Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 31, 2024

Champaign, Ill.— It's the news that Illinois basketball has been waiting months to hear:

Tomislav Ivisic is cleared to play!

The 7-foot-1 center from Croatia made the announcement via social media Thursday evening. Ivisic expressed his confidence in a previous statement, saying, “I’m very confident I will get to play. Illinois did everything right. I just want to be with my guys when the season starts.” Now that opportunity has been granted.

Unlike Tomislav, his twin brother Zvonimir faced significant delays in his eligibility process while at Kentucky last season. Zvonimir was only cleared to play in mid-January, missing a large portion of the season. Aware of potential challenges, Illinois began Ivisic’s eligibility process in early May, a proactive approach that ultimately paid off.

Tomislav Ivisic, the Illinois center signee from Croatia, has […]

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

October 28, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini fell to Ole Miss on Sunday in a charity exhibition 92-74 as the Rebels changed their name to ‘Can’t Miss’ and made it rain from 3 point range. The Rebels also stifled the Illini early on with their physical defense and getting ito passing lanes and making it difficult for them. 

Here are our takeaways from this one. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 27, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Oxford, MS — One of the most iconic westerns of all time, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), starred Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Today, the Illinois men’s basketball team found itself in a fitting comparison as it traveled to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the 24th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels in an exhibition game.

After Illinois’ impressive March run and a revamped roster, fans were excited to see the ten new players on the 2024-25 roster. However, the Illini faced a veteran Ole Miss team — the second-oldest in Division I basketball. Today’s game showed the importance of experience, as the Rebels beat Illinois 91-74 in front of 7,023 fans at the Pavilion.

By IlliniGuys Staff October 27, 2024 OXFORD, Miss. - […]

Brad Sturdy, Illini Insider & IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio Host

October 27, 2024

No, that isn’t a typo, the Illini are set to face an old and physical Mississippi basketball squad on Sunday in a game that Brad Underwood loves. Under Chris Beard the Rebels will be physical and he has added an older and more talented squad, leading to their first ever preseason ranking in the coaches poll.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 26, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois guard Kylan Boswell grew up in Urbana-Champaign until his eighth-grade year before moving to California for high school. He ended his prep career at AZ Compass Prep in Phoenix, where he averaged 14 points per game as a junior. In the summer of 2022, Boswell reclassified to join the Arizona Wildcats, beginning with the 2022-23 season.

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

October 24, 2024

The fall is always a time when the hype train is ratcheted up for college basketball teams, but this year it is on steroids for the Fighting Illini. Despite the fact that the Illini are unranked, it only takes one look at a practice session to see that this team has the tools to be very good. 

Thus the hype train. 

Is the hype real? Let’s look at the hype we have heard and break it down. 

1. Kasparas Jakucionis is a lottery pick.

From Illinois Sports Information Office October 24, 2024   […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 24, 2024

Champaign, IL – Illinois assistant men's basketball coach Geoff Alexander has been instrumental in scouting overseas talent for the program. However, he may have also found one of the most prolific scorers on the Illinois roster domestically.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October 23, 2024

Over the years, I've developed solid relationships with a few NBA scouts. One of them attended an Illinois practice for the first time Saturday morning and understood what the buzz is all about.

He said scouts are texting each other, saying "You have to see an Illinois practice."

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 18, 2024

Champaign, IL – Tre White, a combo guard/wing who transferred to Illinois from USC and Louisville, was the second transfer to commit to the Fighting Illini this offseason, following sophomore Jake Davis. White brings experience to Illinois, coming in with more court time than anyone on the 2024-25 roster, aside from returning junior Ty Rodgers.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 17, 2024

Champaign, IL — During the Illinois-Purdue football game on Saturday, several key football prospects were present. Typically, it’s easy to distinguish football players from basketball players, but among them on the east side of Memorial Stadium was a 6-foot-11 young man who clearly wasn’t a football player. It was Sheek Pearson, a power forward from St. Louis, Missouri.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 14, 2024

Champaign, IL — The Illinois basketball community was thrilled when news broke that head coach Brad Underwood was bringing back one of the top recruiters in the game, Orlando Antigua.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting October 12, 2024 […]