Basketball

Kylan Boswell grew up watching the Braggin’ Rights game as an Illini fan but his 36 efficient minutes led Illinois to a second straight win over Missouri.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When asked to describe his backcourt mate on this Illinois team, Kasparas Jakucionis needed just one word to accurately depict Kylan Boswell’s value. 

By IlliniGuys Staff December 22, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Illini Insider and C0-Host IlliniGuys Sports […]

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

December 20, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Every time a team loses, and many times when they win, fans and spectators want to know why this guy is playing and this guy is not. It’s human nature. ‘If player X had played, we would have won.’ They could be right. They may be wrong, and the reality is that we will never know what the outcome of the hypothetical would have been, so you can’t be ‘wrong’.

The Illini basketball team has found themselves on the losing end of a couple of key games late and much has been made of the substitution patterns. With that in mind, let’s look at the most productive groups for the Illini on the season. The numbers are what they are, so let’s dive a little deeper.

There are two ends to the floor, and to be successful teams must be good on both ends. So, when looking at the performance it is important to compare how they fare on both offense and defense.

Illinois get 20 points from sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger […]

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

December 20, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

(Editor's Note - Larry is the co-founder of IlliniGuys.com. His journalism career spans nearly four decades and includes more than 60 major championships worldwide and thousands of shows on CNN, TNT, and NBA TV. He is a Murrow, Emmy, and Peabody Award winner who is entering his second season as host of the WNBA on Ion Friday night studio show.)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It's almost 51 weeks to the day when Terrence Shannon Jr.'s life turned upside down.  The All-American candidate found himself in Lawrence, Kansas answering to a rape allegation while, hundreds of miles away, he was being temporarily removed from the Illinois basketball team. The latter being reversed three weeks later, but only after he won a temporary restraining order against the school he represented.

Shannon maintained his innocence and was later cleared of all charges in Kansas after the season ended and, on February 15th, another step of putting one of the most bizarre turn of events in Illinois athletic history further in the rear-view mirror will be taken when the university will raise his jersey to the rafters.

No one is more deserving.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 17, 2024

BETTENDORF, Iowa – The Quad Cities has added another nationally ranked prospect to Illinois' recruiting radar. Jhaliana Guy, a 5-foot-9 combo guard, has showcased an exceptional athletic ability that has drawn the attention of 25 college programs, including the Illini.

Guy, ranked in the top 10 nationally by ESPNW, displayed her talents Friday night when the Bettendorf Bulldogs faced the Assumption Knights. While she didn’t dominate the scoreboard on this night, she did finish with 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting. But here's why she's drawing so much interest:

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) (Cover photo courtesy Joe […]

Despite again having a short bench, Illinois head coach Shauna Green was able to turn to reserves, such as Barry Wallace, to flip the momentum Sunday afternoon. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

Decembere 16, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If she had never suffered an injury to her shooting hand, Berry Wallace’s role off the bench in her freshman season might have been exactly what she showed Sunday afternoon. 

Following a nine-point opening quarter that saw Illinois down early to a upset-minded Southern Indiana team that came four points away from defeating Indiana in Bloomington’s Assembly Hall, Illini head coach Shauna Green turned to arguably the most prestigious women’s basketball signee in the last decade to get them out of an offensive slump. 

Wallace responded to the call by her head coach with 12 points in the second quarter of a 73-50 blowout win by showcasing her ability to do the thing Illinois (9-2) has failed to show consistently throughout these last few weeks - hit jump shots. 

Mike Cagley & Brad Sturdy talk: CFP Predictions Heisman […]

Illinois freshman wing Berry Wallace produced a career-high 18 points off the bench in a 73-50 victory over Southern Indiana. 

Matthew Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 15, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Berry Wallace finally got to show why she was a McDonald’s All-America selection and arguably the most Illinois coveted signee of the Shauna Green era.

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Insider & Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

December 15, 2024

The opportunity was there in front of the Fighting Illini as they led Tennessee by as many as 6 points in the final 10 minutes and had the ball late with multiple opportunities to deal a knockout punch. Instead, they turned it over, failed on inbounds attempts, missed open shots, missed free throws, and allowed Justin Gainey to go coast to coast in the final seconds for a layup in a 66-64 loss. The Illini failed to make a field goal in the final 5 minutes as they fell to 7-3, with #1 Tennessee moving to 10-0. 

After watching the film, three things pop out. 

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

In a 66-64 loss to No. 1 Tennessee, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood immediately knew he’d made what he would consider an inexcusable coaching blunder.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 14, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It is exceedingly obvious that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood’s 61st birthday wish on Saturday would be for five seconds to be put back on the State Farm Center game clock and Tennessee’s final offensive possession to be replayed.

After he watched Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey drive practically the length of the floor to make a driving layup just as the buzzer sounded completing a 66-64 victory for the No. 1 Volunteers, Underwood immediately realized he forgot to do something.

By IlliniGuys Staff December 14, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]