Basketball

By IlliniGuys Staff CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois football […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

September 19, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Just before Illinois hosted Western Michigan in a 38-0 shutout victory last Saturday, a handful of recruits lined the edge of the north end zone. A few 2027 recruits and a 2026 commit were taking in the atmosphere, but there was no recruit bigger – literally – than Sinan Huan.

Huan, a larger-than-life 7-foot center who is part of the 2026 recruiting class, is rated as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports, a top-100 recruit, and the tenth-highest rated center in the class.

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

September 18, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini schedule for the 2025-26 season is a gauntlet, but that’s just the way Brad Underwood wants it. Illinois will play a total of 25 games against high major opponents with a veteran team capable of making a run.

“Players want to play in big games,” Underwood told IlliniGuys.com last summer. “They want to play against the best. We’re going to play good people. We don’t shy away from it.”

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 19, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois hosted one of the nation’s top young prospects last weekend when Keller Daugherty, a 6-foot-9 shooting guard from the class of 2027, made his visit to Champaign. For Daugherty, the experience matched what he was hoping to see.

“It’s everything I thought it would be,” Daugherty said. “Yeah, for sure, for sure.”

Assistant coach Tyler Underwood is the lead recruiter for Daugherty, saying they have built a strong connection.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 17, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Jaxon Davis, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from Gurnee, made a trip to Champaign to watch an Illinois men’s basketball workout this past weekend, and he walked away impressed with what he saw. Ranked No. 53 in the country by ESPN, Davis described his visit as a business trip, focusing on how the Illini develop their guards both in and out of season.

“I loved the guard play here and the freedom they have,” Davis said. “I was paying attention to the little things they do, because they’re all different players. (Kylan) Boswell, (Keaton) Wagler, and (Mihailo) Petrovic are very fast, athletic, and shoot the ball good.”

There had been speculation about Davis

By IlliniGuys Staff

September 17, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy delivered the latest news on the men's basketball board on our premium forums earlier this week. Here's what we found out:

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 16, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On Saturday, the nation’s ninth-ranked Illinois football team hosted Western Michigan. Head coach Bret Bielema and his staff brought in a large group of potential football recruits, but the men’s basketball program also made noise, welcoming one of the top players in the 2026 class to campus.

Cameron Holmes, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona, made his first trip to Champaign for an official visit. For Holmes, the experience was eye-opening.

"I am really glad to be here. I didn't know what to expect, but wow

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 15, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

Five-star Bolingbrook Prep shooting guard Brady Pettigrew, ranked No. 15 nationally by ESPN, visited Illinois this weekend and didn’t hesitate to share his first impressions. “I’m having a blast down here right now,” Pettigrew said.

Only a sophomore, Pettigrew is already ranked No. 15 in the country and continues to gain national attention. Illinois understands that getting him on campus early and often might play a major role when it comes time for him to make his decision.

By llliniGuys Staff

September 15, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy USA Basketball)

IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst and the co-host of the syndicated radio show IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular Brad Sturdy was all over campus on Saturday...and posted this report on the IlliniGuys message boards about the latest on the Illinois men's basketball team and a number of prospects who have the Illini on their radar:

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 12, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois men’s basketball will welcome an intriguing prospect to campus as the program continues to build momentum heading into the fall.

IlliniGuys confirmed that Keller Daugherty, a 6-foot-9, 180-pound shooting guard from Lees Summit High School in Missouri, will begin an unofficial visit to Illinois today.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

September 9, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – If you love college recruiting, this time of year, along with the transfer portal in the spring, you should stay glued here at IlliniGuys. The Illinois football program is hosting several recruits this weekend, and the men’s basketball staff is bringing in two important targets of its own.

The Illini have been heavily involved with 7-foot, 225-pound center Sinan Huan from Georgetown Preparatory School in Rockville, Maryland. The four-star Class of 2026 big man is a priority for the Illinois staff and someone they have been pursuing for a long time.

According to a source, Illinois feels it has a very good chance to land Huan, though Purdue remains a major threat. Other top programs in the mix include Florida, Creighton, Maryland, Alabama, and Mississippi State.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Reporter

September 4, 2025

Today’s Player Focus features Illinois men’s center Jason Jakstys.

Player Biography: Jason Jakstys, a 6-foot-10 center from Yorkville, Ill., joined the Illini with the intention of redshirting his first season. Ranked No. 144 overall by On3, Jakstys was a three-star recruit and the No. 5-ranked player in Illinois according to PrepHoops Illinois.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Meanstreets' X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The state of Illinois has long been a hotbed for boys' high school basketball. From playground courts to packed gyms, the state has produced some of the greatest names to ever play in college and later wear an NBA uniform. Now, another potential star is on the horizon.

Brady Pettigrew, a 6-2, 170-pound combo guard from Bolingbrook, is already considered one of the nation’s elite recruits. Only a sophomore, Pettigrew has earned five-star status and is ranked as the No. 15 recruit in the country according to ESPN.

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

August 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are hosting a reunion of the 2005 Final Four team, the first time they have had this group back on campus since that magical run that captivated a nation. There are numerous reasons for a delay in honoring what was the greatest season in Illini basketball history. We can debate 89, 05, 01, 24, 84 until we’re blue in the face, but the reality is that the 2005 team made it to the national title game as the top ranked team and went 37-2. No other team has done that.

That was during my first year providing coverage of Illini basketball, but it was a different role and a different world that we lived in back then. Postgame, these guys would come out to meet with their families and the lower bowl fans would line up to grab autographs and interact with them. They were literally rock stars on campus. This was planned; they started having security and a rope to keep the masses at bay, but it was also something that started out organically. Post game dinners with players' families were common. These guys were accessible.

That accessibility paired with their personalities made them special. Well, in addition to their basketball talents, of course. Imagine what Dee Brown would grab in NIL today? There was a vibe around this group, beginning with a run in 2004 to win the Big Ten prior to that magical 2005 run.

For me, it was also much different. In both 2005 and 2006, there were many times I had to

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Peoria pipeline is beginning to run strong once more, as East Peoria forward Quinton Kitt made another trip to Champaign today to visit Illinois. The 6-foot-6 power forward returned to campus after receiving an offer from the Illini earlier this summer.

IlliniGuys caught up with the three-star prospect to get his thoughts on how this visit compared to his first. Peoria boys basketball has been kind to the Illini historically, though currently the only Peoria native suiting up in Champaign is guard Aaliyah Guyton on the women’s side. Illinois is hoping Kitt, a 2027 recruit, could be next.

“I thought the visit went pretty good.