Basketball

Illinois freshman sensation Keaton Wagler was bumped, banged and physically overwhelmed in his Breslin Center debut during the Illini’s first loss in 56 days.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 8, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Keaton Wagler got his freshman introduction to the Breslin Center.

The freshman sensation, who has already recorded 46 points in Purdue’s Mackey Arena, 28 points at Nebraska, 22 points at Northwestern and 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, found out being able to production inside Michigan State’s home arena and against a physical defensive scheme is a different element altogether.

The 12-game losing streak is over after the 6-foot-6 guard was bumped, pushed and physically handled into a 2 of 16 shooting night that show him miss at least four shots at or near the rim that over the last month and a half have easily fallen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFr01_lNy1s    

By IlliniGuys Staff February 7, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

February 7, 2026

It's a weekend so it must be another top 10 matchup on the road for Illinois. The Illini are now at the Breslin Center on Saturday night to take on the Michigan State Spartans, a team that has lost two in a row and is hungry for a quality win. Illinois has won 12 straight and sit at top the Big Ten standings at 11-1 in conference play. It’s another big one on Saturday night.

Setting the Stage
#5 Illinois (20-3, 11-1 B1G) at #10 Michigan State (19-4, 9-3 B1G)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 // 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) // East Lansing, Mich. // Breslin Center
TV: FOX – Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) & Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
*No. 5 Illinois has a top-10 road game for the third straight weekend, at No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday night. Illinois is riding a 12-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, second among Power Five teams, and fifth nationally. Illinois is now aiming for its longest streak since winning 15 straight to open the 2005-06 season.

* Illinois has won 10 consecutive Big Ten games, matching its longest streak of the Brad Underwood era in conference play of 10 straight across two seasons from Feb. 25, 2021 through Jan. 14, 2022. Illinois has not won more than 10 consecutive Big Ten games since the school-record streak of 25 in a row from Jan. 7, 2004 through March 3, 2005

*The Illini carry a seven-game Big Ten road win streak dating back to last season, the program's longest since setting the school record with 13 in a row across two seasons from Feb. 3, 2004 through Feb. 19, 2005.

* Illinois is 20-3 overall for the first time since 2005-06. A win Saturday would push the Illini to its best start since the 2004-05 team won its first 29 games. Illinois' current 11-1 Big Ten mark is its best record in conference play since the 2004-05 team won its first 15 league games. The famed 2005 Illini squad swept Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2. Illinois has won four straight road games against Top 25 opponents, a streak that dates back to last year's win at No. 15 Michigan (March 2, 2025). This matches the longest streak in program history, since also winning four consecutive ranked road games from Feb. 1, 1966 through Jan. 11, 1969.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The hype surrounding Quincy High School do-it-all guard Khloe Nicholson lived up to expectations Thursday night in a conference matchup against the Alleman Pioneers at Don Morris Gymnasium.

Watching the 6-foot-1 guard, the nation’s #17-ranked prep according to ESPN in the 2028 class, it was clear why opposing fans lingered after warmups just to see the future Division I prospect.

One fan summed up the game sitting next to the press area by saying, “I haven’t seen this many reporters at a girls' game this year. Are you guys here to watch the girl for Quincy?”

Shauna Green: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJFFadyamnc    

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder

February 6, 2026

With the countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina now down to being hours away, I can’t help thinking about my unforgettable experience 20 years ago. Of the four Olympics that I covered as a CNN Sports correspondent, the 2006 Games in Torino was my only taste of the winter-version of the iconic global competition.

First things first, let me clear up one of the biggest misconceptions: covering an Olympics is NOT a glamour assignment. The days are long and the work is immense, but it was three weeks I wouldn’t trade for anything.

You may hear reporters lamenting that sidewalk tiles there at the Games haven’t been laid in place or a creature comfort isn’t available. This isn’t unique, rather the case at every Olympics. Cities and countries invest hundreds of millions of dollars – the price tag for Milan and Cortina is approaching $2 billion - to host an Olympic Games and that means borrowing money at some point. The later they draw from those accounts, the less interest they have to pay. So little things – like new street signs or fresh landscaping around stadiums – get pushed to the very end.

Considering what a financial fiasco the Torino Games were, it’s really amazing Italy wanted to do it all again. Starting with a budget of around $1.5 billion, the actual costs in 2006 were more than double that due to costly infrastructure upgrades. The end result was a deficit of more than $1 billion.

None of that mattered to me. The Super Bowl back then was held on the first Sunday of February and in Detroit, no less. Which meant we would spend a week in the automotive manufacturing hub of the United States covering the Seahawks and Steelers in Super Bowl XL to working the rest of the month in the automobile center of Italy. Torino is home to several top Italian brands, including Fiat. In fact, one ofthe attractions in the city was a former Fiat plant turned into a shopping center, with the old test track still intact on the building’s roof.

