Basketball

The University of Illinois has ended the exploration of […]

April 30, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Viva The Matadors)

Remember when Kedric Prince was trying to tell you on Twitter on Wednesday that you needed to join IlliniGuys.com?  Right now?!!

Now you know.  The blockbuster news we learned about then through our sources became public yesterday afternoon, when Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. tweeted that he was joining the Fighting Illini program.

Both Kedric and Brad Sturdy have stories here on our front page about how he is such a great fit for this Illinois roster and break down what his addition means to the program.

And both have shared their respective backstories on how this happened.  Great stuff that you will find only on IlliniGuys.com!

Former Texas Tech star Terrence Shannon Jr. joins Illini […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting April […]

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Staff

April 29, 2022

These are special times to be an Illini fan.

At this moment, there are only two Illini players who have ever started a game for the Orange and Blue.  And Coleman Hawkins and RJ Melendez have a total of 15 career starts between them.

So, get ready to see a lot of new faces getting a lot of playing time this upcoming season.

And that's not even the half of it.

The deadline for players to enter the transfer portal is midnight Sunday night and, with Illinois coach Brad Underwood sitting with at least three vacant scholarship spots, the conversations are non-stop.

The information flies so fast and moods change so often that we sometimes get conflicting info within the hour.

This much we know:

This winter's Fighting Illini basketball team will be the most athletic roster we've seen since the famous Flyin' Illini of 1989...and it very easily could surpass that!

We also know this --- there's one place to be for the very latest Illini inside stuff and that's IlliniGuys.com.  Our Brad Sturdy posted an update just hours ago this morning and there are some name on the potential future Illini list that will make you say 'wow!'

Unfortunately, I can't give away more than that at this moment.  But...you need to get in here.  It appears that something is about to go down...!

Fighting Illini Head Coach Brad Underwood joins Sturdy to […]

Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins says he hasn’t yet had his final season-ending meeting with Illini head coach Brad Underwood and gives a non-committal answer on his future with the program. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 27, 2022

CHAMPAIGN -- By every definition of the word, miscommunication currently exists between Coleman Hawkins and the Illinois coaching staff. 

In his first media availability since the end of the 2021-22 season, Hawkins conveyed a different picture about the clarity to his future with the Illini program than the one portrayed by Brad Underwood - the program’s fifth-year head coach. 

Hawkins, who just finished his second season at Illinois and averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14 starts and 33 games, said Wednesday he has yet to have his exit interview with the Illini coaching staff about his future role as a upperclassman on this team. 

“I’ve talked to them a little bit but things have been, it’s kind of been hard to communicate in a way,” Hawkins said Wednesday. “I haven’t seen them that much. I’ve been with (strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher) a lot but we haven’t had a true exit meeting so hopefully that will come soon so we can figure whatever the future is out.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

April 27, 2022

The rankings for the class of 2024 are right around the corner, but one thing you can be sure of - Illinois will have two of the nation's top 50 in the class:  Morez Johnson and now ZZ Clark, who recently committed to the Illini.

I talked to ZZ while he was in Champaign last week.

"This is a great feeling for me; words can't explain how I feel right now. I just committed to the University of Illinois. I'm with my family right now, my brother Skyy is on his official visit, but for me, this an unofficial. But I get to see how it's all done," said Clark.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

April 26, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Prep Hoops)

Photo courtesy Quad City Times

Quad City high school basketball fans have bragged about the talent level in the area for years. So many times that if there was a major Division I prospect, it was certain that they would end up at Iowa, Iowa State or UNI. Especially if they played football.

The last two great Rock Island Rocks who had a chance to play for the Illini went elsewhere. Brea Beal, a consensus high school All-American, picked South Carolina, where she just won a national title.  At the time of her decision, Beal said, "Illinois was my second choice; they did a great job of recruiting me, and it's my home state."

