Big Ten play. This is the first 4-0 road start for Illinois since the 2004-05 season. Overall, the Illini now sit 5-1 in league play and 14-3 overall.

These 3 Things

Another Game, More Superlatives for Wagler

No. 25 Illinois at No. 8 Michigan Thurs., January […]

In just his second season at Illinois, veteran guard Kylan Boswell has figured out different ways to involve himself in Illinois road victories.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EVANSTON, Ill. — There has comes a point in every game over the last two months where the equation for a victory must include one element - Kylan Boswell.

“All caps. Problem solver. Mine,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said in description of his veteran guard. “To have a player that strong, that athletic and that committed, that dedicated fighting guys where he gives up size and then when a little guard got going, we just switch (Boswell) on him. He solves a lot of problems for us.”

By IlliniGuys Staff January 14, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

January 14, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are headed up I-57 to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the battle for Illinois supremacy against a struggling squad that is 0-5 in Big Ten play. The Illini are 3-0 on the road and this will be their 4th road contest in their first 6 Big Ten games.

Here's a look at the particulars:

Setting the Stage
#13 Illinois (13-3, 4-1 B1G) at Northwestern (8-8, 0-5 B1G)
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 // 7:30 p.m. CT // Evanston, Ill. // Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV: BTN – Cory Provus (Play-by-Play) & Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart & Doug Altenberger

Notable
*No. 13 Illinois carries a season-best five-game win streak into Wednesday night's matchup at Northwestern.

*This is Illinois' final contest of a stretch with three out of four Big Ten road games to open the new year. Illinois is 5-2 away from home, including 3-0 in road games, following Sunday's 75-69 win at No. 19 Iowa. Illinois is aiming to start 4-0 on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2004-05 season. • The Fighting Illini carry a four-game road win streak dating back to last season, the program's longest since winning five straight road games from Dec. 23, 2020 through Feb. 20, 2021.

*Illinois is vying to improve to 14-3 overall, which would equal its best record through 17 games since 2012-13.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 13, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois hosted 2026 wing Boyuan Zhang for an official visit and the 6-foot-7, 205-pound prospect from Veritas Academy (Calif.) left Champaign impressed after taking in the Illini’s 81-55 win over Rutgers at State Farm Center last week.

Weeknight visits are not always common for high school recruits unless they are local, but Zhang made the trip because of his strong interest in the Illinois program.

Also on a surprise visit for that same game was Illinois 2027 commit Quinton Kitt

By IlliniGuys Staff January 11, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

A 29-11 start inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena leads No. 16 Illinois to its fifth straight victory and a 3-0 in road league games as they down No. 19 Iowa 75-69 on Sunday afternoon.

By Matt Stevens - llliniGuys Staff Writer

January 11, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

An incredibly fast start by its perimeter leadership led to Illinois picking up its third straight conference road win and a Top 20 victory.

The No. 16 Illini quieted the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd right off the opening tip to see a 29-11 run over the first 12 and a half minutes of play resulting in a 75-69 win over No. 19 Iowa. Illinois (13-3, 4-1 in Big Ten Conference) has now started 3-0 on the road in league play for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

The 29-11 run, which saw Illinois open the game 10 of 19 from the field, was paced by 13 early points from Andrej Stojakovic as the veteran transfer guard finished the afternoon with 17 points and five rebounds by attacking the rim in his first ever trip to Iowa City.

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

January 11, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini are headed to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a matchup of ranked teams from Carver Hawkeye. This isn't your old school Iowa under Fran McCaffrey who wanted to outscore you, this team has a better defense than offense and relies on a slow-paced style while grinding you possession after possession. More Bo Ryan style then Fran McCaffrey under new coach Ben McCollum.

Here's a look at the particulars...

Setting the Stage
#16 Illinois (12-3, 3-1 B1G) at #19 Iowa (12-2, 2-2 B1G)
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 // 11 a.m. CT // Iowa City, Iowa // Carver-Hawkeye Arena
TV: FOX – Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) & Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
* Illinois is 4-2 away from home this season, including 2-0 in road games. Illinois is aiming to start 3-0 on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

*Andrej Stojakovic is 28 points away (972) from joining Kylan Boswell (1,156) in the 1,000-career point club.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 8, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

January 8, 2026

The Illini are back at home in the friendly confines of the State Farm Center to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their 2nd Big Ten home game of the season. The Illini are a 21.5 point favorite over the struggling Scarlet Knights, who have never won in Champaign.

Setting the Stage
#16 Illinois (11-3, 2-1 B1G) vs. Rutgers (8-7, 1-3 B1G)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 // 7:30 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Shon Morris (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
No. 16 Illinois carries a three-game win streak into a Thursday night Big Ten matchup vs. Rutgers at State Farm Center. Tipoff between the Fighting Illini and the Scarlet Knights is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

*Rutgers is Illinois' lone home game in an 18-day period spanning the new year. The Illini captured a 90-55 home win vs. Southern on Dec. 29, then defeated Penn State, 73-65, at The Palestra in Philadelphia in their last outing on Saturday. Following this week's home tilt vs. the Scarlet Knights, the Illini will play back-to-back Big Ten road games − at #19 Iowa on Sunday and at Northwestern on Jan. 14 − before returning to State Farm Center Jan. 17 vs. Minnesota.

Ohio State guard and 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jaloni Cambridge drops a career-high 41 points to help No. 19 Buckeyes leave Champaign-Urbana with a win.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 8, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Shauna Green looked down the printed box score satisfied her team won so many statistical categories and then, she got to Jaloni Cambridge’s stat line.

That’s when all the color seemed to drain from the face from the fourth-year Illinois head coach’s face.

In a 78-69 home loss, the first home loss of the 2025-26 season for the Illini, to the No. 19 team in the country, it was one player’s offense that essentially covered up everything else Illinois (13-3, 3-2 in Big Ten Conference) did well on Wednesday.

No matter the statistic and you name it - because Green did - points in the paint, offensive rebounds, second chance points and bench points and Illinois won them. Cambridge made sure her 39-minute effort made all of those statistical wins by the Illini basically irrelevant.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

January 7, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy FIBA)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball program will host scoring wing Boyuan Zhang for an official visit when the Illini take on Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network Thursday night, IlliniGuys has learned.

Zhang is a 6-foot-7 left-handed wing from Garden Grove, California, and Veritas Prep high school. Illinois associate head coach Orlando Antigua is serving as the lead recruiter. Illinois is looking to add additional scoring on the wing for next season, and Zhang fits that need.

IlliniGuys caught up with Zhang