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Closing out a 71-69 victory over No. 18 Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, should remove the age and experience excuse from this Illinois squad.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — The core group of this University of Illinois women’s basketball team would like for you and anybody else from now on to tag off any tag that uses the words ‘youthful’, ‘inexperienced’, ‘raw’ or ‘immature’.

Following a 71-69 win over No. 18 Michigan State in the second round of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament, the perceived baby Illini, who arrived at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this week, have announced to the college basketball world they’re wearing their big girl pants from now on.

“They're just learning,” Illinois head coach Shauna Green said Thursday night. “Probably my favorite moment of the game was walking into a timeout and seeing them pointing (at the dry erase board) and talking to the point for me to have to say, be quiet, listen to me. It's an amazing, beautiful thing that, as a coach, I knew right then, okay, we're growing. We’re getting better.”

Throughout the four months of regular season play, Illinois has worn the moniker of being the third-youngest power conference roster and youngest roster in the Big Ten Conference. No more after Thursday night.

With spring practices slated to begin on March 23, the Illinois new defensive coaches have begun to tutor and mentally install the unique 3-3-5 defensive scheme to players and returning coaches.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 5, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — In his introductory media conference, Roger Cooper wasn’t about to try to convince the public that the defensive scheme Illinois is trying to install this offseason isn’t going to be a different experience for these players.

Cooper, who has brought to Champaign-Urbana from the Montana coaching staff that new Illini defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck left less than a month ago, knows this 3-3-5 style is a drastically different look than anything these Illini players and returning coaches from the 2025 season have been tasked to learn.

“It’s a different version of defense. We say it’s like the triple option version of defense,” Cooper said Thursday in his media conference inside the Smith Center in Champaign.

Cooper knows what these players and, more specifically, the returning Illinois defensive coaches are dealing with trying to understand a scheme they’ve never been associated with before. Before the 2022 season,

By IlliniGuys Staff March 5, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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

March 5, 2026

As I was leaving the game on Tuesday night we somehow got into a conversation about Disney and Star Wars and so I couldn't resist using that in my title. Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic Was The Phantom Menace against Michigan but was exceptional against Oregon with 21 points in a career high 12 rebounds, not to mention to assist for good measure. We could have gone with the Return of the Stoja or The Stoja Awakens, or maybe even the Attack of the Stoj. Regardless, it was good to have the good Andrej back against Oregon as he led the Illini to an 80-54 drubbing of the Ducks.

-Stojakovic can be a difference maker for this team. Yes, they want to play at a slow pace and that really doesn't fit his game, but they have to have a balance and they have to be able to take advantage of Fast Break opportunities. Stojakovic is the one player that can take advantage and get out and transition and finish on the break. The odd part about Andre is that it seems his defense and rebounding only come about when he gets opportunities on offense. Yes, Illinois wants to play through Keaton Wagler and that makes sense. But as we saw on Tuesday Illinois can score by playing through Stojakovic in isolation situations. He essentially won the Texas Tech game and if he can continue to share the ball when the defense collapses as he did on Tuesday it is huge for the Illini.

-Tomi is 2 for his last 15 from 3. Big Z is 2 for his last 16. Underwood wants Tomi especially to keep shooting, but he needs to start making some. Z looked like the old shot blocking Z, and he rebounded well, but he is so inconsistent from game to game, and even minute to minute.

-How did Oregon get so bad so fast? And how did they beat Wisconsin?

-David Mirkovic continues to impress. In many years he is a Freshman All-American. He is now shooting 41% from 3 in Big Ten play and continues to rebound at a high clip. His defense is actually a little underrated as well. He is going to be a star next season.

-AJ Redd stole the show on Senior night, but how about the pass from Mihailo Petrovic? It’s easy for players to be selfish late in blowouts, but Petro understood the assignment.

Illinois freshman point guard Destiny Jackson has spent the last four months trying to prove she doesn’t act or play like a first-year player. These next few day of a Big Ten Tournament might prove it.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 5, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — There was a point during the second half of its Big Ten Tournament opening round win Wednesday night where Illinois players and coaches would’ve wanted the basketball in the hands of one person and one person only.

And it should come as little to no surprise that the person who Shauna Green and company wearing orange and blue feel the most comfortable minute to minute, possession to possession, dribble to dribble executing everything precisely. The destiny of Illinois’ postseason fate literally and figuratively resides in the fate of a 5-foot-6 guard playing in her first collegiate postseason inside an NBA/WNBA arena.

Illinois center Lety Vasconcelos provided her best game of the 2025-26 season in the Illini’s first round league tournament victory on Wednesday night.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

INDIANAPOLIS — As they took the elevator ride up a couple floors of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Illinois head coach Shauna Green joked with Lety Vasconcelos that she likely didn’t believe the 6-foot-7 center would be joining her for this post-game media conference.

Sure, the Brazilian native, who has battled multiple knee injuries in her collegiate career, hasn’t had a double-figure scoring output throughout the 2025-26 season and hadn’t produced more than six rebounds in Big Ten Conference play. However, what might have made it a safe bet that Vasconcelos could be a non-factor in this Big Ten Tournament opening round contest was a coach-player blowup in the practice on Tuesday inside Ubben Basketball Complex in Champaign before the Illini left for Indianapolis.

“I just lit into her,” Green said Wednesday night. “I'm like, I know you want to be great I know you want to be elite. It needs to be better. I'm telling you that there was that practice and (in the game Wednesday night) she's up there flying in for rebounds. It was so different.”

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

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Illinois football added another piece to its future recruiting class with a commitment from in-state defensive back Justin Johnson. The 2027 prospect becomes the second player to pledge to the Illini in the class, joining quarterback Kamden Lopati from Utah.

Johnson chose Illinois over several Big Ten programs, including Northwestern, Rutgers, Michigan State and Iowa State. Landing the in-state defensive back continues a recent emphasis for the Illini on keeping top Illinois talent at home.

Illinois cornerbacks coach Corey Parker led the recruitment for Johnson, a three-star prospect from Evanston Township. Parker has been active on the recruiting trail, building relationships with defensive backs across the Midwest and prioritizing versatile players who can fit the Illini secondary in the coming years.

Maddie Webber, who has scored 1,000 points in her collegiate career, will be a key bench element to Illinois’ run through the month of March as they begin postseason play tonight.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 4, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — With Illinois struggling so much to find consistency in their starts after two-day preparations, Shauna Green hopes the schedule postseason play is the solution to this problem.

Essentially, from a layman’s perspective, more games and less practice might just be the best thing for this team to concentrate on.

“The honest answer is we’ll see, right? Maybe it’s about us just telling them to go play and not worry about so much. I really don’t know at this point,” Green said. “What I do know is March is about executing and being able to perform and it’s really not so much about preparation and practice time anymore.

By IlliniGuys Staff March 3, 2026 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

Robby Hauck, the son of the new Illinois defensive […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) March 3, 2026 CHAMPAIGN, […]

Mike Linehan is the third assistant coach from Bobby […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

March 2, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois secured an important piece of its 2027 recruiting class last July when West Valley City, Utah, quarterback Kamden Lopati gave an early commitment to the Illini. Months later, that pledge still stands, but the four-star signal caller has become a national recruiting priority as several powerhouse programs continue to pursue him.

Lopati committed early in the process, citing fit and trust in the Illinois staff. Even as other programs have intensified contact with him, his message about Illinois has remained consistent; he's committed.

"I'm grateful to all of the other schools for recruiting me; there was nothing wrong with them, I just felt that Illinois was a perfect fit for me and my family." He told IlliniGuys previously.