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By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

February 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Penn Athletics)

It's time to review the position we've all been wondering about: the defensive line. As Illini fans know, the portal was unkind to the Illini at this position as we saw player after player walk out the door and join other P4 programs, particularly in the Big Ten. The Illini have replaced those players with other portal entrants, especially from low major schools. But, there are questions upon questions, and as I write this more questions arise with the defection of defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. So, new DC Bobby Hauck will have the difficult job of sorting through this group and figuring out how this is going to work.

Newcomers
I wrote a spotlight piece on Carter Janki from Yale already. He's a solid player who started out as a high school quarterback and bulked himself up to the 300-pound range and is well-schooled in hand usage and foot positioning.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 20, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Typically, a big-time road win over a conference foe might be met with some braggadocious celebrations. There were no silencers or crowd shushers against the Trojans, but not because the Illini weren’t confident in their 101-65 win.

The split in the crowd was a near-even split to start the game, with the traveling Illini faithful showing out in Los Angeles in big numbers. Once the Trojan student section filed out midway through the second half, it was practically a home game.

“It’s nuts,” senior guard Kylan Boswell said. “I remember being a freshman here for the SC game when I was at Arizona, it was packed red. Now, seeing us and how we’re traveling, it’s pretty surreal. It’s just another great thing about Illinois basketball, just how much our fans love us and care about us.

Boswell, having played at Arizona for two years before making the move to Illinois two offseasons ago, is familiar with the Trojans. In his career, he was 4-2 against the Trojans going into Thursday’s game.

“It’s pretty crazy to see,” the Champaign native said. “We’re all the way in California, and there’s more orange and blue than red and gold.”

Illinois head coach Shauna Green had been pushing and suggested a players-only meeting to change the negative momentum from first-half calamities but knew it had to reach a breaking point.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When immediately asked after a 32-point blowout victory over Wisconsin, who initiated a players-only meeting before a practice, Shauna Green says she didn’t know.

Deep down in her conscious, Green absolutely knew. The Illinois women’s basketball head coach called for it.

“I told them to meet a couple of weeks ago,” Green said with a smile. “I planted some seeds in some of my individual meetings with (players) to do this, to help them. I don’t care who did it really, as long as it happened.”

Following a very energy-less and lethargic loss to Southern California in front of a sold-out State Farm Center, Green knew something needed to happen to cause a spark of emotion with her team and began putting in the minds of players familiar with her (such as Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Berry Wallace) to “get it figured it out”.

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

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois cruised past USC in a 36-point beat down that saw Illinois put seven players in double figures led by Andrej Stojakovic and his 22 points to move to 22-5 and 13-3 in the Big Ten. The Illini got off to a quick 8-0 start and led by 22 points at half and continue to pile on until the final buzzer Illinois led by as many as 39 points in the second half before winning by 36 in the 101-65 domination.

Now the Illini stay in Los Angeles and prep for a big game on Saturday against the UCLA Bruins, attempting to be just the 3rd team to sweep the L.A. schools on the west coast trip since they entered the Big 10.

These 3 Things

Defensive Versatility - We have talked for a while about how Illinois needs to be more diverse on the defensive end of the floor. They have reached that point in 2026.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 19, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

LOS ANGELES – Everybody in and around the tenth-ranked Illinois men’s basketball program has been raving about being “whole again” and being that at the right time. In its first game with its full roster in nearly a month, Illinois played quite possibly its most complete and dominant game of the season in a 101-65 road win over USC.

The game, which was a blowout from start to finish, saw the Illini roster as close to fully healthy as it has been all year long, with forward Andrej Stojakovic cleared to return from an ankle issue and guard Kylan Boswell suiting up for the second time since returning from a hand fracture. Stojakovic ended with a game-high 22 points in just over 17 minutes off the bench – the most efficient scoring output he’s had in his collegiate career. After missing the last two games, he returned without missing a beat, scoring a majority of his points at the rim or at the charity stripe following a foul at the rim.

