Basketball

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

February 2, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini won their 6th Big Ten road game on Sunday afternoon, dismantling the #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers 76-69 with a 2nd half offensive and defensive onslaught that left the Huskers searching for answers.

Trailing 39-33 at the half, Illinois outscored Nebraska 43-30 in the second half behind 23 second half points from Keaton Wagler. Wagler would finish with 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals as Illinois moved into a tie with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings at 10-1 and 19-3 overall.

Here’s a Rewind:

These 3 Things

The Ball Had Energy - Nebraska does an excellent job of forcing you to the baseline and then making you kick it to the weak side where they will close out hard. It has obviously been extremely effective for them this season, but the Illini switched in the second half and attacked in the middle getting the ball to the nail and creating a three on two on multiple possessions. When Nebraska changed up their defense, Illinois again made an adjustment and Wagler was able to get downhill and Stojakovic used middle cuts to get openings. But the most important thing may have been the passing that came out of each time they were able to beat a double team. The Tomislav Ivisic tip pass for the Jake Davis 3 may have been the best play of the season. It is fantastic to see a coaching staff and group of players that are able to adjust on the fly and solve the problem that each defense presents no matter what tweaks they may make on that end of the floor.
Defense Locked In 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (Shawnee, […]

By IlliniGuys Staff February 2, 2026 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]

Illinois holds Nebraska to just 10 of 24 from two-point field goal range in a 78-69 victory inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 1, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LINCOLN, Neb. — Unlike its first matchup against Nebraska, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and the rest of his coaching staff elected to approach its defensive plan with an objective to not miss the forest because of the trees.

The individual trees still is Nebraska’s unique ways to fill the scoring column up with all kinds of shooters such as Pryce Sandfort, Sam Hoiberg, Braden Frager, Jamarques Lawrence and even with center Rienk Mast. The forest is Nebraska’s final scoring column because of their ability to incorporate easy layups, free throws and points inside the three-point arc to survive the inevitable shooting lull over a 40-minute game.

Underwood left Pinnacle Bank Arena Sunday evening convinced his No. 9 Illini were up for this challenge in this top ten ranked matchup because his players begged the question of whether No. 5 Nebraska could survive a nightmare day from two-point range. Despite a six-point lead and the momentum of a sold-out crowd and a national television audience, Illinois (19-3, 10-1 in Big Ten Conference) found out the answer was Nebraska could not survive as the Illini took home its sixth straight true road win in 78-69 fashion.

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

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 […]