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By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 11, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As announced midway through Sunday’s game, Illinois women’s basketball achieved its third sellout game in program history against USC. The crowd, while falling short of the capacity of 15,544 at State Farm Center, was a loud one, as the Illini picked up steam late to narrow a 19-point deficit to just six in the closing moments.

The achievement is one that head coach Shauna Green, now in her fourth season at Illinois, has been hard at work to achieve.

“We were determined to make this sell-out happen, and we did it, and what an unbelievable atmosphere in there,” Green said after Sunday’s game.

Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb was also quick to show her appreciation for those who worked to pull the crowd together, praising Green, her staff, and the Illinois fans.

“Just an unbelievable atmosphere. It felt like a March game in February, just two really good teams going at it,” she said. “They’re an excellent team, they’ve proven that.”

By Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 10, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With March approaching and postseason implications looming, Illinois basketball finds itself in a familiar but increasingly complicated position: competing in the present while keeping one eye firmly on the future.

It has been a strong season on the hardwood for Illinois head coaches Brad Underwood and Shauna Green. After the Wisconsin game, Underwood’s men will have six regular-season contests remaining, while Green’s women will have four games left following Wednesday’s matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Both teams appear to be firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture, especially the men, who are vying for a No. 2 to No. 4 seed. The women are trending in the right direction, but still have work to do, according to Green.

Days after announcing Bobby Hauck as Illini’s new defensive coordinator, IlliniGuys.com has learned Bret Bielema is expected to hire one of Hauck’s former assistant coaches at Montana to the Illini’s staff.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 10, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy James Dobson/MTN Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bobby Hauck is bringing a familiar face from his University of Montana staff with him to Illinois.

Multiple sources have confirmed to IlliniGuys.com that Ronnie Bradford has agreed to become the first assistant coach hire to Bret Bielema’s coaching staff since Hauck was named the Illini’s defensive coordinator earlier this week.

Bradford, 55, has 22 years of experience as an assistant coach at the collegiate and National Football League level and is expected to join his former boss, Hauck, after serving in several assistant coach roles at Montana including assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, cornerbacks coach and safeties coach from 2021-23.

By IlliniGuys Staff February 10, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 10, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Recruiting can move fast, but even by today’s standards, few stories illustrate that better than Mount Zion wide receiver Jacob Harvey’s recent run of decisions. Last Monday, Harvey committed to Illinois State. By Tuesday, he had received an offer from Illinois and quickly pledged to the Illini.

At IlliniGuys, recruiting coverage means digging deeper into the moments that shape decisions. Harvey sat down one-on-one to explain how everything unfolded in less than 24 hours.

Kedric: Jacob, congratulations on your commitment to Illinois. You recently committed to Illinois State. How did this transpire?

Jacob: I have been in contact with Illinois since

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

February 10, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini saw their 12-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at Michigan State, but still sit just 1 game behind Michigan atop the Big Ten standings. In order to keep pace, they will need to take care of the pesky Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday, the only team to beat the Wolverines this season. This is a tough matchup for Illinois, as the Wisconsin Guards can really get it going and the Illini will be without Senior Guard Kylan Boswell once again. But coming off of a loss, this should be a motivated Illinois team.

Setting the Stage
#7 Illinois (20-4, 11-2) v Wisconsin (16-7, 8-4)
TUESDAY, FEB. 10 | 7 P.M. CT | CHAMPAIGN, ILL. | STATE FARM CENTER |
TV: PEACOCK (John Fanta & Robbie Hummel)
Radio: Illini Sports Network

