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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 10, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illini aren’t stopping. They are building their brand and making it known that Illinois' recent success on the field wasn’t a fluke. Sure, coaching matters, but it certainly helps when you have a talented and deep roster, which is exactly what Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is assembling.

Nelsyn Wheeler, a 5-foot-9 running back from Millard South in Omaha, Nebraska, is the latest addition to an already impressive recruiting class built by Bielema and his staff.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Hudl page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bret Bielema continues to stay hot on the recruiting trail as the Fighting Illini builds momentum with their 2026 class. Tonight, Illinois received a commitment from three-star tight end Will Vala, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect out of Downers Grove North High School in Illinois.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 9, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today's Double Dribble 2-1 Focus: Manuella Alves and David Mirkovic

Player Biography: Manuella Alves is a 6-foot-3 forward from IMG Academy (Fla.). Alves is a four-star prep prospect, ranked as the nation's 48th-best player in the class of 2025 by ESPN HoopGurlz. She chose Illinois over programs like North Carolina, Louisville, Iowa, and Miami (Fla.).

What we know:

The new regulations being put in place following the House vs. NCAA settlement isn’t about creating a level playing field or fairness for Illinois or any other program. It’s just another attempt to restrict/cap athlete’s revenue while still avoid making them employees.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 9, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just when you might think it’s impossible for college sports administrative leadership could make its governing system worse, they manage to always find a way to dig the hole even deeper.

The more I read the 76-page opinion of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approving the House vs. NCAA settlement in California, I’m once again reminded to never underestimate how athletics directors and university athletics administrators never cease to make a situation more deplorable especially if their intention was to fix something.

Is the settlement historic? Obviously, yes. Athletes will now get a piece of the revenue they create in a way that should have happened decades ago and nothing about that is wrong or bad. This fact is undoubtably a step forward for the workforce (the athletes) that has been the backbone of creating these big brands in college sports to allow university administrators see millions of school revenue in ticket sales and donations while also see the total college sports dynamic reach billions of dollars in revenue in media rights contracts.

Is anything else in college athletics fixed? No, it most certainly is not.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 8, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois assistant coach Zach Hamer is starting to emerge as a key figure on the recruiting trail for the Fighting Illini. Head coach Brad Underwood appears to have identified Hamer’s potential early, seeing value others may have overlooked. Known for being a quick study and highly adaptable, Hamer is now working to prove himself in the critical area of recruiting.

Starting July 1, all Division I schools will have the opportunity to directly pay players for the first time in collegiate sports history.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 7, 2025

In just over three weeks, all Division I athletics departments will have the opportunity to directly pay players via revenue sharing for the first time in the history of collegiate sports.

Following the 76-page opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken detailed will offer $2.8 billion in damages to past athletes who did not have the opportunity to receive such revenue sharing payments during their time as athletes as well as allow all Division I schools to pay out as much as a reported $20.5 million annually to all the current players in their athletic departments.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 7, 2025

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today's Double Dribble 2-1 Focus: David Mirkovic and Manuella Alves-Fernandez

Player Biography: David Mirkovic is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward from Niksic, Montenegro. Illinois fans got a glimpse of Mirkovic at the Nike Hoops Summit. Most came away with a better understanding that he's not a roster filler, he's going to see time on the court this upcoming season.

What we know:

College football coaches just like Illinois head coach Bret Bielema could have, at most, a few weeks to implement the roster implementations of the House vs. NCAA settlement terms.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 6, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just 25 days.

This is the amount of time, less than one month before college sports head coaches of fall sports will have to implement the roster limitations agreed upon in the settlement of the House vs. NCAA case along with two other class action lawsuits (Hubbard vs. NCAA and Carter vs. NCAA) that currently has been submitted to Northern California District Court in San Francisco, California.

That is, if District Court judge Claudia Wilken approves the amended settlement terms. And at this point, that remains a very curious use of the word ‘if’.

