Basketball

Kevin Kruger was “a spectator” for both times his dad cut down the nets at NCAA Tournament regional final. On Saturday in Houston, the first-year Illini assistant coach cut a portion down for himself.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 29, 2026

HOUSTON — There is a moment where Kevin Kruger looked up at the ladder set up near the goal closest to the Illinois pep band trying to soak in the moment.

It’s for that quick second the first-year Illinois assistant coach realized he’d be doing a lot of firsts with that pair of scissors. Following the Illini’s 71-59 win over Iowa, Kruger would be cutting a piece of this basketball net for the first time instead of watching his dad because it would be the first as a staff member of the team that had accomplished a Final Four bid.

“I’ve done this twice before with him. I was there both times,” Kruger said. “Today is the first time I did it without him. It’s still so very special and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this season. But it’s different without dad.”

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Insider

March 29, 2026

I was once sitting with Brad Underwood at an AAU event and he told me that guys that he hated losing more than he loved winning. It’s a common refrain for people that are highly competitive. So I asked him about that quote after the game. Did he hate losing more than he loved winning? 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 29, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Quentin Coleman, a four-star combo guard, will be on campus Monday for an official visit as Illinois continues to build momentum following its run to the Final Four.

Coleman, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from The Principia School in St. Louis, is one of the top prospects in the 2026 class. According to ESPN, he is ranked as the nation’s No. 30 freshman in the country.

Illinois forward David Mirkovic continues his goofy behavior by ordering cowboy hat off Amazon to have in during a regional final celebration in Houston.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 29, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

HOUSTON — Hours before tipoff of a NCAA Tournament regional final game, a member of the Illinois men’s basketball training staff was carrying a giant rectangler box from the Toyota Center loading dock with a look of confusion on her face.

The package she was carrying in both hands had come from an Amazon delivery truck and the recipient on the tag was David Mirkovic. It’s safe to assume, the University of Illinois men’s basketball program had not ordered any equipment, devices, medication delivered overnight for their freshman forward to wear, use or take Saturday night against Iowa. There was a knee-jerk obvious safety concerns of a fan sending the 20-year-old from Montenegro something sinister in the mail.
However, the order was directly from an Amazon retailer and not a individual person. Finally, if it would seem unrealistic that Mirkovic, whose personality has been playfully described as anything from a kindergarten student to a 12-year-old by his own Illini teammates, would have a present for himself shipped directly to the downtown Houston arena, well, you just haven’t met David Mirkovic.

“I told her ‘oh yeah, that’s the cowboy hat I ordered’,” Mirkovic said.

The training staff employee was stunned exclaiming: “Your what?!

Long after the celebration on the playing court of the Illini’s 71-59 win over Iowa and what has become the traditional water fight in the post-game locker room, media were allowed to enter. And there was the 6-foot-8 forward sitting up in a chair in front of his locker still in full uniform with a new brown cowboy hat on his head.

Nine years ago, Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman got […]

Brad Underwood locker room: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rXYUUhCSCo   Kylan Boswell: Illinois […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--vrmrTXBQU  

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

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

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, […]