“Obviously it’s tough to get my wind back with a lower body injury, so we just tried our best to get me in game shape while staying mentally focused,” Stojakovic said on the days leading up to his return.

In its first trip to Southern California’s Galen Center, […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

February 18, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Sunday’s game against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center carried significance well beyond the final score.

Illinois snapped a two-game losing streak with a decisive 71-51 victory, powered by freshman David Mirkovic’s 25 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Yet the Illini’s dominant performance on a nationally televised CBS broadcast was only part of the story. The arena also served as a reunion point for former Illinois standouts now in the NBA and a showcase moment for current commits and future recruiting targets.

Since Brad Underwood took over the program in the 2017-18 season, he has emphasized building a program that alumni take pride in returning to. That vision was visible on Sunday.

“Other than the win, the best part of my day was my locker room afterwards the game. When you get to former players being here, and Terrance (Shannon Jr.) has been here all week, that you get former players, enough though Dain (Dainja) left us, but this is home to him, you get those dudes back. Then you have some newbies in the room that haven't worn the jersey yet, and your current players, that's what this is all about. We can talk about wins and losses, but the relationships and all that is pretty cool,” Underwood said.

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

February 18, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini are on the West Coast for the week, flying out to Californian on Monday afternoon as they will play a pair of road games in LA against the USC Trojans on Wednesday night and the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. The Illini now have senior guard Kylan Boswell back and are hoping they will have junior wing Andrej Stojakovic back this week as well as they try to get healthy heading into March.

Here’s a look at the particulars.

Setting the Stage
#10 Illinois (21-5, 12-3 B1G) at USC (18-7, 7-7 B1G)
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 // 9 p.m. CT (7 p.m. PT) // Los Angeles, Calif. // Galen Center
TV: BTN – Guy Haberman (Play-by-Play) & Don MacLean (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas

Notable
*No. 10 Illinois opens a two-game road trip to Los Angeles on Wednesday night, facing USC at the Galen Center. Illinois is coming off a dominant 71-51 home win over Indiana on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Illini limited the Hoosiers to a season-low 51 points – including just 20 in the second half – and had just two turnovers, its fewest ever at State Farm Center. The contest was also marked by Kylan Boswell's return from a seven-game absence with a broken hand. David Mirkovic led the Illini with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

*Keaton Wagler is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, his sixth honor his season. Wagler averaged 26 points, five assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in a pair of games last week on 50% shooting from the field, including 43% from 3-point range. Wagler's six B1G Freshman of the Week accolades are the second-most in program history behind Kofi Cockburn's seven newcomer awards in 2019-20. Wagler has netted 480 points, just 14 away from the Illini freshman season scoring record of 494 total points set by Cory Bradford in 1998-99 and equaled by Kasparas Jakucionis last year.

* Illinois leads the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (130.9), owning what currently stands as the highest offensive rating in the history of the kenpom era (since 1996-97). Illinois ranks fourth in the latest NET rankings and is tied for second in the nation with five Quad 1A wins.

*Illinois is 21-5 overall, the program's best 26-game record since also starting 21-5 in 2008-09. Illinois' 12-3 Big Ten record is its best since also starting 12-3 in 2020-21. Illinois last started 13-3 or better when the 2004-05 team won its first 15 league games. The famed 2005 Illini squad swept Big Ten regular season (15-1) 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, Gonzaga, and Houston 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 used a surge in the second and third […]

New Illinois defensive line coach Jordan Thomas brings an expertise in the 3-3-5 scheme while also having college and pro coaching history on his resume.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 17, 2026

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The major transition of the Illinois defensive coaching staff is now complete with the hiring of defensive line coach Jordan Thomas.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said last week, during Bobby Hauck’s introductory media conference inside the Smith Center, that he had a coach inside the building on an interview who was familiar with the 3-3-5 scheme being brought to Champaign-Urbana by new defensive coordinator Hauck but had never previously worked with Hauck.