Notable

No. 8 Illinois concludes a stretch of five games in 13 days on Tuesday, hosting Wisconsin at State Farm Center.
Illinois is coming off an overtime loss at No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday night that snapped its 12-game winning streak, the Illini's longest win streak in the last 13 seasons.
Prior to Saturday's loss at No. 10 Michigan State, Illinois had won 10 consecutive Big Ten games. That equaled its longest B1G streak of the Brad Underwood era, first set from Feb. 25, 2021 through Jan. 14, 2022.
Illinois ranks fourth in the latest NET rankings and leads the nation with five Quad 1A wins.
Illinois is 20-4 overall, the program's best start since opening 22-4 in 2005-06.
Illinois' 11-2 Big Ten mark is its best record in conference play since the 2004-05 team won its first 15 league games. The famed 2005 Illini squad swept Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2.
Illinois has secured its seventh straight 20-win regular season under Brad Underwood. Illinois, Houston, and Gonzaga are the only three programs to win at least 20 regular season games every year since 2019-20.
Illinois has also clinched a winning Big Ten record for the seventh straight season. Illinois is the only team to finish above .500 in Big Ten play every year since 2019-20.
Illinois has won six straight home games and is 12-1 at State Farm Center this season, the program's best start since also opening 12-1 at home in 2019-20. The Illini are averaging 88.6 points per game at home, with an average scoring margin of +24.2 ppg.
Illinois has won 20 consecutive games against unranked teams, and 15 straight at home over unranked foes.
Illinois is ranked No. 4 in kenpom, matching the highest rating of the Underwood era. The Illini also finished the 2020-21 season at No. 4.
Illinois is No. 8 in the latest AP poll and seventh in the coaches top 25, sitting inside the top 10 for the third consecutive week and the fourth week overall this season. Illinois has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons.
Illinois has six Quad 1 wins, tied for fifth in the NCAA (through games played Feb. 8) behind Duke (10), Arizona (8), Michigan (8), and Houston (7). Five of Illinois' six wins in this category are Quad 1A, most in the nation.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 10, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Sunday’s bout against USC was one of the largest non-Field Trip Day crowds for Illinois women’s basketball in recent history. The announced sellout played host to over 10,000, but the volume in the arena didn’t hit high levels until late in the fourth quarter of the 70-62 loss.

That can be attributed to yet another slow start for the Illini out of the gates. In its last five games, Illinois has averaged 70.4 points, but has only managed 27.6 points in the first half, and has also gone 1-4 in that stretch. What does that mean? It means the Illini are struggling to get the ball in the basket early. It’s an issue that head coach Shauna Green and her staff have identified, and will need to fix if they wish to avoid playing on Wednesday of the Big Ten Tournament next month.

“We gotta quit starting and getting ourselves into a hole,” Green said to open her post-game press conference. “We’ve gotta figure this out, and we’ve gotta be better and more disciplined and play with more urgency on the defensive end and (have) more of an aggressive mindset and attack mode on the offensive end so we don’t get down. You can’t get down to these teams in this league because it’s hard to climb out.”

Bobby Hauck, Montana’s 14-year head coach, has agreed to become the new defensive coordinator at Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 9, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Skyline Sports)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bobby Hauck and his 3-3-5 defensive scheme is coming to Illinois as the 61-year-old longtime head coach has agreed to be the Illini’s new defensive coordinator.

Hauck, who has spent the last eight years in his second stint as the Montana head coach leading one of the powerhouse programs in the Football Championship Subdivision, was announced as Bret Bielema’s choice to replace Aaron Henry as Illinois’ new play-caller for the upcoming 2026 season.

Hauck is expected to bring with him a 3-3-5 defensive scheme that was mentored to him by former San Diego State head coach Rocky Long when Hauck was on Long’s staff as a special teams coach from 2015-17.

Montana finished in the top 20 among FCS programs in scoring defense on three occasions over the last five seasons using this scheme and have ranked in the top five of the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense, total defense, and sacks every season. His defenses have ranked in the top 10 among FCS programs in turnovers forced three times in the last five years, including finishing third nationally last season (27) and second nationally in 2021 (30).

“Since meeting Coach Hauck early on in my head coaching career, I have had tremendous respect for who he is, what he stands for, and the program he has built,” Bielema said via a university release. “He is a family man with incredible attention to detail and a great ability to teach the game to both his staffs and players. Coach Hauck's aggressive defensive scheme, which he learned at San Diego State and developed at Montana, will be an exciting new style that has never been seen here at Illinois.”

By IlliniGuys Staff February 9, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

February 8, 2026

Jeremy Fears scored 26 points and dished out 15 assists to drop Illinois 85-82 in overtime and end the Illinois 12 game winning streak. Illinois struggled to shoot the ball, making just 37% of their attempts and hitting just 28% from 3 and the Spartans hurt Illinois on the glass, outrebounding them by 10 and grabbing 15 offensive boards as they moved back into the Big Ten title race.

Keaton Wagler struggled from the floor, despite his 16 points, he hit just 2-16 from the floor against the physical Michigan State defense.

