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The Illini men’s basketball team has had many big games this season. Friday is yet another one vs. the league-leading Michigan Wolverines. The Illini literally have two shots at winning the regular-season Big Ten championship: slim and none. Broken down, that means Illinois has to win out, and Michigan will have to drop three straight […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Shauna Green’s team is peaking at the right time. Illinois (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten) is coming off of three straight dominant wins against Wisconsin, Rutgers and Northwestern, but will have some tougher competition to end the regular season. “We’ve grown a lot from these games,” said sophomore Berry Wallace. “[It will] just […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini have been on a tear as of late, winning each of their last three games and doing so by an average margin of 23 points. They have done this without the help of one of their stars, redshirt sophomore Gretchen Dolan. Head coach Shauna Green had been hoping to get […]
After the loss Saturday at UCLA, some fans are in panic mode. Some are suggesting that Coach Underwood will never win in the Big Ten and certainly not claim an NCAA title. That’s crazy talk. The Fighting Illini basketball program is enjoying arguably its best season in almost 20 years. For the seventh consecutive season, […]
You read that right — it has been since January 10, 2019, since Michigan has beaten Illinois on the hardwood. The Illini have rattled off nine straight wins against the Wolverines, including last year’s 20-point blowout in Dusty May’s first meeting against Illinois. Michigan went on to win the Big Ten Tournament and reach the […]
On this week’s episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ I break down Illinois’ blowout win at USC (3:27) and last-second loss to UCLA (10:24). I also discuss Keaton Wagler’s history-making freshman season (13:13), the Illini’s data-driven gameplan (24:27), and their recent late-game woes (26:56). Next, I glance at the B1G outlook (33:15) and preview Friday’s clash with […]
It’s been fun, hasn’t it? Illinois hasn’t lost to Michigan in more than seven years – Jan. 10, 2019. It’s been so long, that I was still a student the last time it happened! Unfortunately, if I played in the band that day, I didn’t take a photo to document it. Well, ever since then, […]
How to Watch Illinois vs. Michigan Game Time: 7 p.m. Friday TV Channel: Fox Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 50.5% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (22-6, 13-4 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: UCLA 95, Illinois 94 Gameday Reading: Michigan Wolverines (25-2, 15-1 Big Ten) Last […]
This year’s Illinois team might be young, but don’t count them out on making a late push this season. The Illini have battled injuries for what seems to be two straight seasons and have had a variety of different lineups on the floor. With Gretchen Dolan out for the last month due to injury, key […]
On Saturday, the NCAA selection committee released its annual top 16 reveal. They did not have much to say on the Illini, but what they said about other teams can provide some insight into how Illinois will be valued by the committee. Illinois was 7th, behind a clear top three of Michigan, Duke and Arizona, […]
For the first time in more than a decade, Illinois has a top-10 win on the road. Illinois blew out No. 6 Coast Carolina 14-5 on Sunday at the Coastal Carolina Tournament. It’s the program’s first win over a top-10 team away from Illinois Field since March 2015, and the highest ranked road win since […]
EVANSTON, Ill. — Shooting clinic. The Illinois Fighting Illini came into Welsh-Ryan looking to complete the sweep against in-state rival Northwestern, and they did absolutely just that in very convincing fashion, as they pummeled the Wildcats 92-65 to improve to 19-8 on the season. In a game that started very foul-heavy, which played in the […]
When there were 4.9 seconds left in OT and the Illini clung to a 1-point lead, we all knew how it was going to end. Illinois lost 95-94 at UCLA in the Illini’s third overtime loss in just 15 days. Here’s how X reacted to the latest defeat.
LOS ANGELES — Inside Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night, Illinois’ Big Ten title hopes hung by a thread. When Illinois was on the verge of hanging onto a shaky win, the Bruins’ Donovan Dent took off like a rocket, in the matter of moments, he made his way from one end of the court to […]
The selection committee has spoken. Michigan remains at the top of the mountain, with Illinois just behind. While there are still 800 regular season games left to play before Selection Sunday, the NCAA March Madness bracket preview gave the Illini faithful a chance to see where Illinois stands in the eyes of Keith Gill and the […]
In 2025, I watched the Nike Hoop Summit. The game featured big names like A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, Koa Peat, Nate Ament, and Chris Cenac. But I tuned in to watch a future Illinois player. I wanted to see the international man of mystery, whom I knew would define the Illini season. The […]
There is no shortage of starpower on this Illini team. They have at least seven players that can put up double digit scoring numbers any night, which shouldn’t be a surprise since their offense is one of the most efficient in the country. The scoring is balanced, and is rarely a one-man show. The few […]
That was quite something. Despite me losing sleep over staying up until 11:30 (ON A WEEKNIGHT!) to watch the Illini, they delivered with a 101-65 win over USC on Wednesday. Here’s the best reactions from the online world:
How to Watch Illinois at USC Game Time: 7 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: Fox Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 66.5% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 101, USC 65 Gameday Reading: UCLA Bruins (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) Last […]
LOS ANGELES — Pure domination. That’s what occurred in the first of Illinois’ two West Coast games this week, as No. 10 Illinois defeated USC 101-65 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. After suffering back-to-back overtime losses, it appears Illinois is officially back on track, winning its last two games by […]
Uhhhhhh, that will wake you up. At the end of the first half Wednesday night at USC, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell stunned everyone with an incredible putback dunk. Initially ruled basket interference on the floor, Illinois challenged the call and it was overturned. Because, duh. I think the hand is alright. We knew Kylan’s athletic, […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It’s almost that time of the year for basketball fans. And this Illini core has proved it’s more than ready for it. As March quickly approaches, teams around the country are starting to finish their resumes to make their case for the big dance. Teams will look to get streaky at just […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After two heartbreaking losses to Oregon and USC, the Illini have fired back with statement wins in their last two games. Tuesday night’s win over Rutgers marks back-to-back games in which the Illini have beaten their opponent by more than 20 points. The orange and blue dominated the Scarlet Knights for all […]
Illinois is having its best regular season since 2021, when the Illini finished 16-4 in conference play and earned a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. That team ended the regular season at 20-6 (fewer games due to the COVID season) while the 2023-24 Elite Eight team finished 23–8 and with a three seed. The […]
It was hardly a vacation for the Fighting Illini after their three-game series down in Florida. Illinois came home with a 1-2 record against USF, finishing with a high-scoring 11-10 defeat. With the excitement of opening night, Illinois was able to score its first home run from junior transfer Michael Farina. Two runs later, the […]