Chasson Randle, who was Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois, picked Stanford over his favorite team growing up, the Fighting Illini. Randle finished his college career as the all-time leading scorer in Cardinal history with 2,375 points. Randle did not have a great visit to Champaign which sent him to Stanford.

Now comes Amarion Nimmers, an outstanding 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard who plays for the Rocks. The soon-to-be Class of 2022 graduate played his AAU basketball for the Illinois Wolves and is just now making it on the scene with all the top programs.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

April 22, 2022

Courtney Ramey, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound point guard from Webster Groves, Missouri who played his collegiate basketball for the Texas Longhorns, entered the transfer portal a couple of weeks ago.

Illinois jumped on the Ramey train early along with several other schools: UConn, Missouri, Marquette, Kentucky, Villanova, DePaul, Maryland, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin.

According to IlliniGuys.Com insider Brad Sturdy, Illinois is still in play with Ramey when it appeared the ship might have sailed.

April 25, 2022

IlliniGuys.com's Brad Sturdy spent the weekend watching Illinois prospects at the EYBL event in Indianapolis.  The entire Illini coaching staff was in Nap City as well, pursuing the talent and even handing out some new offers to kids in the class of 2023,

Upon his return home Sunday night, Sturdy opened up for questions from IlliniGuys members and the following is the exchange.  Sturdy also adds some additional notes from the weekend.  What Illinois coaches think about transfer center and Kofi Cockburn replacement Dain Dainja and what makes the Illini's class of 2022 commits so special and unique?

April 24, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy ID Prospects)

IlliniGuys' Brad Sturdy is watching it all at the EYBL this weekend in Indianapolis.  He posted this on the IlliniGuys.com message forums late last night with more nuggets to come later today:

I was able to watch Meanstreets 16U (2024) squad twice today, they are playing up at 17U. Some thoughts. Illinois was the only school to watch them.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

April 23, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy The Depaulia)

David Jones, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound small forward from Scott Depot, West Virginia, is a sophomore  many Illinois fans will remember. The Illini went toe-to-toe with DePaul for Jones two years ago. But at the end, he wanted to be a Blue Demon.

Now Jones is in the NCAA transfer portal, one of more than 1,400 players looking for a better situation elsewhere. And Illinois is in the mix.

Jones is considered one of the top players in the portal.  This southpaw does not look as though he is going hard because of his demeanor, but Jones is a great athlete and very effective. 

Against Georgetown in February, Jones recorded the first-triple double in DePaul history. He had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He is another player who can score on all three levels and the kind of athlete the Illinois coaching staff is collecting.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

April 21, 2022

Now that it is official that All-American center Kofi Cockburn will try to play professionally next year in the NBA, Illinois must keep moving.

The Illini already possess the nation's 10th best-recruiting class in 2022, but expect to really hit the transfer portal hard in the coming weeks.

A name that has surfaced before in the transfer portal and now may get more attention is Manny Bates, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound forward from Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The North Carolina State big man played in just one game before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury this year and then choosing to become the fourth player to leave the Wolfpack program this spring.

April 21, 2022

 IlliniGuys Staff

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

So...it's the morning after.  The smoke has cleared and the Illini now step into a future that will be defined in the history books as the "post-Ayo & Kofi" era.

The impact that All-Americans Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn made on the Illinois program can and will never be denied.  From a record-setting 21-loss season to a seat at the table as one of the top 20 teams in the country.  And climbing.  With two conference championship banners as conquests of the nation's toughest conference, you could argue their current status is even more exclusive than that.

As Cockburn waves goodbye and now works to follow his ex-Illini teammate into the NBA, the Illinois coaching staff can now move forward.  

So what will this roster look like this fall?  Who are the top targets to fill the open scholarships as the Illini chase after a repeat Big Ten regular season title?

IlliniGuys' Brad Sturdy always has the goods.  He was the first to tell you Tuesday afternoon that Kofi was turning pro and last night he delivered the very latest on who could be next up.

It's a fun time to be an Illini fan!