Illinois slated to have a half dozen uncommitted prospects for the 2026 recruiting class on campus for official visits this weekend

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

June 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Nick Hankins' page on X)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The first weekend in June has always represented the most important recruiting time for Bret Bielema’s Illinois program.

The Illinois head coach, who is entering his fifth season, has repeatedly the called this weekend critical to the success of the recruiting victories Bielema and his staff have acquired over the last few seasons.

With the weather being warm and players still being campus for summer workout sessions with football strength and conditioning coach Tenarius ‘Tank’ Wright, northern programs such as Illinois need to have their June visits be the final sell for uncommitted prospects before other programs with weather advantages in the fall can have their shot at official visits.

In the 2024 recruiting class, Illinois signed 11 of the 16 high school prospects in the weeks following their June visits. In the 2025 class, seven prospects either gave their first and only verbal pledge to Illinois or flipped their decision to the Illini days after taking an official visit during the first two weekends in June.

Illinois reportedly adds premier home non-conference battle against Texas […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 5, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – IlliniGuys, it's been a tad slow, but things are about to pick up again for the Illinois men's basketball program.

Here are a few updates to get the blood flowing for Illini Nation in June, so let’s dive right into it.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The silence from former Illinois freshman Will Riley at the NBA Draft deadline last week made it clear: the former 5-star recruit isn't coming back to Champaign as a player. Maybe to visit, but that’s it.

The NBA Draft process is still unfolding, but Riley's camp remains focused. According to his mother Tracy, “Will is still going through the process. He's currently in Los Angeles training. I was with Will at the Combine in Chicago, it was well-run and effective. I think Will did well at the combine, in the gym, and in the interview process. When he was in Los Angeles, part of his training was to prepare him mentally and physically. Will is locked in, focused, and spending countless hours in the gym and recovery.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today’s Double Dribble 2-1 Focus will be Berry Wallace and Andrej Stojakovic (both former McDonald’s All-Americans).

Player Biography: Berry Wallace is a 6-foot-1 combo/wing from Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington, Ohio. A five-star recruit, she was ranked No. 20 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz and became the third signee in Illinois women’s basketball history to be named a McDonald’s All-American. She was also named the 2024 Ohio Capital Conference Buckeye Division Player of the Year and finished third in Ohio’s Miss Basketball voting.

What we know:

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

June 3, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Cal Athletics)

For the next several days, I will break down one current men’s and women’s basketball player each day and discuss what expectations might be for the upcoming season.

Today's Double Dribble 2-1 Focus will be Andrej Stojakovic and Berry Wallace (Both Former McDonald’s All-Americans).

Player Biography: Andrej Stojakovic is a 6-foot-7 wing and transfer from California. A 2023 McDonald’s All-American, he graduated from Jesuit High School (Carmichael, Calif.) and was ranked a four-star recruit by ESPN and On3 at No. 22 and No. 24, respectively.

Stojakovic started his collegiate career at Stanford during the 2023-24 season, where he made 34 three-pointers, ranking 10th all-time among freshmen in school history, and scored 18 points in back-to-back games against Santa Clara Nov. 14 and Eastern Washington Nov. 17. During his sophomore season at Cal, he led the team in scoring (17.9 PPG, sixth in the ACC), blocked shots 1.2, and also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game.

What we know:

Jackson Buchanan, a former All-American and four-year starter at Illinois, finishes a 36-hole sectional qualifying round in his home state to qualify for his second United States Open Championship.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

June 2, 2025

Jackson Buchanan has survived what is commonly nicknamed ‘golf’s longest day’ to advance through sectional qualifying into the 2025 United States Open Championship.

The former Illini star player, who recently turned professional following the Illini’s finish in the 2025 NCAA Championships, will play in his second consecutive U.S. Open after making it through local and sectional qualifying stages.

Buchanan fired an 18-under par total over the 36-hole sectional qualifying round with back-to-back 63s at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, which is approximately 35 miles from his hometown of Dacula, Georgia. Buchanan finished in second place on Monday in the 84-player field where only five qualifying spots were available.