Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Dylan Mingo's page on X)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While Illinois football has been making waves with its impressive recruiting efforts, let’s not overlook the success of Illinois basketball, which has long set the recruiting standard in Champaign.

Brad Underwood, hired before both football coach Bret Bielema and women’s basketball coach Shauna Green, continues to elevate the Illinois basketball program. Together, the three coaches have put their respective programs to a higher level.

According to Rivals, Bielema’s 2026 recruiting class ranks 17th nationally. Green’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked seventh in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz, making Illinois the only Big Ten women’s basketball program in the top 10.

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

By IlliniGuys Staff January 27, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

In her 113th career game at Illinois, fifth-year center Kendall Bostic reached the top of the school’s all-time rebounding record Monday night against Purdue. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Before every game she’s played in college, Kendall Bostic calls her dad to discuss the game plan. 

It’s a routine and tradition that Bostic can kept throughout her five-year college playing career, one at Michigan State and four at Illinois, and a daily father-daughter phone call is something that both hope continue long after Bostic is done playing the sport she loves. 

“He’s a coach and he’ll never stop being a coach,” Kendall Bostic said about her dad following the 83-74 season-opening victory on Nov. 7 against then-No. 19 Florida State. “I’ll always ask him ‘what’s your take?’ or ‘what do you see?’ And God love him, he’s goes all in on the scouting reports. He'll send paragraphs. It helps. I love it. He'll send clips and he'll watch stuff. It's just a cool relationship I have with him over basketball. He helped me get to where I am today. I didn't have any of the trainers. I played AAU and worked out with my dad. I credit him to where I am today because he got me here, so I always like to kind of hear his input before games.”

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

January 27, 2025

If you could bottle up the energy that the Illini had on Sunday against in state foe Northwestern, you could have a team that is ready to go somewhere. The Illini cruised to an 83-74 win, leading by 20 points the majority of the game before a Northwestern fake rally at the end. The Illini placed 6 players in double figures and 7 of them had 8 or more points as they moved to 14-6 and 6-4 in league play.

Here’s a recap:

These 3 Things

Energy Is Contagious

By IlliniGuys Staff January 27, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) Illinois vs. Purdue Date […]

Illinois first-year center Morez Johnson has a confidence-building performance in the in-state rivalry win over Northwestern.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 26, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If there’s a college basketball head coach who has seen what a motivated and angry Morez Johnson can do for a basketball team, it’s Northwestern’s Chris Collins.

Whether it’s been his first three years at St. Rita or his senior year at Thornton Township High School, Johnson’s high school career has been about an hour drive south on Highway 41 from the Northwestern University campus and Collins, who has had a connection to the state of Illinois practically his whole life, had heard about the Illini’s 6-foot-9 freshman big since about the time Johnson entered puberty.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 26, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

January 26, 2025

The Illini are back in action on Sunday and will once again be short-handed with 7’1 center Tomislav Ivisic against Northwestern. The Wildcats beat the Illini in Evanston back in December by a 70-66 score in overtime behind 27 points from Nick Martinelli. This time Illinois has a sold-out home crowd and are hoping for a bit of revenge.

Here’s a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage

#17 Illinois (13-6, 5-4) vs. Northwestern (12-7, 3-5)
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 // 2 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: BTN – Dave Revsine (Play-by-Play) & Jordan Taylor (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 25, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team finds itself in a must-win situation as it prepares to face cross-state rival Northwestern after dropping two consecutive conference games against Michigan State and Maryland.

Thursday's loss against Maryland was witnessed by a familiar face

By IlliniGuys Staff January 25, 2025 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - […]

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

January 25, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill - For many Illini fans, we got out of bed this morning with a little less pep in our step.

That 91-70 beatdown by Maryland Thursday night left us feeling like we just had a Salmonella Special at the local diner before the game and we felt worse as the night went on.

There's no way to sugarcoat it; it was ugly.  But here's the good news:

It was only...one...game.

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

January 24, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. The Illini were the bug on Thursday night as the Maryland Terrapins totally dominated Illinois by a 91-70 score, one of the 12 worst defeats for Illinois at home in the entirety of their program, going back 120 years. Julian Reese had 27 and 17, but Derik Queen’s 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals was even more impressive. Kasparas Jakucionis had 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, but also had 7 turnovers, many leading to Maryland runouts.

Here’s a look back at what we saw.

Illinois picked up a 25-point victory inside Welsh-Ryan Arena in the in-state rivalry matchup against Northwestern but accomplished it while its trio of star players sat the bench.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 24, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EVANSTON, Ill. — With about three minutes remaining in what was a 29-point blowout, Kendall Bostic signaled to her head coach that she was ready to go back in the game.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green didn’t even look at her fifth-year center.