The media accommodations were usually a dorm-type arrangement, with plans to repurpose the building into apartments later. So they were brand new facilities, but with something missing. The room I was assigned had all tile floors – not the most comfortable in the winter - with each unit consisting of a separate bedroom and bathroom. The latter was very nice, with one exception…there was no shower curtain and no shower rod. We soon discovered that the hot water heaters weren’t robust enough to provide warm water to everyone. Which meant each day began with a cold shower of sorts and you needed to have a plan to avoid getting water everywhere.

There are two groups who cover the Olympics:

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler has become one of the most talked-about players in college basketball following a stunning 46-point performance at Purdue and a 28-point effort at Nebraska on Sunday.

Fans, media, and analysts across social media have continued to dissect the record-breaking outing against the Boilermakers, which marked the highest-scoring performance by an Illinois freshman in program history and one of the top single-game scoring totals nationally this season.

Among those paying close attention was Illinois 2026 commit Ethan Brown of Rolla, Missouri.

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

By IlliniGuys Staff February 4, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff February 4, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

February 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The orange hot Illini head into Wednesday with an 11-game winning streak and have another ‘trap game’ against in-state rival Northwestern. After playing top 5 road games on the weekend for 2 straight weekends, they will have another top 10 matchup this weekend. Thus far they have taken care of the ‘trap games’ with Rutgers and Washington, but the Wildcats pose a different challenge.

The Illini are now tied atop the Big Ten standings at 10-1 and have a chance to solidify themselves as a NCAA tournament 2 seed with 1 seed aspirations this week.

Let’s take a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage
#5 Illinois (19-3, 10-1 B1G) vs. Northwestern (10-12, 2-9 B1G)
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 // 8 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play) & Jess Settles (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
* No. 5 Illinois hosts Northwestern on Wednesday night at State Farm Center. It is Hail to the Orange Out presented by Gameday Spirit. All Illini fans are encouraged to wear Orange, and t-shirts will be given to the first 1,000 fans at the Main West Entrance.

*Illinois is riding an 11-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.

*Illinois is coming off its second top-5 road win of the season, 78-69 at No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday, just eight days after an 88-82 road win at No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24. The Illini earned consecutive top-5 road wins for the first time in program history and secured their seventh top-10 win in a visiting arena under Brad Underwood over the last seven seasons, the most in the nation.

*Illinois is 19-3 overall, owning its best start in 20 years, since opening the 2005-06 season at 20-2. Illinois is one win away from its seventh straight 20-win regular season under Brad Underwood. The Illini are one of only four teams to do so each of the previous six years, alongside Gonzaga, Houston and San Diego State.

*Illinois is 10-1 in the Big Ten, the program's best start to conference play since the 2004-05 squad won its first 15 league games as part of 29-straight wins to open the season. The 2005 Illini swept the Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2.

*Illinois has won nine consecutive Big Ten games, one away from matching its longest streak of the Brad Underwood era in conference play of 10 straight across two seasons from Feb. 25, 2021 through Jan. 13, 2022.

* Keaton Wagler is one of only two NCAA freshman averaging at least 18 points, five rebounds and four assists on the season, alongside Duke’s Cameron Boozer. • Among players with at least 24% possessions used, Wagler ranks first nationally in offensive rating at 140.7. He is eighth among all players. Wagler's scoring average of 18.1 points per game is on pace to break the Illini freshman season scoring record set by Kiwane Garris, who averaged 15.9 ppg in 1993-94. He ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring during conference play, averaging 22.0 points. Wagler earned his fifth B1G Freshman of the Week honor (second straight) on Monday after his performance at No. 5 Nebraska which included 28 points, five rebounds, and two steals. He also posted 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists in a home win vs. Washington.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) Illinois (16-6, 6-5 in […]

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

February 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - An 11-game win streak notwithstanding, there is one question on the collective lips of Illini Nation:

When will Kylan Boswell be back?

The senior guard and top Illini defender broke his hand in practice two weeks ago and, while Illinois has kept winning - four victories in a row and now their first top 5 ranking in five years, the Orange and Blue won't reach its peak until he is back on the court.

"We'll have a better idea in the next 24-48 hours (about his return)", says Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. "He still has stitches in his hand, but he's working on his conditioning at a pretty high clip."

The 6-foot-2 Boswell is considered one of the strongest players in the Big Ten - if not in all of college basketball; often tasked with shutting down the opponent's most dangerous wing player and then some. Last February, he kept All-American and future top overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg below his 19.2 points per game average despite giving up seven inches to the talented teenager.

While the injury may keep him out of uniform, it isn't keeping Boswell out of the mix.