Basketball

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

November 12, 2022
On a night when last year's Illini hung a Big Ten championship banner for the second year in a row, this year's team showed glimpses of being capable of getting a banner of their own. (Photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

Dain Dainja scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his second double-double in as many games this season as #23 Illinois overcame a cold shooting start to cruise to an 86-48 victory over Missouri-Kansas City. Terrence Shannon pitched in 14, Jayden Epps 13 and Skyy Clark 10 for the Illini as they moved to 2-0 to start the season. 

Here’s a look back.

IlliniGuys Staff

November 11, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Dain Dainja scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his second double-double in as many games this season as #23 Illinois overcame a frigid start to cruise to an 86-48 victory over Missouri-Kansas City.

It was a perfect finish to a night that saw the Illini raise their first Big Ten regular season championship banner since 2005 and departed star players Kofi Cockburn, Trent Frazier, Alfonso Plummer, and Da'Monte Williams return to get their championship rings.

Former Illini head coach Bruce Weber was more than happy to call No. 23 Illinois’ 86-48 win over Kansas City as Brad Underwood’s squad raised a championship banner.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 11, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Brandon Leeb/USA Today Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Not many people would classify Bruce Weber as anything other than an emotional person so please forgive the man if he was fighting his feelings on Friday night. 

Weber says he was more than honored for his new employer to assign him to Illinois’ 86-48 over Kansas City on a night where the Illini raised a Big Ten Conference championship banner and handed out title rings. 

“Every time I go through O'Hare or Midway, somebody grabs me for a picture or autographs and even in St. Louis, somebody this summer got out in the middle of the street and stopped traffic and said ‘I got to shake your hand, coach’ and I was telling him ‘man, there’s people beeping at you’,” Weber said. “A lot of special memories." 

From Illinois Sports Information Office  November 11, 2022 #23 […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 11, 2022

What happened: The men's and women's basketball programs both signed some of the nation's top preps during national signing day. 

Illiniguys Mike Cagley and Sturdy talk about the Illini […]

Illinois head coach Shauna Green picks up a dominating 35-point win in her regular season debut with the Illini as five players finish with double-figure scoring efforts.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 9, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- One constant that Shauna Green can draw for her debut at Illinois is if she can get her squad to consistently defend the way they did in game one many more wins will come. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 9, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Monteverde Academy Athletics)

The Illinois Women’s team also had a successful signing day on Wednesday as they added a pair of coveted scorers in Gretchen Dolan and Cori Allen to the FamILLy. The Illini women may not be done in the class of 2023 as they look to bolster their roster. Stay tuned to Illiniguys.com to see who’s next for Shauna Green and company. 

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

November 9, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Amani Hansberry Twitter page)

(Editor's note:  This is a compilation of today's official signing of National Letters of Intent by future Illinois men's basketball student-athletes.  Check back in throughout the day as we will update this as other players submit their signed NLIs.)

The Illini have been on a recruiting roll over the past few seasons and the class of 2023 has done nothing to diminish the expectation that this program will continue to recruit at a high level both in the high school ranks and in the portal. On Wednesday, the Illini are expected to add to their roster with 3 talented prospects.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst

November 8, 2022

The Illini took care of business against EIU in their opener on Monday night by an 87-57 score behind 23 points and 12 rebounds from Coleman Hawkins and 24 points and 8 rebounds from Terrence Shannon. The Illini also got 17 and 10 from Dain Dainja, as they led by 15 at the break and by as many as 35 in the second stanza. 

Mike Cagley, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular November 8, 2022 […]

Illinois freshman Ty Rodgers is finding a key role as Underwood's favorite player on a night where he only scored one point in 23 minutes of action. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 8, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Kaijah Weller/Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Of all the new pieces on this Illinois roster, we’re very close to learning who Illinois head coach Brad Underwood loves the most - if we haven’t already figured that out already. 

The Illinois head coach, who began his sixth season in Champaign Monday night with a easily dominating 87-57 win over Eastern Illinois, has already pointed to a freshman wing as the player he wants on the playing floor in crunchtime situations. 

The 23rd ranked Illini open the season with a […]

By IlliniGuys Staff November 7, 2022 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Larry Smith – IlliniGuys Staff

November 7, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy EIU Athletics)

Illinois…you’ve come a long way, baby!

Remember that day five years ago this month?  The Illini made the unprecedented trip south to Charleston to play Eastern Illinois in an exhibition with the proceeds going to hurricane relief.  It was Brad Underwood’s first time coaching his new program in a game-like setting and an experience he may still have nightmares about.  The Panthers schooled Illinois in front of a sold-out Lantz Arena crowd to the tune of 80-67.

Luckily it was only an exhibition, but it showed Underwood just how far he needed to go to resurrect the once-proud Illini program to national status.