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

December 10, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last season, ESPN in-game and studio announcers said "Cooper Flagg" so often that you wouldn't blame someone if they thought the phenomenal Duke freshman's last name was "Cooperflagg". As if his stellar play wasn't enough, the Worldwide Leader - as it often does with Duke freshmen - played a big role in making him a household name. Remember Zion Williamson?

They're doing it again with this year's crop of ballyhooed high school recruits now playing at the next level. Saturday night, ESPN game analyst Jimmy Dykes crowed out "Cam Boozer" twice in the waning moments of the broadcast. Problem is...it was Illinois against Tennessee. Boozer's Duke team wasn't even playing in front of Dykes.

As we are just a third of the way into this college basketball season, prepare to hear Boozer's name evoked often. And BYU's AJ Dybantsa. And UNC's precocious star Caleb Wilson. And Arizona's Koa Peat. All for good reason; those four are among an elite group of seven college freshmen who are averaging at least 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game.

What you won't hear on ESPN?  Two of them play for Illinois, the only college basketball program with two superstar rookies.

While acknowledging assistant coaches could be poached by other programs, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he won’t force change before the bowl game.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 11, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois coaching staff will remain completely intact throughout the two-week preparation for the Music City Bowl game.

Illinois fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema confirmed he didn’t anticipate making changes to his coaching staff before the completion of the postseason game against Tennessee on Dec. 30 (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPN) in Nashville. In the on-campus Music City Bowl media conference inside the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign, Bielema declined to confirm if he’d be forcing change to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2026 season but the Illini head coach seemed more concerned on members of his coaching staff being poached this month as the carousel of head coaching changes in the sport could result in Illini staff members being pursued by recent openings.

“I haven't really had many conversations with our staff," Bielema said on Sunday. “I just know that when you hire good coaches, people that there's going to be things that happen.

Illinois holds Missouri under 70 points and sees star […]

At Villanova, Maddie Webber was a scoring machine and […]

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

December 10, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini opened the Big Ten season with a 88-80 win over a feisty Ohio State Buckeyes team that came in seven and one. Freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic scored 23 and 22 points, and Andrej Stojakovic added 17 as the Illini moved to 8-2 and 1-0 in Big Ten play.

The first half was a free-flowing offensive showcase, and the second half morphed into a foul fest that featured 48 fouls. This was the type of win that a year ago you wonder if the Illini would have been able to pull this out, but their depth and toughness showed through and they were able to pull out the road win in their first true road game of the season.

Here's a rewind:

These 3 Things

Freshmen Lead the Way - The play of Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic was incredible in their first Big Ten road game Tuesday night.

By Kedric Prince - Sr. Recruiting Analyst December 10 […]

Starts at around 1:40 on the clip.  These guys […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D7aC0Jjm_Y    

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

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy FIBA)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball program is rolling into December with momentum after a big 75-62 win over Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

That surge off the court is matching what’s happening on it. Rumblings continue to circulate around Lithuanian standout Dovydas Buika, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound combo guard whose wing scoring ability has made him one of the most intriguing international prospects in the 2026 class. According to Rivals.com and On3, Buika is rated a four-star recruit, and his recruitment appears to be tightening into a two-team contest between Illinois and Arizona.

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

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Payton Sturdy/IlliniGuys)

It is a quick turnaround, as the Illini head to Columbus for the Big Ten opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Guitars notwithstanding, the Illini feel good about their week of practice and their win over Tennessee but now have to take care of business this week in Big Ten play.

Here’s a breakdown.

Setting the Stage
#13 Illinois (7-2, 0-0) at Ohio State (7-1, 1-0)
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 // 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) // Columbus, Ohio // Value City Arena Stream: Peacock – John Fanta (Play-by-Play) & Brendan Haywood (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

Notable

December 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

IlliniGuys Staff Writer Kedric Prince laid down some knowledge for the premium board folks yesterday morning...

Good Monday morning. It always feels a little better when Illinois not only picks up a big win...but does it against an SEC opponent.

A few notes to pass along from what I gathered yesterday, in no particular order of importance:

• Junior Andrej Stojakovic
His scoring dip lately has an explanation.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular December 8, 2025 The […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he’s conducted a one-on-one meeting with Altmyer and exchanged text messages with Altmyer’s mother about the Music City Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 7, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Despite doing everything in his power to not spoil an upcoming announcement from the player himself, Bret Bielema did everything but confirm he will have his three-year starting quarterback for one more game.

In the on-campus Music City Bowl acceptance media conference inside the Smith Family Football Complex on Sunday afternoon, Bielema confirmed he has conducted one-on-one meetings with players out of eligibility after this postseason game, including starting quarterback Luke Altmyer. Bielema also said Sunday he received a text message from Altmyer’s mother, Betsy, that “half of Mississippi will be there” and based off all of these elements, the expectation of Bielema and the rest of the Illini coaching staff is for Luke Altmyer to make one more start in the 2025 Music City Bowl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbl6qJsCGU