These 3 Things

The Little Things Matter - Illinois committed a lane violation to give Michigan State a point. Illinois took poor shots early in the shot clock every time they seemed to take control. The Illini failed to get back in transition on numerous occasions, jogging back and giving up transition 3’s. The Illini missed blockouts repeatedly.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer February 8, […]

After fracturing her nose in practice in Oregon, Berry Wallace will debut a form-fitting mask following the logistical nightmare to getting the sophomore forward on the court Wednesday night. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 8, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In the middle of their Pacific Northwest Big Ten Conference road trip, a significant injury scare, logistical nightmare and help from an opponent caused Berry Wallace to introduce a new look. 

Just minutes into its arrival in Oregon, the Illinois women’s basketball team went into scramble mode to figure out ways their leading scorer could play with a broken nose.

Berry Wallace suffered a broken nose at Illinois’ practice session at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon just over 24 hours before the Illini were set to face Oregon on Wednesday evening. Not long after pulling off another victory over a Top 25 opponent, 75-66 at Washington on Feb. 1, Green and the Illini coaches were in an Oregon emergency room waiting to hear from doctors on whether their leading scorer and star forward averaging 19.4 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per contest had a broken orbital bone or any other slight facial fractures following a practice incident that immediately saw Wallace’s eyes get black and purple and the muscles around her cheekbones swell up. 

“I never asked her the question because she just turned to me early and said ‘I’m going to play’,” Illinois head coach Shauna Green said. “Toughness. That’s what Berry Wallace stands for.” 

Illinois freshman sensation Keaton Wagler was bumped, banged and physically overwhelmed in his Breslin Center debut during the Illini’s first loss in 56 days.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 8, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Keaton Wagler got his freshman introduction to the Breslin Center.

The freshman sensation, who has already recorded 46 points in Purdue’s Mackey Arena, 28 points at Nebraska, 22 points at Northwestern and 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, found out being able to production inside Michigan State’s home arena and against a physical defensive scheme is a different element altogether.

The 12-game losing streak is over after the 6-foot-6 guard was bumped, pushed and physically handled into a 2 of 16 shooting night that show him miss at least four shots at or near the rim that over the last month and a half have easily fallen.

By IlliniGuys Staff February 7, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

February 7, 2026

It's a weekend so it must be another top 10 matchup on the road for Illinois. The Illini are now at the Breslin Center on Saturday night to take on the Michigan State Spartans, a team that has lost two in a row and is hungry for a quality win. Illinois has won 12 straight and sit at top the Big Ten standings at 11-1 in conference play. It’s another big one on Saturday night.

Setting the Stage
#5 Illinois (20-3, 11-1 B1G) at #10 Michigan State (19-4, 9-3 B1G)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 // 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) // East Lansing, Mich. // Breslin Center
TV: FOX – Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play) & Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Doug Altenberger

Notable
*No. 5 Illinois has a top-10 road game for the third straight weekend, at No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday night. Illinois is riding a 12-game win streak, the program's longest since opening the 2012-13 season at 12-0. It is the longest active winning streak in the Big Ten, second among Power Five teams, and fifth nationally. Illinois is now aiming for its longest streak since winning 15 straight to open the 2005-06 season.

* Illinois has won 10 consecutive Big Ten games, matching its longest streak of the Brad Underwood era in conference play of 10 straight across two seasons from Feb. 25, 2021 through Jan. 14, 2022. Illinois has not won more than 10 consecutive Big Ten games since the school-record streak of 25 in a row from Jan. 7, 2004 through March 3, 2005

*The Illini carry a seven-game Big Ten road win streak dating back to last season, the program's longest since setting the school record with 13 in a row across two seasons from Feb. 3, 2004 through Feb. 19, 2005.

* Illinois is 20-3 overall for the first time since 2005-06. A win Saturday would push the Illini to its best start since the 2004-05 team won its first 29 games. Illinois' current 11-1 Big Ten mark is its best record in conference play since the 2004-05 team won its first 15 league games. The famed 2005 Illini squad swept Big Ten regular season and Tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four, finishing as the NCAA runner-up at 37-2. Illinois has won four straight road games against Top 25 opponents, a streak that dates back to last year's win at No. 15 Michigan (March 2, 2025). This matches the longest streak in program history, since also winning four consecutive ranked road games from Feb. 1, 1966 through Jan. 11, 1969.