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

March 17, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Pickrell/IlliniGuys)

The Illini bounced Nebraska with a big second half on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament behind a 40 point Big Ten record performance from Terrence Shannon as they moved into the championship game against Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. 

Shannon was the story, his 40 points the most in his career, but Illinois turned it up a notch defensively after halftime, turning a 55-40 deficit into a dominating win. Marcus Domask accepted the role as playmaker with 16 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds, while Quincy Guerrier (13) and Luke Goode (12) stepped up to help the offense. The relentless motor of Ty Rodgers brought down 13 rebounds as he began to look like a sane version of Dennis Rodman. 

This Illini team played as well as they could in the 2nd half and just took away Nebraska's will. 

These 3 Things

How a 30-second timeout where Illinois head coach Brad Underwood stayed silent turned a possible defeat into a 98-87 victory in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 16, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Pickrell/IlliniGuys)

MINNEAPOLIS — With 18 minutes and 37 seconds left, Brad Underwood took a critical 30-second timeout expecting to be the main character of a much-needed, desperation momentum shift. 

Turns out, the Illinois head coach was not even a supporting actor but just a silent spectator. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Underwood said to IlliniGuys.com in the post-game locker room.. “I was prepared to. But I didn’t have to say anything.”

For the first 20 minutes, Illinois didn’t provide much defensive resistance to an inspired Nebraska squad looking to provide an upset to get the Cornhuskers in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in program history. Less than two and a half minutes into the second half, the No. 13 Illini looked disjointed, confused and mentally beaten following a quick 4-0 Nebraska run that push the deficit to 55-40 - Illinois’ biggest hole of its 98-87 come-from-behind victory. 

Illinois outscores Nebraska 58-36 in the second half to […]

Brad Sturdy, Illini Uber-Insider & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio

March 16, 2024

It should be a shootout at the Target Center on Saturday afternoon when the Illini take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a team that looked unbeatable in dismantling Indiana on Friday night. Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg knows it will be a tough one:

“We're playing a helluva team tomorrow in Illinois, who gives you matchups problems all over the floor. And when you play this late game and you've got to bounce back and play at 2:30, it's hard. It's really, really hard. We're going to get our guys out of here tonight and let them sleep. I'll send them a first look. Illinois, we've only played them one time this year. Really have to have a good mental day of prep heading into this one, but that's what this time of year is all about. You've got to get ready, move on to the next one, and hopefully go out and play inspired basketball again.”

Inside Illinois fifth-year senior Marcus Domask describing how he was able to handle one of the worst games of his collegiate career. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 16, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS — Friday night was the 138th career collegiate game for Marcus Domask and you’ll forgive the 23-year-old if he chooses to never remember a single second of it. 

Brad Sturdy, Illini Uber-Insider & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio

March 16, 2024

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win in an elimination game from a team that did not play well. Illinois defeated Ohio State 77-74, despite trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half and found a way to win and advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals where they will face another red-hot team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

The Illini started off well, hopping out to an 8-point lead early, before some poor shots and sloppy play allowed the Buckeyes to get right back into the game. After the half the Illini once again looked a bit confused and sloppy, and it allowed OSU to take a 10-point lead before Dain Daina and Terrence Shannon would lead them back. 

These 5 Things (a free Big Ten Tournament Bonus: 2 Additional Things)

With recent disappointing conference tournament performances by Duke, Kansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, Illinois might be using the Big Ten Tournament to sneak into a higher NCAA seed next week. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 16, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS — The door to that final three seed spot in the NCAA Tournament may be painted orange and blue long before Selection Sunday decisions are finalized. 

By IlliniGuys Staff March 15, 2024 (Photo courtesy Joe […]

(Editor's note: Fighting Illini guard Marcus Domask appears each […]

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

March 15, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

With the Ohio State win over Iowa on Thursday evening, the Illini will take on the Buckeyes on Friday evening from the Target Center in Minneapolis. It will be the second meeting between the two teams, with Illinois beating the Buckeyes 87-75 in Columbus back on January 30th before Chris Holtmann was fired and now hired by DePaul. But Jake Diebler has these Buckeyes rolling, having won 5 in a row and 6 of 7 to play their way into NCAA tournament contention. A win over the Illini would move them even closer. 

Setting the Stage

#13 Illinois 23-8, No. 2 Seed vs #10 Seed Ohio State 20-12

Big Ten Tournament // Minneapolis, Minn. // Target Center 

Quarterfinal/ Friday, March 15, 2024 // 5:30 p.m. CT 

TV: BTN – Brandon Gaudin (Play-By-Play), Robbie Hummel (Analyst), Andy Katz (Sideline)

Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas

National Radio: Compass Media Networks – Matt Smith (Play-By-Play), Mike Wozniak Satellite

Radio: SiriusXM – 84

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

March 14, 2024

Illinois made its biggest defensive back recruiting win of the Bielema era when Blue Island Eisenhower's Andre Lovett committed to the Illini. Lovett has played numerous skill positions on offense and defense for Blue Island, but most of this time this past season was at a sort of corner/safety hybrid position which should fit well with the Illini's use of multiple safeties. Lovett is rated as a high three-star player as I write this, but recruiting sites tend to increase the ratings of quality prospects as the Spring and Summer progress, so I think it's fair to say that he's going to be a 4-star player on at least one site before too long.

What does he bring to the Orange and Blue?

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 13, 2024

In the past two years, the NCAA men's basketball transfer portal has proven to be a crucial ally for Illinois, and Head Coach Brad Underwood has strategically utilized it to maintain his team's competitive edge.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

March 13, 2024

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at not one, but two surprise commitments as Bret Bielema and staff are cooking in March.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

March 12, 2024

Illinois football continues to build a promising future as head coach Bret Bielema proudly announced, "Let's keep the good news coming... just feel like more is better for the #famILLy #ILL" on the social media platform X formerly known as Twitter, hinting at an imminent commitment.

Big Ten Announces 2024 Men’s Basketball Postseason Honors ROSEMONT, […]