Basketball

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 14, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Lincoln Williams, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Kankakee, has become a familiar face on the University of Illinois campus. As a legitimate basketball prospect for the Illini, his visits are a testament to his growing interest in the program. But for Williams, the connection runs deeper—his sister is a proud Illinois graduate.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood stresses Monday that if his team’s process is solid, the results will take care of themselves - including the results on Tuesday night at Indiana.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 13, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After ending the 2022-23 season on a three-game losing streak, Brad Underwood’s Illinois squad failed to have consecutive losses in the following campaign.

With a 2024-25 season squad that only returns one contributing player, Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, it’s possible trying to find comparisons is a fool’s errand but since the 2020-21 season, the Illinois eight-year head coach is 25-5 in the game immediately after a loss in regular season play. Ironically, Underwood said Monday his team’s ability to, as Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema would say, ‘not allowing one loss to beat you again” comes from “being process oriented” as his team approaches a five-month season.

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

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Illini Insider & Co-Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 12, 2025

The Illini were humbled on Saturday by the USC Trojans in Champaign, losing 82-72. The Illini shot poorly, which has become a common theme, and they didn’t rebound well enough, which was surprising. Desmond Claude scored at will in the second half, scoring 21 points after the break and 31 for the game, and Illinois struggled to do anything on offense. 

For just the second time this season, Illinois was outrebounded in a basketball game and Illini head coach Brad Underwood knows both of those times resulted in home losses.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 11, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach Brad Underwood may have created a new routine for his basketball team after what he witnessed Saturday afternoon.

Following the 82-72 loss to Southern California inside its home arena, Underwood suggested as the eight-year head coach the possibility of a new plan for his team to be ready to play.

By IlliniGuys Staff January 11, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Illini Insider & Co-Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 11, 2025

The Illini welcome the USC Trojans to the State Farm Center in the 10th all-time meeting between the two programs and the first as members of the Big Ten.

By Larry Smith - Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys […]

After losing two starters this week for the rest of the season and having a six-player rotation, the Illinois women’s basketball program managed to still beat a Top 25 program. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 10, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — What’s left of this Illinois women’s basketball roster would very much prefer for the doubting outside of its locker room to continue. 

By IlliniGuys Staff January 9, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   Illinois vs. #23/23 […]

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Illini Insider & Co-Host of the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

January 9, 2025

Penn State has been a thorn in the side of Illinois for a while now, going back to the Rich McBride game winner that was waved off in 2006 and then 4 losses in a row, 3 in 2023 and a colossal meltdown a year ago. When Illinois found out about an hour before tipoff that star guard Kasparas Jakucionis was out with a left forearm injury, it seemed like the curse would continue. 

Illinois gets a trio of 20-point scoring efforts to […]

The loss of Makira Cook and Gretchen Dolan puts extreme stress on this Illini coaching staff attempting to find what works offensively without two high-level scorers.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

January 8, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The latest injury news surrounding the Illini’s women’s basketball program has all but eliminated the easy button of Shauna Green’s offense.

When Makira Cook and Gretchen Dolan were healthy and in the Illinois playing rotation, the plan to stop any scoring lull throughout a game or any, late-clock or late-game situations was more simple than you might assume from a power four conference program. Green was just fine with getting Cook, an All-Big Ten selection at lead guard, a ball screen to get the 5-foot-6 scorer downhill toward the front of the rim. During an injury-plagued 2023-24 season, the main reason for Illinois’ run to the first annual WBIT championship was a fully healthy Cook being able to make what might like like little to no cohesion into two or three points with the basketball in her hands.

Illinois guards Makira Cook and Gretchen Dolan will not […]