It turns out that person was Thomas as he was announced on Tuesday morning as the Illini’s new defensive line coach to replace Terrance Jamison. Thomas joins the Illini with 10 years of coaching experience ranging from college football to the National Football League, including stops at Boston College, the Cleveland Browns, and San Diego State.

“(Thomas) is a talented leader with experiences in our defense as both a player and coach, plus three years of developing defensive linemen in the NFL,” Bielema said in a university release. “We are excited to welcome Coach Thomas to our staff."

Illinois (17-8, 7-7) vs. Rutgers (9-16, 1-13) Tuesday, Feb. […]

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder

How sweet was that?

Not just a win over Indiana. On national TV. But a complete butt-whippin'. That 71-51 shellacking of the hated rival Hoosiers was impressive in every way.

--It gave the Illini their first back-to-back 20-point wins in the series since 1956, before either program built an arena called Assembly Hall. Illinois thrashed Indiana 94-69 on their home court last year.
--It was the fewest points the Hoosiers scored against Illinois since falling 72-48 in March 2011 and their season-low point total.
--David Mirkovic scored a Big Ten career-high 25 points, giving notice to the nation of the Illini's other star freshman. It was reminiscent of fans tuning in to watch Terrence Shannon Jr. only to see Marcus Domask dominate with a series of moves.

It also marked the return of Kylan Boswell. The senior re-entering the starting lineup with a heavily-bandaged right hand, the remnants of that break suffered in practice nearly four weeks and seven games earlier. Determined to light a spark on the defensive end, he made his presence felt on offense as well with nine points - including a first half three-pointer - and seven rebounds in 33 minutes.

But there something else about this game that should have caught your eye. The Illini left their shooting prowess at home.

Days after hinting on WSCR in Chicago that he was “interviewing a Michigan guy”, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema hires former Michigan tailback and assistant coach Tyrone Wheatley.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 16, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Morgan State Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just a few days ago, Bret Bielema hinted in a radio interview ‘a Michigan guy’ would likely be offered an assistant coaching opportunity and the Illinois head coach made good on that promise.

Tyrone Wheatley, a former 10-year NFL running back with 18 years of coaching experience most recently as a head coach of Wayne State University in Michigan, was officially named Illinois' running backs coach on Monday afternoon. Despite most Illini and Big Ten Conference football fans likely remembering Wheatley as the Michigan Wolverines physical running back of the early 1990s who totaled 4,187 career rushing yards, 510 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns in his playing career that included being named the 1992 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player selection of the 1993 Rose Bowl, Wheatley coaching resume includes NFL running backs coach jobs with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Denver Broncos, and at power programs of Syracuse and his alma mater of Michigan.

In a Friday morning radio spot on the ‘Mully and Haugh Show’ on WSCR in Chicago, Bielema told the show’s substitute anchor Ruthie Polinsky that “you’ll love this, we might be interviewing a Michigan guy” for one of the Illini’s open assistant coaching spots. Turns out that ‘Michigan guy’ was the man who currently still stands fifth on the Wolverines all-time rushing list behind only Mike Hart, Denard Robinson, Anthony Thomas and Jamie Morris.

The return of Illinois veteran guard Kylan Boswell results in Indiana producing its lowest scoring output of the season in a 71-51 blowout win for the No. 8 Illini.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 16, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Brad Underwood said he could see his basketball team losing what he called “the bite”, “its grip” and the effort needed on the defensive end.

Following back-to-back losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin, the Illinois head coach wasn’t the only one who saw it too.

“The (lack of) intensity on defense from my perspective was frustrating,” Illinois guard Kylan Boswell said about what he saw from the bench for the Illini’s previous seven games. “I feel like I can be that kind of outlet for the guys and a lot my teammates look up to me as that aggressive defender.”

Boswell, the Illini’s defensive x-factor, didn’t like we he had seen either over the last month while the veteran guard was nursing a fracture in his right hand.

By IlliniGuys Staff February 15, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]