Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

July 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Last week, the Illinois women’s basketball program hosted one of the top 45 recruits in the country, according to ESPNW. Gigi Battle, a 5-foot-11 guard from DME Academy in Florida, is ranked No. 42 in the 2026 class.

Illinois has become a destination for elite talent under head coach Shauna Green. The program recently secured one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, and sources close to the program note that in just four years, the Illini have gone from building a roster to selecting from a deeper talent pool, its fueled by a winning culture and roster stability, it's why players like Battle are making Champaign a stop on their recruiting journeys.

After declining the invitation last summer to stay in Champaign to work out with his Illini teammates, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer returned to the Manning Passing Academy last weekend.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

July 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

As a native Mississippian who began his college career at the University of Mississippi, Luke Altmyer understood one of the unwritten rules of his home state is you don’t tell Archie Manning ‘no thanks’ twice in your lifetime.

Therefore, when the Illinois starting quarterback got the phone call invitation from the College Football Hall of Fame recipient, Altmyer knew his answer in 2025 needed to be drastically different than one year ago.

Altmyer attended the Manning Passing Academy last weekend in Thibodaux, Louisiana, which has become not only one of the largest quarterback training overnight camps in the country but also a rite of passage over several years for highly touted college quarterbacks to serve as camp counselors.

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

July 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Happy Independence Day. Let's dig into some practice notes before we light up the grill for some holiday eats!

We all expected Brandon Lee to have the physical strength and ability to play early, and he has been better at handling the pressure from guards like Boswell early on than expected.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

July 2, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today’s Double Dribble 2-1 Focus features Lety Vasconcelos and Ben Humrichous

Player Profile: Lety Vasconcelos is a 6-foot-7 sophomore center and will be one of the tallest players in the Big Ten Conference this season. A product of Montverde Academy in Florida, she began her career as a top-40 national recruit at Baylor University before transferring to Illinois. After missing last season with a major ACL injury, Vasconcelos now enters a pivotal year where her health and presence in the paint could dramatically change the trajectory of Illinois’ season.

What We Know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

July 2, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today's Double Dribble 2-1 Focus will be Ben Humrichous and Lety Vasconcelos

Player Biography: Ben Humrichous is a 6-foot-9 graduate student from Tipton, Indiana. Prior to Illinois, he played at Evansville. Known for his outstanding shooting ability, Humrichous arrived in Champaign with a reputation as a high-level scorer. There was speculation that he might not return this season, but ultimately, he decided Illinois was still the best fit.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

July 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – During Will Riley’s AAU Nike Summer sessions, NBA chatter was already beginning to follow him. The talk of being a potential one-and-done prospect was real. At 6-foot-8 and 185 pounds, the combo wing quickly earned a reputation as a natural scorer.

When Illinois associate head coach Orlando Antigua first saw Riley in action on the Nike AAU circuit, he immediately alerted head coach Brad Underwood to prioritize the recruitment. The Illini staff recognized early on that Riley was a difference-maker, and so did programs like Arkansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan, Texas Tech, and Villanova.

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Riley made an instant impact at Illinois. In his freshman debut, he poured in 31 points against Eastern Illinois, setting a school record for the most points by a freshman in a debut. It also marked the first time a Big Ten freshman had scored at least 30 points in a season opener since Nov. 12, 2007.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Since the moment Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis stepped foot on the Illinois campus, talk of his NBA future was unavoidable. Scouts, analysts, and coaches alike touted the Lithuanian guard as a potential lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

But when June 25 arrived, the one-time projected lottery pick slid to the No. 20 overall selection.

After the draft concluded, a source with NBA ties shed light on why Jakucionis went from lottery lock to a late first-rounder.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst June 28, […]

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

June 25, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy ESPN)

Will Riley was seen as a late first or early second round pick heading into the NBA Draft Wednesday night, but Riley was easily in the 1st round, going at #21 to the Washington Wizards. 

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

June 25, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy ESPN)

There are always lottery picks that slide later in the first round, but sometimes you find a great fit in that late first round. For Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, the fall to #20 led to a tremendous opportunity with the Miami Heat. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer June 25, […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer June 25, […]

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and several members of the Illini coaching staff will be in New York City to view two one-year talents get drafted for the first time in program history.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 25, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

To suggest tonight is a historic moment for the University of Illinois men’s basketball program is a giant understatement.

Neither Kasparas Jakucionis nor Will Riley were born the last time Illinois had two first round picks in the same draft class. Because there’s been a 20-year gap between when Deron Williams and Luther Head heard their name called in 2005 by then-National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern at Madison Square Garden and tonight’s 2025 draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood doesn’t know when this kind of moment will happen again.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 24, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – In March 2017, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman hired Brad Underwood as the 18th head coach in the program’s history. During his introductory press conference, Underwood laid out his vision for the Illini and didn’t hesitate to say, “Illinois is a dream job for me.”

In a conversation at an AAU event, Underwood shared with me a few personal goals he hoped to accomplish during his tenure in Champaign.

Ked's Recruiting By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 22, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – It’s that time of year again when IlliniGuys offers subscribers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Illinois basketball’s summer workouts and early progress updates.

As many fans are aware, some players have yet to arrive in Champaign. We’ll provide updates on them when they do, but for now, here’s what we’ve learned from sources close to the program.