Basketball

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 13, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The development of Illinois freshman wing RJ Melendez went from mythical to real in 17 minutes and 18 seconds of game action.

On Super Bowl Sunday 2022, Melendez changed the narrative of his freshman season from a young, naive and lost player desperately trying to find a consistent role to the x-factor of why No. 13 Illinois won a Big Ten Conference game in the middle of February.

Melendez’s near season-high in minutes included 14 points, six rebounds, 6 of 6 from the foul line, a crowd-roaring dunk in the second half and a defensive effort that didn’t remind the sellout crowd he was a first-year player.

IlliniGuys Staff February 13, 2022 (Cover photo courtesy Joe […]

IlliniGuys Staff

February 12, 2022

Illinois enters the final seven games of the Big Ten season with a shot at history.  The program has never won 13 or more Big Ten games in three consecutive seasons.  But with 13 in 2019-20 and 16 in 2020-21, the Illini chase conference win #11 against Northwestern on Sunday (1pm, BTN).

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Staff February 12, 2022 […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 10, 2022

You know...this job never amazes me

Illinois senior guard Trent Frazier promises he’ll “be ready for Sunday” when the No. 13 Illini host Northwestern despite suffering a scary knee injury late in the loss at No. 3 Purdue

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 10, 2022

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Even after laying on the Mackey Arena playing floor in a fetal position while clutching at his left knee, Trent Frazier knew he had a leadership point to make. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

February 9, 2022

The Illini led Purdue by 2 at the break in Mackey Arena, but the Boilers would take advantage of some porous Illinois defense and some cold Illini shooting to take control and cruise to an 84-68 win and a tie at the top of the Big Ten standings. Jaden Ivey scored 26 and was dominant to lead the Boilers (21-3, 10-3). Illinois got 18 from Kofi Cockburn and 15 from Andre Curbelo as they fell to 17-6 and 10-3. 

Here’s what we saw:

These 3 Things +1

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 9, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Yahoo Sports)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The final scoreboard at Mackey Arena did say otherwise but Purdue essentially left its home arena with a 1-0 victory. 

On Tuesday night, Purdue had one future lottery pick in the upcoming National Basketball Association draft in Jaden Ivey and Illinois didn’t. And the Illini didn’t have an individual or collective way to defensively contain arguably the best athlete in the Big Ten Conference on his way to a game-high 26 points in a 84-68 victory over Illinois. 

“That’s what they look like. For anybody who doesn’t know what a pro looks like, that’s what a professional basketball player looks like,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said. “It’s nice when you have them and you can capitalize on having them. In my opinion, he’s a different level athletically than anybody we’ve seen.”

IlliniGuys Staff February 8, 2022 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 7, 2022

Class: Glenbard West 2022 Walk-on 

February 7, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Ball Durham)

Gosh darnit, you gotta give ESPN credit.  Did you watch any of Saturday's coverage of the Duke-North Carolina game?  They're doing their best to give Mike Krzyzewski the sendoff you expected and that he so richly deserves.

Like him or not, the venerable Duke coach is an icon.  More wins than any other coach, five NCAA championships, a dozen Final Four appearances, and 15 ACC titles highlight an illustrious career the likes of which we may never see again.  He took over a proud Duke team at the tender age of 33 and made it his own and over the past four decades built it into the pre-eminent college basketball program in the nation.

Krzyzewski announced his retirement last offseason after the Blue Devils missed the NCAA tournament for just the second time since 1983 and the farewell tour has been pretty much as expected.  However, there has been one thing missing:

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

February 6, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy The Crimson Quarry)

The Illini trailed by 2 at the break despite Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis sitting most of teh half with 2 fouls. But the Illini came out in the second half with soem lockdown defense and then finally hit some shots from deep and cruised to a 74-57 win in Bloomington. Trent Frazier led the way with 23 points and 4 assists, while Kofi Cockburn added 17 points and 8 rebounds for the Illini (17-5, 10-2). 

Indiana got 13 from Race Thompson and 12 from Xavier Johnson, but leading scorer Jackson-Davis had just 6 as they fell to 16-6 and 7-5 in league play. 

Here’s a look back. 

These 3 Things:

Second Half Domination - I asked Brad Underwood if it was a great halftime adjustment, but the reality is that it was really just execution.

Mike Cagley, IlliniGuys February 6, 2022 It was an […]

Illinois relied on experience of veteran stars to carry them in a second half where they outscored Indiana 40-21 in the Illini’s largest winning margin in Bloomington since 1956. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois’ dominating performance in Bloomington’s Assembly Hall is a product of what Brad Underwood has been preaching for years. Old teams win a lot and win big in college basketball. 

IlliniGuys Staff February 5, 2022 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Trent […]