Basketball

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

December 13, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Pickrell/IlliniGuys)

When the schedule came out this looked like just another game. Now, the Illini & Huskers are both ranked. The Illini are 1-0 in the Big 10 after a road win at Ohio State and Nebraska dismantled Wisconsin this week in Lincoln. These are two teams that can really score and should be a fun one on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Champaign.

Setting the Stage
#13 Illinois (8-2, 1-0) vs. #23 Nebraska (10-0, 1-0)
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 // 3 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center Stream:
Peacock – Paul Burmeister (Play-by-Play) & Brendan Haywood (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Trent Meacham

Notable
* No. 13 Illinois closes out the early-December window of Big Ten play on Saturday afternoon, welcoming No. 23 Nebraska to State Farm Center for the Illini's first home game in nearly three weeks. The matchup pits the 8-2 Illini against the undefeated Cornhuskers (10-0). • Illinois is aiming for a 2-0 start to Big Ten play for the third time of head coach Brad Underwood's nine-year tenure, joining the 2022 and 2024 seasons.

*Illinois is 6-0 at State Farm Center on the season, having won each home game with an average scoring margin of +30.0. The Illini have won eight straight home games overall dating back to last season.

*Brad Underwood has led Illinois to 29 wins over top-25 opponents since 2019-20, with 20 of those wins coming in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Illinois' 29 top-25 victories are tied for ninth-most in the NCAA during that span. This season the Illini have ranked wins over No. 11 Texas Tech at home, and vs. No. 13 Tennessee in Nashville.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood still isn’t optimistic the physical progress Ty Rodgers has made since suffering a major knee injury could result in his return to games this season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 13, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There is clearly a good news, bad news correlation when evaluating a potential return to the Illinois lineup for Ty Rodgers.

The encouraging news for the folks who work inside the Ubben Basketball Complex is Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said he had a discussion Thursday with staff members and medical officials about what a 2025-26 season return for Rodgers would look like. The disheartening news is Underwood didn’t portray getting an optimistic viewpoint in that discussion.

In his local media session Friday, Underwood declined to put a timeline on when the fourth-year wing could or even would get medically cleared to return with the No. 13 Illinois having just 21 regular season games left in the 2025-26 slate.

“He's getting closer to being able to gain enough strength in the leg.

Illinois head coach third-year wing Gretchen Dolan has been […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFW0FE7DJnE    

By Larry Smith -- IlliniGuys Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

December 10, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last season, ESPN in-game and studio announcers said "Cooper Flagg" so often that you wouldn't blame someone if they thought the phenomenal Duke freshman's last name was "Cooperflagg". As if his stellar play wasn't enough, the Worldwide Leader - as it often does with Duke freshmen - played a big role in making him a household name. Remember Zion Williamson?

They're doing it again with this year's crop of ballyhooed high school recruits now playing at the next level. Saturday night, ESPN game analyst Jimmy Dykes crowed out "Cam Boozer" twice in the waning moments of the broadcast. Problem is...it was Illinois against Tennessee. Boozer's Duke team wasn't even playing in front of Dykes.

As we are just a third of the way into this college basketball season, prepare to hear Boozer's name evoked often. And BYU's AJ Dybantsa. And UNC's precocious star Caleb Wilson. And Arizona's Koa Peat. All for good reason; those four are among an elite group of seven college freshmen who are averaging at least 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game.

What you won't hear on ESPN?  Two of them play for Illinois, the only college basketball program with two superstar rookies.

Illinois holds Missouri under 70 points and sees star […]

At Villanova, Maddie Webber was a scoring machine and […]

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

December 10, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini opened the Big Ten season with a 88-80 win over a feisty Ohio State Buckeyes team that came in seven and one. Freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic scored 23 and 22 points, and Andrej Stojakovic added 17 as the Illini moved to 8-2 and 1-0 in Big Ten play.

The first half was a free-flowing offensive showcase, and the second half morphed into a foul fest that featured 48 fouls. This was the type of win that a year ago you wonder if the Illini would have been able to pull this out, but their depth and toughness showed through and they were able to pull out the road win in their first true road game of the season.

Here's a rewind:

These 3 Things

Freshmen Lead the Way - The play of Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic was incredible in their first Big Ten road game Tuesday night.

By IlliniGuys Staff December 9, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy FIBA)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball program is rolling into December with momentum after a big 75-62 win over Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

That surge off the court is matching what’s happening on it. Rumblings continue to circulate around Lithuanian standout Dovydas Buika, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound combo guard whose wing scoring ability has made him one of the most intriguing international prospects in the 2026 class. According to Rivals.com and On3, Buika is rated a four-star recruit, and his recruitment appears to be tightening into a two-team contest between Illinois and Arizona.

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

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Payton Sturdy/IlliniGuys)

It is a quick turnaround, as the Illini head to Columbus for the Big Ten opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Guitars notwithstanding, the Illini feel good about their week of practice and their win over Tennessee but now have to take care of business this week in Big Ten play.

Here’s a breakdown.

Setting the Stage
#13 Illinois (7-2, 0-0) at Ohio State (7-1, 1-0)
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 // 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) // Columbus, Ohio // Value City Arena Stream: Peacock – John Fanta (Play-by-Play) & Brendan Haywood (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

Notable

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

IlliniGuys Staff Writer Kedric Prince laid down some knowledge for the premium board folks yesterday morning...

Good Monday morning. It always feels a little better when Illinois not only picks up a big win...but does it against an SEC opponent.

A few notes to pass along from what I gathered yesterday, in no particular order of importance:

• Junior Andrej Stojakovic
His scoring dip lately has an explanation.

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

December 7, 2025

The Illini got much needed marquee win on Saturday night in Nashville, cruising to a 75-61 win over the #13 Tennessee Volunteers as they head into Big Ten play. Tomislav Ivisic, Keaton Wagler each scored 16 points and Kylan Boswell added 15, as the Illini improved to 7-2.
Tennessee led 34–32 at halftime and briefly held a lead in the second half. However, Illinois took control with a decisive 15–3 run midway through the second half to open up a double-digit lead they never relinquished.

Despite being outrebounded by Tennessee (46–31), Illinois was much more efficient offensively, shooting 48% from the field compared to Tennessee's cold shooting night. Illinois held Tennessee to just 36.9% shooting from the field.

Here’s a recap from Nashville.

These 3 Things

The Pieces are Beginning to Go Together - The Illini are starting to look like the team

By IlliniGuys Staff December 6, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois center Cearah Parchment leads confident group of young players on Shauna Green’s roster ready to navigate Big Ten Conference play.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Jackson Janes/Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The living embodiment of Shauna Green’s rebuild of Illinois women’s basketball showcased itself Saturday in a relatively unflappable 22-point blowout of a league rival.

It’s not a common thing over the entire lifespan of all the players on Green’s current roster to see Illinois arrive at State Farm Center for a game against Indiana with the confidence that was verbalized by its freshman forward Cearah Parchment.

“I definitely think we came into this game knowing we were going to win,” the 18 year-old big from Ontario, Canada said following the Illini’s 78-57 victory. “We came in thinking we’re going to stomp on their necks, as you would say.

For the first time since the beginning of the 2016-17 season and for the first time under Green, Illinois (8-1, 1-0 in Big Ten Conference) begin league play with a 1-0 record because for the first time since Green’s arrival at Illinois, her squad had the significantly obvious advantage in the paint.