Heat Checks & Hail Marys – The Next 5 Years Are the Most Important in the History of Illini Athletics
Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular March 9, 2025 It […]
Heat Checks & Hail Marys – The Next 5 Years Are the Most Important in the History of Illini Athletics
Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular March 9, 2025 It […]
Ked's Recruiting Roundup - Recruit Casey Thomann: "Bret Bielema is competitive, and to me he's just the type of guy a hungry recruit should want to play for."
By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
March 8, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois football program continues to build its 2026 recruiting class with another top in-state prospect. Casey Thomann, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle from Olney, Illinois, committed to Illinois early in the week, a decision that was expected, though the timing came as a surprise.
Thomann has visited the Fighting Illini a lot throughout his recruitment, consistently returning to campus. His first scholarship offer came from his home state program, which was a significant factor in his decision.
Meet The New, Improved & Confident Illini ‘Glue Guy’ in March - Tre White
Following a spectacular performance in win over Purdue, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood may argue with anybody that his most improved player is Tre White.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
CHAMPAIGN — Purdue head coach Matt Painter got introduced to the full Tre White experience from Illinois.
Following a 88-80 loss to the Illini, the Boilermakers 20-year head coach said he’d leave State Farm Center Friday night with one baffling thought.
“We just defensively couldn’t pick up the dive cut guy in our rotations,” Painter said shaking his head. “We just couldn’t take the dive guy. It drives me nuts.”
Illini Close Regular Season With 88-80 Upset of 18th Ranked Purdue
By IlliniGuys Staff March 7, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]
‘We need rest’: Illini Women’s Hoops Going To Take Time Off Before Selection Sunday
After surviving multiple significant injuries to key players, Illinois head coach Shauna Green is going to focus on body recovery before her team’s NCAA Tournament game.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
March 7, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — In the week prior to being selected to the WBIT field, Shauna Green put her squad through some of the most grueling practices and intrasquad scrimmages of the season to get prepared for a postseason run.
Needless to say, the Illinois third-year head coach will not be doing that from now to when the NCAA Tournament bracket being revealed on the night of March 16 (7 p.m. CST on ESPN).
Sturdy's Preview: Statement Game
By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular
March 7, 2025
The Illini are solidly in the NCAA field but have a chance to move up at least a seed line, and possibly more next week. They have lost 5 in a row in this series and need this win to show how good they can be when healthy. The Illini dominated Michigan on Sunday, but the Boilers are coming off a beat down of Rutgers and appear to be gaining steam.
It should be a good one.
Setting the Stage
Illinois (19-11, 11-8 B1G) vs. #18 Purdue (21-9, 13-6 B1G)
Friday, March 7, 2025 // 7 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
TV: FOX – Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) & Bill Raftery (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas National Radio: Compass Media Networks – Wayne Larrivee (Play-By-Play) & Danny Green
Pat Bryant Wins Second Annual Loren Tate Award
Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant becomes the second recipient […]
Illinois Recruiting Target Ends Junior Campaign with Illinois Coaches in Attendance
By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
March 7, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Lincoln Williams, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior shooting guard from Kankakee, is no stranger to Illinois fans in terms of recruiting. According to him, he has visited Champaign eight or nine times this season.
‘Are they running out of gas? I don't know.’: Illini Fourth-Quarter Falters Becoming Trend
Illinois head coach Shauna Green will now have 10 days to evaluate why the final 10 minutes of games has been the achilles heel for this 2024-25 group in late February and March.
By Matt Stevens' - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
March 6, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — Now it’s becoming a nasty trend.
The first game of the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament served as a second straight game in which Illinois saw a disastrous fourth quarter lead to a loss.
Shauna Green’s mood turned drastically in the final 10 minutes of play as the Illinois head coach watched her squad get outscored by Nebraska 25-14 in the final quarter to pull off a 74-70 upset win and send the Illini home from Gainbridge Fieldhouse earlier than they obviously hoping to stay.
“This game just comes down to, again, the fourth quarter and really our last five minutes again,” Green said. “It's something that we've struggled with the last few games. Their best scoring run was in the fourth. That can't happen. We gave up whatever it was in the fourth, and then again, everything we've been talking about was finishing plays, getting those rebounds. It's why we lost really the Michigan game, and we did the same thing tonight.”
Antonio James & James White Newest Hires As Bielema Continues to Build Out Illini Staff
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema continues to add assistant coaches to his staff with the addition of Antonio James and James White.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
March 6, 2025
CHAMPAIGN — As Bret Bielema continues to reshape his staff of coaches at Illinois, Antonio James is getting the opportunity to return to his alma mater and the community he began his coaching career.
James was named the assistant defensive line coach on Wednesday where he joins Bielema’s staff from a Southern Illinois program, where he spent the last two seasons as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator.
A Big Matchup in Indy: Kendall Bostic & Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski Meet One More Time
Two of the best centers in the Big Ten and all of women’s college basketball will face off as 7-seed Illinois draws 10-seed Nebraska in the second round of the league tournament tonight.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
March 6, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — In her return to her home state for her final Big Ten Tournament, Kendall Bostic has drawn the other center in the conference receiving so much attention this season.
When the ball is tipped at 5:30 p.m. CST tonight on Big Ten Network, the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd will immediately see the league’s two best centers in the circle when Bostic and Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski are matched up one time. The duo represents two players selected to the league’s first team all conference selections by the league’s media contingent and rank No. 3 (Bostic’s 53) and No. 4 (Markowski’s 52) among active players in career double-double performances.
Illini AD Josh Whitman Asks For Congressional Help With College Sports
The athletics director at the University of Illinois is asking for Congress to help structure college athletics but advocates against the employee model for athletes.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman spent Tuesday morning asking for congressional help to reform collegiate sports but only in a way that doesn’t give athletes the rights granted to employees.
Whitman, who as of April 2024 was elected chairperson of the NCAA Division I Council, testified at a hearing Tuesday in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is a subcommittee on commerce, manufacturing, and trade.
Ked's Recruiting Roundup: Offseason Moves Could Be Key to Illinois Women's Basketball Continuing Its Winning Ways
By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting
March 5, 2025
(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After almost three years under head coach Shauna Green, the Illinois women's basketball program appears to be in great hands. This past Sunday marked Senior Day, as the team bid farewell to a significant portion of its scoring. This year's graduating class includes Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, and Kendall Bostic, who all played special roles in resurrecting the Illinois women's program.
How Dylan Rosiek’s Injury Answered Questions About Illini’s Inside Linebacker Depth
The broken leg of Dylan Rosiek in the last game Illinois would lose in the 2024 season forced first-year assistant coach Archie McDaniel to showcase little-used reserve athletes of his position room.
By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst
March 5, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It only took one injury on the Illinois defense for discussion to turn toward confusion, nervousness and questions.
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