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Illinois players and Brad Underwood experience on Saturday night what the 9-year Illini head coach constantly talks about - the abruptness of the end in the NCAA tournament.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — No matter how many times Illinois head coach Brad Underwood mentioned “the abruptness of the end” of the NCAA tournament with his basketball team, nothing could prepare Kylan Boswell for the moment of Saturday night.

At about 7:35 p.m. CST on the evening of Saturday April 4, 2026, Boswell was no longer a college basketball player and his career had ending in a painful and emotional loss in front of an announced crowd of 72,111 and millions watching on television.

“You work this whole season going all the way back to the summer to play for a national championship and to be one game short of that, it sucks,” Boswell said. “I just can’t believe we got this close and then lose like that, it hurts. It’ll probably hurt for a long time.”

Boswell finished his final college basketball game with just six points and 1 of 6 from the field that included multiple missed lay-ups that he’s made without thinking about the shot in his career. In the post-game locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium, Boswell reflected on how this is not the individual box score or the team performance he envisioned for his Final Four debut.

“To get here and be able to help my team get to this moment and then end my career like this, it just sucks,” Boswell said.

Kylan Boswell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW-HIOCYT3U   Ben Humrichous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZg6GDygaQ   Tomislav […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPYK2-ecWt0    

By IlliniGuys Staff April 4, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By IlliniGuys Staff April 4, 2026 INDIANAPOLIS -- Illinois […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – On April 17, 2020, Illinois secured a commitment from Indiana high school standout Luke Goode, a sharpshooter from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who would go on to play a key role for the Illini.

Now, years later, Goode is watching from a different perspective as Illinois returns to the national spotlight. The former Illini wing, who later transferred to Indiana, shared his thoughts on Illinois’ current run, his college journey, and the significance of the 2026 Final Four being held in the same state where his basketball career began.

Goode said Illinois’ rise under Brad Underwood was always expected.

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder April 4, 2026 […]

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

April 4, 2026

After a week of practices, fan events, interviews, TikTok dances, send-offs and overall fun since the Illini dispatched Iowa to make their first Final Four since 2005, the Illini are finally ready to play some basketball against UConn on Saturday night in Indianapolis. Illinois is hoping to win 2 more games to cement their legacy as the first Illini team to win a national title, but to do it they will have to first take care of a UConn team that has won 2 of the past 3 national titles and has been hard to beat in NCAA tournament play.

Here’s a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage
2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament // National Semifinal
3 Illinois (28-8, 15-5 B1G) vs. 2 UConn (33-5, 17-3 Big East)
Saturday, April 4 // 5:09 p.m. CT (6:09 p.m. ET) // Indianapolis, Ind. // Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: TBS/TNT/truTV – Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery & Grant Hill (Analysts), & Tracy Wolfson (Sideline) Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas National Radio: Westwood One – Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel & P.J. Carlesimo, & Andy Katz Satellite Radio: SiriusXM – 84

Notable
* 2026 Final Four; UI's first since 2005 NCAA Runner-Up. Two NCAA Elite Eights in the last three years. 8-2 over last three NCAA Tournaments. Big Ten’s winningest team in conference play over the last seven seasons. One of four schools nationally with seven straight 20-win regular seasons. Six straight NCAA Tournament appearances (seventh precluded by COVID-19 cancelation in 2020). One of 10 schools in the last six NCAA Tournaments. One of 12 schools with NCAA Tournament wins in at least five of the last six years

*The winner of Saturday's National Semifinal between Illinois and UConn will advance to National Championship game to face either No. 1 seed and West Regional Champion Arizona or No. 1 seed and Midwest Regional Champion Michigan, Monday, April 6, at 7:50 p.m. CT (8:50 p.m. ET) on TBS, TNT, and truTV.

*Illinois' run to the Final Four began with opening weekend victories over 14 seed Penn (105-70) and 11 seed VCU (76-55) in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively, in Greenville, S.C. The Illini then defeated 2 seed and No. 5-ranked Houston (65-55) in the Sweet 16, followed by an Elite Eight victory over Big Ten rival and 9 seed Iowa (71-59) at Toyota Center in Houston.

* The Illinois defense has held each of its last three opponents under 60 points, the first time this that the Orange and Blue have kept three consecutive opponents under that threshold. » It marks just the second time that the Fighting Illini have held held three opponents under 60 points in a single NCAA Tournament run, matching the 2005 National Runner-Up team that defeated 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (67-55) in Round 1, 9 Nevada (71-59) in Round 2, and 4 Louisville (72-57) in the National Semifinal.

By Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

April 4, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the first time in 21 years, the Illinois men’s basketball team is back in the Final Four. The last time came in 2005, when the Illini played in the national championship game, eventually losing to North Carolina 75-70. Then-head coach Bruce Weber had the opportunity to build on that run in terms of recruiting, but the program never found that path again.

Fast forward to today, and Brad Underwood is leading Illinois into another national semifinal. The Illini will face UConn on Saturday for a chance to play for the title. Underwood understands the moment and the opportunity that comes with it.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular April 3, 2026 The […]

Illinois veteran forward Jake Davis became the ‘Honorary Balkan’ during a summer trip to Chicago with the Ivisic twins where the veteran American forward was the guide to David Mirkovic.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

April 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Payton Sturdy/IlliniGuys)

INDIANAPOLIS — Beyond the six players on this Illinois roster from a Balkan state nation, Jake Davis may have earned the title of a ‘honorary European’ during a summer trip to Chicago before preseason practice began.

On the birthday weekend for the 7-foot Ivisic twins, Tomislav and Zvonimir, the two Croatian brothers decided to take a short social trip to the nation’s third-most populated city and wanted to bring their newest overseas teammate, David Mirkovic, along to experience the biggest market of people in the Midwest. Only one problem: the twins believed the then-19 year-old Mirkovic needed an American, well, babysitter is a little too harsh of a description. Enter Jake Davis.

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

April 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini took to the court in front of thousands of Illinois fans for their open practice on Friday morning from Lucas Oil Stadium, and they put on a show for the fans and created lifelong memories for those fans and for themselves as well. We got a chance to catch up with the Illinois players and get some feedback on the experience

-Nobody is having more fun than David Mirkovic. The 6’9 freshman forward continues to display that child-like wonder and amazement. As he took the floor and came out of the locker room and saw the 20,000 Illini fans in attendance he said, “Oh my God” and then began clapping. This was following his locker room comment where I asked him his thoughts on trademarking ‘Mirk Madness’. He said, ‘I like it’.

-Mirk was also asked about the keys to the game and he, after getting tapped on the ear by Orlando Antigua said, ‘We have to rebound...' Antigua said, ‘Good answer’.

-Andrej Stojakovic said that he is the healthiest he has been this season. The 6’7" wing said he has battled 3 ankle injuries and a knee injury he thought was even worse than it was after never having been injured. ‘It’s been a grind.’ He is playing his best basketball of late and has become one of the true stars of this team.

James Finley, who started four games last season at safety as a first-year player for Northern Illinois, has signed to play at Illinois for the upcoming 2026 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

April 3, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois has added a defensive back with multiple starts as a true freshman at a Mid-American Conference program last season.

James Finley, a 6-foot-1 and 183-pound safety, has been signed to play on the Illini’s 2026 roster after announcing his intention to enter the portal on March 25.

Finley, a former four-star prospect at 247Sports.com out of Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., announced his intention to sign with Illinois on Friday with U of I athletics officials shortly afterwards putting out a social media graphic confirming Finley was signed to Bret Bielema’s operation in Champaign.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer April 3, […]

Connecticut point guard Silas Demary is still dealing with […]