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PITTSBURGH — The first Illini is off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Former Illini edge rusher Gabe Jacas is officially on the move, getting drafted by the New England Patriots with pick No. 55 in the second round of the NFL Draft. After hearing his name called on Friday, Jacas is now headed […]
Brad Underwood is hitting the road this week with two of his staffers. But it’s not a recruiting trip. Illinois’ head coach visited Minnesota on Thursday ahead of Game 3 of the NBA playoffs between the Timberwolves and Nuggets. Underwood posted a photo of him with former Illini star Ayo Dosunmu and two Illini staffers […]
Nominal positions are worthless in the era of positionless basketball. The Brad Underwood era has aligned perfectly with the rise of social media sports discourse. In other words, the Brad Underwood era has aligned with the volume elevation of the dumbest corners of sports fandom. It’s unfortunate because the Underwood era has been largely a […]
The transfer portal officially closed last night, and the Illini’s roster for the 2026-27 season is mostly set. In what has been a noisy and uncertain month across college basketball, Illinois had one of the quietest Aprils of any program in the sport. The Illini had just four players enter the transfer portal and will […]
When Ty Rodgers entered the transfer portal, it marked the end of a significant era in Champaign. Rodgers and senior AJ Redd were the ultimate guardians of Illinois culture. They were (along with Jake Davis and Jason Jakstys) the last holdovers of the Chester Frazier/Tim Anderson time at Brad Underwood’s side. That was the rugged […]
Illinois’ Brandon Lee is entering the transfer portal and is now searching for a new home for his sophomore campaign, according to On3. Lee, a former four-star recruit, played in 17 games this past season and averaged 4.2 minutes per game as a Freshman. While he didn’t see much action, his departure more than likely […]
It’s been quite a week for Illinois Basketball. Five key contributors announcing they will return for the 2026-27 year. And it was capped off on Sunday with a report from On3 that Illinois is out of the John Blackwell sweepstakes. The high-level scorer from the Badgers is one of the gems of the transfer portal, […]
Zavier Zens, a three-star high school prospect from Wisconsin, has committed to Illinois, per his X account. Zens is ranked as the 237th-best player in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Despite being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin, Zens is rated as just the third-best player in the state. […]
**EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED PRIOR TO THE RETURN OF ANDREJ STOJAKOVIC AND COMMITMENT OF ZAVIER ZENS** On this episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ I discuss Keaton Wagler declaring for the NBA Draft (3:10), and why retaining David Mirkovic was the Illini’s top offseason accomplishment (12:09). I also break down the returns of the Ivisic […]
Illinois has made quite the comeback during its home stand. After three straight wins, the Fighting Illini snapped their streak in a 8-7 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Bouncing back from their loss, the Illini dominated 16-4 against the SIUE Cougars Tuesday night. Illinois, now 19-16, started the game with a bang, plating 14 […]
After a week of anticipation, 48-plus hours of palpably anxiety-inducing speculation since a significant chunk of the Final Four team announced their returns to Illinois for the 2026-2027 campaign, Andrej Stojakovic has announced his decision to do the same. Stojakovic, who will enter his Senior season and second season at Illinois, is among the biggest […]
On the same day that Illinois fan favorite David Mirkovic announced his return to the Illinois program for his sophomore campaign, the ‘Original Balkan’, his brother and the ‘Honorary Balkan’ did the same. Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis announced their return to the Fighting Illini with their agent, Misko Raznatovic, telling Draft Express […]
#TheRetention has officially kicked off. Wednesday morning, the freshman forward went live on Twitch to deliver the news the Illini faithful had been nervously waiting for: that he’s gonna be back for at least one more year in Orange and Blue. For Illinois fans, Mirkovic’s return immediately provides a sense of optimism surrounding next season. […]
The Illinois staff flew out to Los Angeles earlier this week to meet with top transfer target John Blackwell. Blackwell has been working out in Los Angeles all week and took an official visit to UCLA on Tuesday. The Illini are doing everything they can to bring Blackwell to Champaign next season. Blackwell’s father Glynn […]
This was one of the most memorable Illinois seasons in recent memory. But with the offseason already in full swing, what’s next? Scholarship-wise, each team is allowed up to 15 scholarships. Three scholarships will become available following the departure of graduating seniors Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, and AJ Redd. Keaton Wagler’s exit to the NBA […]
Let this be your place to go for updates in the portal this offseason as Illinois looks to reload after a run to the Final Four. April 15: Illinois staff travels to meet priority transfer John Blackwell April 12: Illinois adds transfer Stefan Vaaks from Providence April 11: Keaton Wagler declares for NBA Draft April […]
And we’re off. Illinois’ offseason in the transfer portal started with a bang on Sunday afternoon when the Illini got a commitment from Providence guard Stefan Vaaks, according to multiple outlets. According to 247Sports, Vaaks is the 13th-best player in the portal. A native of Estonia, Vaaks is 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds. He earned All-Freshman […]
The Champaign Room is planning its coverage for the 2026-27 athletic seasons, and you can join us! In order to continue making TCR the best place on the Internet for free Illinois Fighting Illini coverage, analysis and discussion, we’re expanding our staff. We’re happy to talk with anyone interested in contributing to the site, whether […]
So, Illinois fans, are you ready to ride the cosmic roller coaster of Portal SZN? No? Well, it’s too late now. You already clicked on this article, and there is analysis forthcoming. The Illini do not appear to be pursuing a massive number of targets in the transfer portal. While lots of players could be […]
He’s off to the NBA (most likely). Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA Draft on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wagler had one of the great freshman seasons in Illinois history, with the most points in a single season by a first-year player. He also led the Illini to their first Final […]
Illinois guard Mihailo Petrovic has entered the transfer portal, per Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony on X. Petrovic played in 19 games for the Illini this past season and ultimately saw his minutes shrink as the season progressed. The 23-year-old Serbian entered college basketball as a sophomore this past fall and will have two years of […]
Illinois guard Mihailo Petrovic has entered the transfer portal, per Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony on X. Petrovic played in 19 games for the Illini this past season and ultimately saw his minutes shrink as the season progressed. The 23-year-old Serbian entered college basketball as a Sophomore this past fall and will have two years of […]
‘Tis the season for words like “bag” and “speed dating” in reference to college hoops portal activity. The Illini are always an ever-present force in Portal Kombat. Whether it’s their most notorious misses (RayJ Dennis, AJ Storr, Josh Dix) or their most glorious hits (Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Andrej Stojakovic), Illinois is a major […]
This piece is dedicated to Illinois alumni. If you have ever called the University of Illinois home, I am writing this to let you know that I hear you. This run to the Final Four was amazing. Many of us didn’t experience these heights as students. Some, like our fearless leader Stephen Cohn, had to […]
The transfer portal season is starting to heat up with the madness of the tournament ending. Illinois has already lost two players to the portal in Hayven Smith and Naomi Benson. Now, tides have changed with the Illini signing incoming sophomore Divine Bourrage, reported first by Kedric Prince on X and then confirmed by the […]