Basketball

Two of the best centers in the Big Ten and all of women’s college basketball will face off as 7-seed Illinois draws 10-seed Nebraska in the second round of the league tournament tonight.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 6, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS — In her return to her home state for her final Big Ten Tournament, Kendall Bostic has drawn the other center in the conference receiving so much attention this season.

When the ball is tipped at 5:30 p.m. CST tonight on Big Ten Network, the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd will immediately see the league’s two best centers in the circle when Bostic and Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski are matched up one time. The duo represents two players selected to the league’s first team all conference selections by the league’s media contingent and rank No. 3 (Bostic’s 53) and No. 4 (Markowski’s 52) among active players in career double-double performances.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting 

March 5, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After almost three years under head coach Shauna Green, the Illinois women's basketball program appears to be in great hands. This past Sunday marked Senior Day, as the team bid farewell to a significant portion of its scoring. This year's graduating class includes Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, and Kendall Bostic, who all played special roles in resurrecting the Illinois women's program.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Following a […]

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 3, 2025

(Photo courtesy FIBA Basketball) 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Late last week, talented shooting guard Dame Sarr, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound prospect from Italy, announced his top three schools: Illinois, Arizona, and Creighton.

IlliniGuys learned early Monday morning that Illinois has positioned itself well to land Sarr, but the Bluejays and Wildcats remain in strong contention.

For the first time in the 2024-25 season, Illinois saw a fourth-quarter lead evaporate thanks to a team with more depth, more energy and more poise in the final minutes.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 2, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — The final three and a half minutes of the last regular season home game produced the nightmare scenario that the Illinois women’s basketball program has been desperately trying to avoid.

With a 65-59 lead, Illinois simply ran out of energy, offense and the will to stop a Michigan run that felt like it would’ve continued to get worse if the clock hadn’t run up of time. Michigan turned a six-point deficit into a 78-69 win on the momentum of a 19-4 run to finish the spoiling of a Senior Day celebration and State Farm Center.

By IlliniGuys Staff March 2, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff March, 2, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Insider & Co-Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 2, 2024

The Illini are in Ann Arbor on Sunday when we find out what a semi-healthy Illini team with 3 full days of practice and a little rest looks like.

Illinois will host Michigan today for a Senior Day game at State Farm Center to honor the five remaining players in their final season with the Illini. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 2, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — Even Shauna Green admits she was naive to believe her first roster at Illinois would all see the Senior Day celebration like they're about to experience. 

Kendall Bostic turned down recruiting overtures from Shauna Green twice, once out of high school and once in the transfer portal. So Green eventually came to Bostic’s team so she couldn’t say no.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 1, 2025

NOTE: This is the final part of a four-part series on the four active Illini women’s basketball players who will be honored Sunday in their final home game inside State Farm Center.

CHAMPAIGN — Normally when a new head coach at power conference women’s basketball program sees her star returning post player is barely stands over 6-foot-1, the immediate reaction is to recruit over her in the portal.

March 1, 2025

(Photo courtesy Detroit Free Press)

The Illinois Fighting Illini are in Ann Arbor to face No. 15 Michigan Sunday afternoon (2.45pm CST, CBS) in a series they have dominated.  Illinois has won eight straight in the series, dating back to 2019, including the last four meetings in Crisler Arena.

Here's a peek at what they're saying about the Wolverines:

Genesis Bryant’s basketball life was going practically nowhere at North Carolina State and Shauna Green’s revival of an Illini program started with the signing of the 5-foot-6 guard.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 28, 2025

NOTE: This is the third part of a four-part series on the four active Illini women’s basketball players who will be honored Sunday in their final home game inside State Farm Center.

CHAMPAIGN — You’ll have to excuse Genesis Bryant when she gets emotional talking about her experience at the University of Illinois and what this 2024-25 season run has meant to her.

When asked to explain or describe the emotions involved in an injury-plagued campaign that has included three wins over Top 25 opponents in the same season for the first time since 1999-2000 and a program record of eight Big Ten victories in a row, Bryant initially couldn’t find the words and started to cry.

Brynn Shoup-Hill will end play her last college basketball home game on Sunday for the coach she followed from Dayton to help rebuild the Illinois women’s program.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

NOTE: This is the second part of a four-part series on the four active Illini women’s basketball players who will be honored Sunday in their final home game inside State Farm Center.

CHAMPAIGN — Confidence has always been the x-factor in Brynn Shoup-Hill’s game.

In a 66-65 win at then-No. 14 Maryland, the Illinois senior forward hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to guide the Illini to the program’s first ever win over the Terrapins. It's a shot Shoup-Hill has admitted she wouldn't have had the confidence to take in recent past and wasn’t able to take last season while she starred at her injured wrist.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green says she quickly learned she’ll likely not see an energy level out of a future player like she’s coached for three years with guard Adalia McKenzie

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 27, 2025

NOTE: This is the first part of a four-part series on the four active Illini women’s basketball players who will be honored Sunday in their final home game inside State Farm Center.

CHAMPAIGN — Even in the midst of a grind of a five-month season where energy conservation is a primary thought process, Adalia McKenzie might show up a few hours before practice to get on the exercise bike.

The idea of having too much energy and needing to get some access adrenaline out of her system before a two-hour practice session is not an uncommon for the fourth-year starter.