Basketball

By IlliniGuys Staff

April 12, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Providence Friars Basketball)

Well, it happened. Keaton Wagler has entered the NBA Draft and his decision is final. It's a fitting result and conclusion to the greatest freshman season in Illini history.

So...now what?

You should know by now that if you have questions, IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy has answers. Brad posts real-time updates several times a day on our premium message boards and delivered the goods last night:

Keaton Wagler had an incredible freshman year as my colleague Larry Smith outlined and, as we expected this morning, he announced his decision today to head to the NBA. Illinois has contingency plans in place, however.

Illinois is in a really good place with John Blackwell, and even better now. Illinois will meet with him on Monday.

By IlliniGuys Staff April 11, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois point guard Mihailo Petrovic reportedly plans to enter […]

April 10, 2026

Well, it's that time of year - the transfer portal is entering day 4 and the conversations are fast and furious.

It's a little different setup than in the past. Remember the stories of Illinois coach Brad Underwood bypassing practice ahead of the team's Elite Eight clash with UConn because he had to work the phones with the portal already open? They changed the rules and moved the beginning of portal season to Tuesday or the day after the national championship game.

That doesn't mean negotiations weren't already happening behind the scenes - let's not kid ourselves here, but at the very least it allowed the Final Four coaches to try to focus on the task at hand with their teams in Indianapolis.

We've already seen NCAA champion Michigan announce a deal to keep Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliott Cadeau in place for his senior season and added Tennessee big man JP Estrella.

Illinois' situation differs from the past in that the Illini's theme this spring is all about retention. Those talks continue and they may be getting close to a major addition as well. IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy delivered these goods on Thursday.

For real-time updates, subscribe to IlliniGuys.com and pay attention to our message boards.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 9, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

Divine Bourrage poses with Illini head coach Shauna Green on a campus visit during her illustrious high school career. (Courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Persistence on the recruiting trail has paid off for Illinois head coach Shauna Green and her staff, as the Illini have landed one of the most coveted talents in recent memory in former Davenport (IA) North HIgh School standout Divine Bourrage.

Once ranked as the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect during her senior season, Bourrage initially chose LSU despite Illinois remaining in the hunt until the very end of her recruitment. Now, the 5-foot-11 five-star guard is headed to Champaign, giving the Illini a major addition with proven pedigree and high expectations.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 8, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Jeremy Dunk)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball program continues to keep fans guessing when it comes to recruiting.

Just last Friday, seemingly out of nowhere, top-30 guard Quentin Coleman committed to Illinois moments before a workout at the Final Four. The surprise addition led many to believe the Illini were finished recruiting high school talent for the 2026 class.

This class already includes top 60 prospect Lucas Morillo, a 6-foot-6 combo guard from Boston, Massachusetts; Ethan Brown, a 6-foot-4 guard from Rolla, Missouri; and Landon Davis, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Waukee, Iowa.

April 8, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Diehard Illini fans know...once the season comes to an end, that's when things heat up. Here's the latest buzz around Ubben:

--It's not too early to look ahead at the 2026-27 schedule. Illinois will meet UConn for a fourth time in four years when the Huskies travel to Chicago for a United Center clash. The home of the NBA's Chicago Bulls has not been kind to the Illini lately, losing there twice last season to Alabama and to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament. Their last victory there was a 2019 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament. So, a chance for coach Brad Underwood and the Illini to exorcise some demons.

--Illinois will also travel to play at Texas Tech in a return game after beating the Red Raiders in Champaign last November. They will face Missouri in the Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis in December. There may be another Power 5 opponent added to their slate.

--What about a fourth meeting in the series with Tennessee, this time in Chicago? That will take place in the 2027-28 season.

--Illinois finished No. 5 in the final Associated Press and coaches' polls. National champion Michigan is followed by UConn, Arizona, Duke and the Illini. Coming off their first trip to the national semifinals since 2005, Illinois is already polling high in several of the early preseason polls for next year, including a number one ranking by the New York Times.

Now...a few late-night notes from our insiders:

By IlliniGuys Staff

April 7, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

It's transfer portal season and that means more than 1,000 college basketball players seeking new opportunities and hundreds of coaching staffs looking to bolster their rosters.

Coming off their first Final Four appearance in 21 years, Illinois would appear to be in the catbird's seat. IlliniGuys insiders are working the phones non-stop this time of year and providing real-time updates throughout the day on our premier message boards:

https://illiniguys.com/forum/forums/basketball-discussion.1648/

Here is what IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst Brad Sturdy shared this morning:

Wisconsin scoring guard John Blackwell is arguably

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder April 6, 2026 […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Wisconsin Badgers)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Since the NCAA allowed college athletes the opportunity to change teams with NIL benefits, IlliniGuys co-owner Mike Cagley coined a phrase that is quickly catching on across the country: Portal Kombat.

