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

January 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

I’m going to be a wet blanket on our Final Four projections and San Antonio reservations. The Illini are not as good as they looked on Friday night. Nobody is, at least every night. The Illini shot 16-29 from 3 point range and dominated #9 Oregon 109-77. They moved up to 5th in the NCAA NET and 8th on KenPom and the hype is over the top for now. But I will say this, and I have said this for 7 months. The upside, or ceiling, of this team is the Final Four and a potential national title, but the floor is still lower.

After an NCAA ruling and a Christmas Eve visit from Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, Illini offensive tackle J.C. Davis has elected to return to Champaign for the 2025 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 4, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Thanks to a late NCAA ruling and a Christmas Eve visit from Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, J.C. Davis has elected to pass on the National Football League in exchange for one more season of college football.

Davis, who started all 12 games at left tackle after his arrival from the University of New Mexico and was a All-Big Ten selection this past season, announced his decision on Instagram and X/Twitter Saturday evening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BIHmqxCzxI    

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 4, 2025

Illinois marked a big item off its portal shopping list for the offseason when West Virginia Wide Receiver Hudson Clement signed with the Illini on Thursday. 

Clement is an interesting story because he didn't have any Division I offers at all coming out of a small school in West Virginia.  However, late in the process Clement got an offer to walk on at West Virginia and gambled on himself.  He redshirted and got quite a bit more muscular and then impressed the staff enough to earn a starting job mid-season which quickly turned into a scholarship after scoring the game winning touchdown against Houston that year. 

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 4, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has revitalized a basketball program that was teetering on the brink of irrelevance under former head coach John Groce, who led the team from 2012 to 2017. Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman decided it was time for a change.

Enter Underwood—a beacon of hope for the Illini. On the court, Underwood portrays a tough, no-nonsense persona, signaling that when you face Illinois, you'd better come prepared to battle.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

January 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

To quote Justin Stepp in a tweet one morning this week: "I woke up feelin the cheesiest coach!". 

What a great win for Illinois.  That was definitely the biggest Illini win since 2007 at Ohio State, and potentially a program changing day that we can all hold onto forever.  South Carolina was very overrated as a 10 point favorite, but I wouldn't have argued with anyone who said they were still a distinct favorite in this game given their work through the season and strong fanbase that only had to drive to the game.  Still, Illinois controlled the action throughout and but for a few officiating oddities, they would have won by more.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois’ recent trip to Orlando for the Citrus Bowl was about more than just football — it was a business trip as well. Under the leadership of four-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Fighting Illini have continued their recruiting efforts in the Sunshine State.

On New Year’s Day, Illinois received a surprise commitment from Kingston Shaw, a 2026 three-star edge rusher from Apopka, Florida. Shaw expressed his excitement about Illinois on Twitter:

By IlliniGuys Staff January 3, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

January 2, 2025

The first two months are in the books and the Illini now dive into the deep Big Ten pool. They split their first two conference games a month ago and have already gone 2-2 vs. Top 25 teams plus an emotional win over a Missouri team that had won 10 in a row, including an upset of then -#1 Kansas.

So...where does this team stand right now, hours away from taking the court in Eugene against #9 Oregon? We asked the IlliniGuys for their thoughts:

How would you grade the Illini so far?

Mike Cagley: Right now

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

January 2, 2025

The Illini are headed west for a pair of games on the left coast against Oregon and Washington as their first foray into the new Big Ten landscape. Oregon is ranked 9th in the country and have already built an impressive resume with wins over Texas A&M, Alabama and San Diego State. This will be a tough game for Illinois to win, but here’s how they do it and how a look at the details.

Setting the Stage

#22/20 Illinois (9-3, 1-1) at #9/9 Oregon (12-1, 1-1)
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 // 9 p.m. CT (7 p.m. PT) // Eugene, Ore. // Matthew Knight Arena
TV: FS1 – Guy Haberman (Play-by-Play) & Casey Jacobsen (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas

Notable

*Illinois opens the 2025 calendar year with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to face new Big Ten members Oregon and Washington, beginning Thursday night in Eugene against the No. 9-ranked Ducks (9 p.m. CT, FS1).

*This starts a stretch for Illinois with four of its next six games on the road. Illinois is 0-1 in true road games this season, and 2-2 away from home. lllinois is looking for its first road win over a top-10 team since beating No. 7 Ohio State on March 6, 2021.

*Illinois is 2-2 against ranked teams this season, with wins over No. 19 Arkansas and No. 20 Wisconsin. Illinois leads the Big Ten in the latest NCAA NET rankings at No. 11, one spot of ahead of Oregon.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 2, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois football enjoyed a season for the ages this year and that continues to show in their recruiting in the transfer portal.

Thursday morning, word leaked that West Virginia wide receiver Hudson Clement is heading to Illinois. Clement, a 6-foot-1, 198-pound sophomore from Martinsburg, West Virginia, becomes the latest addition to the Fighting Illini, according to On3 reporter Pete Nakos.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

January 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Early Wednesday morning marked a great start to 2025 for Illinois football fans as the team landed an unexpected commitment from three-star recruit Kingston Shaw from Apopka, Florida.

Illinois defensive players have seen and heard what has been said and written about their defensive coordinator over two years. They now hope this 2024 Citrus Bowl flips criticism into belief.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Following what is arguably the most disciplined and physically dominant defensive performances in the last two seasons, Aaron Henry’s players weren’t done proving a point.

The leadership amongst the near two dozen Illinois defensive players who played snaps during the 21-17 win over South Carolina in the 2024 Citrus Bowl were intent on sending a post-game message as well.

January 1, 2025

It was one of the most thrilling - and intriguing - calendar years ever in Illini basketball history. The deepest NCAA tournament run in nearly two decades, but a legal battle that cast a dark cloud over most of the season and the emergence of the best one-year player that the Illini have ever seen.

Here's a look back:

Illinois tailback Josh McCray, who was part of the tailback duo involved in the birth of ‘Barge’ package three years ago at Penn State was named the Citrus Bowl MVP running behind the massive set.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

January 1, 2025

ORLANDO, Fla. — Illinois used its 2024 Citrus Bowl win to prove the Bret Bielema old-school classic run scheme will never go out of style.