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Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

April 1, 2024

After an awful loss in the Elite 8 against a formidable UConn in Boston last Saturday to Connecticut, the Fighting Illini men's basketball team found themselves grappling with disappointment but refusing to dwell in defeat. 

The Illinois squad through the season had been nothing short of a storybook tale, a journey that began with Head Coach Brad Underwood's declaration last August that this team would be something special. Throughout the season, Illinois notched an impressive 29 victories, secured a Big Ten tournament title, and embarked on an Elite 8 run, marking a historic moment for the program as they reached this stage for the first time in over two decades.

Following the 77-52 loss to Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament East Regional Final, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins declared he believes his college basketball career is over. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 31, 2024

BOSTON — For the second time in his life, Coleman Hawkins believes a NCAA Tournament loss has ended his college basketball career.

While sitting in his locker inside TD Garden in Boston following a 77-52 blowout loss to No. 1 seed Connecticut in the East Regional Final on Saturday night, the 6-foot-10 senior forward declared his intentions that his college basketball is over. 

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

March 31, 2024

An Elite 8 run for Illinois didn’t end the way anyone wanted as Illinois fell to defending champion Connecticut 77-52 and saw a magical season come to an end in Boston. Marcus Domask had 17 points to lead Illinois but was the only Illini in double figures. Terrence Shannon had 8 in his final game, ending his long streak of double figure games, but UConn was just too good. 

Deep Thoughts

The strategy of attacking Clingan inside

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has accepted he must be on the phone with transfer portal prospects 24 hours before playing in a NCAA Tournament regional final. But that doesn’t mean he likes it.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 31, 2024

BOSTON — There was never a point on Friday afternoon that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood didn’t lose sight of the ridiculousness of what he was doing. 

At no point during the 77-52 loss on Saturday night in Elite Eight round was Illinois able to handle Connecticut 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan’s presence in the paint. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 30, 2024

BOSTON — Almost immediately into this NCAA Tournament East Regional Final, everybody on the Illinois bench had the Captain Ahab realization that dealing with Connecticut center Donovan Clingan was going to require a bigger boat. 

The defending national champions rode its 7-foot-2 mammoth frontcourt presence on both ends of the floor to a dominating 77-52 victory over the Illini in TD Garden in Boston. 

By IlliniGuys Staff March 30, 2024 BOSTON, Mass. - […]

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder & Co-Host/Executive Producer, […]

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

March 30, 2024

Is it really David vs Goliath? UConn is very good, make no mistake, but the premise that Illinois is David seems a bit much. This Illinois team is 29-8 and is the best team that Connecticut has played in their two-year tourney run. The Illini are definitely using the pundits' views that they don’t have a chance against the Huskies as a motivating factor here. 

These Illini have accomplished a lot, no doubt, but as Marcus Domask told us on the Sports Spectacular this week, “We’re enjoying it, but we’re not ready to be done yet.”

Everybody in the Illinois locker room inside TD Garden in Boston knows what comes with being an 8-point underdog in the East Regional Final matchup against Connecticut. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 30, 2024

BOSTON — The psychology involved in the East Regional Final matchup for Illinois is defined by a zero-sum game of its opponent’s legacy. 

Connecticut’s postseason run over these two seasons has resulted in two possibilities: First, they’ll win three more games and become the first program to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2006-07 in as dominant a fashion as the college basketball world has seen since Duke won consecutive titles in 1991-92. Or second, the team that figures out a way to knock off UConn (34-3), the No. 1 overall seed who haven’t won a NCAA Tournament by less than 13 points, will have stake its claim as pulling off the most difficult task in this event in several years.

23-year-old All-American guard Terrence Shannon will likely get his most difficult test when he faces Connecticut freshman guard Stephon Castle. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 29, 2024

BOSTON — The question revolving around this NCAA Tournament has been a quest to see if any player can contain the offensive magic and postseason momentum of Terrence Shannon. 

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

March 29, 2024

Brad Underwood often uses the term ‘elite', when describing players or teams or even attitudes. Now, Illinois is officially ‘elite’ as Illinois advanced to the Elite 8 with a 72-60 win over the Iowa State Cyclones. Terrence Shannon continues his onslaught on the Illinois record books with 29 points and the Illini used a staunch defense to get the win in the Sweet Sixteen and advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in 19 years. Like all coaches, Brad Underwood couldn’t win in March, until he won in March. Illinois never trailed and the game was never tied after it was 0-0. 

Now they are David against Goliath, as they are set to take on the defending champion UConn Huskies on Saturday night at 5:09 PM CST on TBS. But as Brad Underwood said post-game, “We didn’t come (to Boston) to win one game, we came to win two.” 

Opportunity awaits, but let's enjoy this win first. 

These 3 Things (and 2 Bonus Things)

An inside look at the second half stretch of five minutes and 39 seconds where Illinois never lost its composure or the lead when Terrence Shannon Jr. was on the bench with four fouls. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

March 29, 2024

BOSTON —Five minutes and 39 seconds. 

The sporting world at any level doesn’t allow for many certainties. However, a safe assumption might be that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood couldn’t have ever wanted arguably the NCAA Tournament’s most dominant guard sitting on the bench next to him in the second half of a regional semifinal for five minutes and 39 seconds.

By IlliniGuys Staff March 29, 2024 BOSTON, Mass. - […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) March 28, 2024 TULSA, […]

By Larry Smith/Co-Host & Executive Producer, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

March 28, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

(Editor's Note: IlliniGuys co-founder Larry Smith reported from a dozen Final Fours and has covered more than 30 NCAA championships during his decades-long career with CNN Sports and Turner Sports)

2005 seems like an eternity ago.

The Cubs hadn’t won a World Series in almost a century.

Martha Stewart was in prison.

Louisville was in the Final Four representing not the ACC, not the Big East, but Conference USA.

And the Illinois basketball team traveled to games with Beatles-like security.

There was no team bigger than the undefeated, #1-ranked Orange and Blue.  Their game highlights led ESPN’s “Sportscenter” every night (this is back when ESPN showed Big Ten highlights). Head coach Bruce Weber had to get a burner cell phone and a uber-private number that he gave only to his closest confidants and people he trusted.  Dee Brown, one of three All-Americans on the team, was a Sports Illustrated cover boy.

For two months, there was no bigger brand than Illinois basketball at a time when all NCAA tournament games were solely on CBS.