While the official opening date for the men’s transfer portal is now just hours away at 12:01 a.m., movement has already begun. Several players have already announced that they plan to enter the portal early. Some will do so with a non-contact designation, signaling they either know where they want to go or prefer not to be recruited.

One player who today announced his intention to switch schools is Wisconsin guard John Blackwell.

The former Brother Rice High School standout from Michigan is a 6-foot-4 guard who earned third-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from three-point range.

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

April 6, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Mudita is a Pali term used to describe the happiness one feels for another's success being as great as the happiness for your own success. It is the antidote to envy. You can guarantee that Ty Rodgers was envious of those players on the floor, but as the Illini walked off the court on Saturday at the Final Four he had his arm around Tomislav Ivisic telling him to keep his head up. Perhaps no player showed more of the ‘Mudita’ throughout this season than Rodgers, and this just encapsulated that theory.

Illini Coach Brad Underwood addressed it after the UConn loss. “This team had great, great joy for other’s successes.”

For Ty it was a year of growth, and it has been two years of growth for the 4th year player. His last time on the court in an official game was the Elite 8 loss to UConn in 2024. Now, he was in a different role as the injured veteran helping to lead and support off the court.

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

April 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Brent Zinkmann/IlliniGuys)

It only ends well for one team in the NCAA tournament, for the other 67 teams it ends with a loss you just want to hang around as long as you possibly can. The Illinois basketball team made their second Final Four since the turn of the century and only their third in the past 70 plus years, but the run ended at the hands of the UConn Huskies in The Final Four in front of a crazy amount of Orange and Blue clad Illini fans and for a team that captures the hearst fo Illini nation.

We could simply say that Illinois didn't make enough shots against a Connecticut team that has been there before, and that would definitely be true. Illinois missed jumpers, free throws, layups and everything in between, and in many cases they were wide open. They got more shots at he rim, got to the line more, and got more of the so called ‘Gold Medal’ shots they crave. But they missed them.

They fell behind by double digits but continued to battle back and cut the lead to four late when Connecticut grabbed an offensive rebound and then hit a three-pointer that essentially ended the magical run.

But this was a chance to put Illini basketball on the map. Back on the map. It's been 21 years since they made a final four and once again the fans showed out hoping to see that elusive first National Championship. The last two times the Illini reached the Final Four there was not a huge payoff post championship run. This time will be different.

There will be no Bruce Pearl recordings and probation. There won't be recruiting struggles finding players. Instead, Illinois has a fantastic basketball coach and staff that understand how to put together a roster and how to allow that roster to compete at the highest level.

So rather than break down the loss to UConn, which saw the physicality of the Huskies and the sideline brilliance of Danny Hurley in evidence, instead it's time to begin looking forward at what can happen next year.

The Illini lose three seniors, led by Kylan Boswell and Ben Humrichous, along with AJ Redd. Also from the 8-man rotation they expect to lose freshman All American Keaton Wagler to the NBA Draft. Everyone else could return. Let’s look at the possibilities for each player.

Keaton Wagler - The freshman superstar does not want to leave Illinois, and his family doesn't know if he is ready for the NBA.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 5, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On Friday, Brad Underwood and his staff delivered a major recruiting win when Illinois secured a commitment from one of the nation’s top playmakers in Quentin Coleman from St. Louis.

For a program operating at a high level, sustained success hinges on continuing to recruit and build momentum. Illinois is doing exactly that, showing no signs of slowing down.

That momentum has not gone unnoticed, especially by one of the state’s rising stars. Brady Pettigrew, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound five-star sophomore from Bolingbrook, is currently ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the country. Pettigrew already holds 19 Division I offers and continues to attract attention from some of college basketball’s biggest programs.

Illinois players and Brad Underwood experience on Saturday night what the 9-year Illini head coach constantly talks about - the abruptness of the end in the NCAA tournament.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — No matter how many times Illinois head coach Brad Underwood mentioned “the abruptness of the end” of the NCAA tournament with his basketball team, nothing could prepare Kylan Boswell for the moment of Saturday night.

At about 7:35 p.m. CST on the evening of Saturday April 4, 2026, Boswell was no longer a college basketball player and his career had ending in a painful and emotional loss in front of an announced crowd of 72,111 and millions watching on television.

“You work this whole season going all the way back to the summer to play for a national championship and to be one game short of that, it sucks,” Boswell said. “I just can’t believe we got this close and then lose like that, it hurts. It’ll probably hurt for a long time.”

Boswell finished his final college basketball game with just six points and 1 of 6 from the field that included multiple missed lay-ups that he’s made without thinking about the shot in his career. In the post-game locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium, Boswell reflected on how this is not the individual box score or the team performance he envisioned for his Final Four debut.

“To get here and be able to help my team get to this moment and then end my career like this, it just sucks,” Boswell said.

Kylan Boswell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW-HIOCYT3U   Ben Humrichous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZg6GDygaQ   Tomislav […]