A Fighting Illini community since 2012
On this episode of “Oskee Talk” I review Illinois’ NCAA Tournament wins over Penn (3:57) and VCU (10:33) as well as call out Brad Underwood’s critics (19:49). I also revisit the Illini’s history with Sweet 16 opponent Houston (28:11), break down the analytics comparing the two sides (33:28) and discuss the matchups I’m most looking […]
How to Watch No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston (NCAA Tournament Sweet 16) Game Time: ~9:05 p.m. CT Thursday TV Channel: TBS/TruTV Online Streaming: March Madness Live Odds: Illinois +2.5 (FanDuel) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (26-8, 15-5 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 76, VCU 55 Gameday Reading: Houston Cougars (30-6, […]
Let me start with the fact that I’m too young to remember much from Illinois’ run to the national championship game in 2005. I was eight years old, and while I was a fan of the Illini, I didn’t really understand what was going on. The 20 years since have been a mix of good […]
Shauna Green’s team will have a chance to get to the Sweet Sixteen on Monday night against No. 2 Vanderbilt. I don’t think many of us expect the Illini to pull off the upset, but they did win a NCAA Tournament game for the second consecutive season. So did Brad Underwood’s team this weekend, when […]
If you still can’t get over Big Z’s massive block and dunk — like me — then here’s another way to relive it. On Croatian TV. TCR’s Thumpasaurus made us aware of this brilliant clip from Bluesky on Sunday. It’s incredible. Zero idea what’s being said. ZERO. But I love it. I need the whole […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Illini earned gritty win in first round of March Madness. Illinois didn’t try to be perfect Saturday night. They just found a way I the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In a game that stayed close longer than they probably wanted, the Illini made the plays late and pulled away […]
After two games as pretty hefty favorites, Illinois will get a taste of its own medicine next week in the Sweet Sixteen. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Illinois opened Saturday night as a 2.5-point underdog against No. 2 Houston. The game will be Thursday in Houston — so expect the Cougars to have quite the home […]
Andrej Stojakovic came to Illinois as one of the most highly-touted transfers in the country. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 17.9 points per game as a sophomore at Cal last season before hitting the portal and coming to Champaign. An ankle injury during Big Ten play played a part in Stojakovic coming off the bench […]
GREENVILLE, S.C. — VCU’s Lazar Djokovic eyed an exhilarating dunk en route to cutting Illinois’ lead in the second half, but before he could ever get to it, Illinois’ Zvonimir Ivisic elevated at the last second, dancing through the air as he defiantly blocked to quell VCU’s momentum. An exhilarating block. As Illinois’ Kylan Boswell […]
On Sunday, the Illini were selected to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, their second appearance in as many years. This is the first time that Illinois has made back-to-back tournaments since they made four in a row between 1996-2000. The orange and blue are also the youngest of the 68 teams […]
After dispatching Penn without too much consternation or a FranCon 6 level blow up, Illinois moves on to face VCU in the second round. Just like the last time Illinois was a 3-seed two years ago, they get the Atlantic 10 Conference Champion after they upset a 6-seed, in this case the hapless, Caleb Wilson-less […]
The Illini have been inconsistent over the last four games, and it sent Illinois to a 2-2 record over the last week. Coming out of a low-scoring 2-1 Big Ten series against Minnesota over the weekend, Illinois was unable to secure the victory in the extra innings at Indiana State on Tuesday. The 4-3 defeat […]
GREENVILLE, S.C.— Brad Underwood told his team to “let it rip” before the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Illini responded by shifting into a gear fans haven’t seen in weeks. Behind a monstrous, career-high 29 points and 17 rebounds from freshman David Mirkovic, No. 3 Illinois turned a cold shooting start into […]
What an NCAA Tournament debut from David Mirkovic. The freshman from Montenegro played one of the best games an Illini has ever played in the tournament. Mirkovic went for a career-high 29 points and grabbed a tournament program record 17 rebounds. “I thought he [Mirkovic] was the best player on the court tonight,” said Illinois […]
Penn was undermanned, and undersized, and — obviously — not as good as Illinois on Thursday night in the Illini’s 105-60 first-round NCAA Tournament win. It gets more challenging now against No. 11 VCU on Saturday night. Don’t let the 11-seed blind you; this team is good. Illinois opened on FanDuel Sportsbook as a 10.5-point […]
No time to rest. Illinois is back at it Saturday night against VCU in the Round of 32, and they’re opening as favorites. According to FanDuel Sportsbook on Thursday night, the line opened as the Illini as a 10.5-point favorite against the Rams. The total is set at 151.5. Illinois is coming off a monster […]
GREENVILLE, SC — And we’re off. David Mirkovic (29 points, 17 rebounds) and No. 3 Illinois won a NCAA Tournament game for the third consecutive season in a 105-70 victory over Fran McCaffery and No. 14 Penn on Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina. The Fighting Illini (25-8) now book a date with No. 11 […]
Hi, Jason Kelce. We hear you have a comment about Illinois Basketball. The ESPN personality, Philadelphia Eagles legend, and soon-to-be brother-in-law of Taylor Swift tweeted about the Illini during their NCAA Tournament game against Penn on Thursday night. “Who knew that Illinois had so many Serbians,” he posted on X. We did. We all did. […]
When Kylan Boswell takes the court in Greenville, South Carolina, it will be his fourth NCAA Tournament in four years. That’s not a coincidence. Boswell is a winning basketball player. And for the Illini, he has been an excellent stabilizing factor on a roster in flux. He’s also exactly the kind of veteran guard who […]
Greenville, S.C. — The preseason hype surrounding a kid named Keaton Wagler felt rather obscure back then. Today, Keaton Wagler is considered one of the recent great Illini to grace the wooden State Farm Center court. On Tuesday, Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler was named to the All-American Second Team, the first Illini Freshman ever to […]
Just a few weeks ago, it felt like this Illini team was a surefire 2 seed and even potentially a 1 seed. They looked like a legitimate title contender and were well on their way to having one of the best regular seasons in program history. That quickly changed when the Illini finished the season […]
The Illini received a great draw in this year’s NCAA Tournament and should be in a strong position to make another second weekend. Illinois still has to win the games, but the odds are in their favor to reach the Sweet 16, with Penn in the first round and either North Carolina or VCU in […]
How to Watch No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado (NCAA Tournament Round of 64) Game Time: 8:30 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: ESPN2 Online Streaming: ESPN+ Odds: Illinois -3.5 Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (21-11, 9-9 Big Ten) Head Coach: Shauna Green (4th season) Last Game: Iowa 64, Illinois 58 (Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals) Colorado Buffaloes (22-11, 11-7 […]
On this bonus edition of ‘Oskee Talk’ I’m joined by The Champaign Room’s bracket guru Robby Nardini to discuss the lack of suspense on Selection Sunday (2:46), reveal Illinois’ first-round matchup with a familiar face (6:48), take a glance at the rest of the South Region (12:33) and if he agrees that a change of […]
CHICAGO — The edge felt extra sharp Friday night, with blank stares draping the Fighting Illini locker room as the swirl of frustration, anger and agitation palpably pulsed. An all-too-familiar sensation was echoed by a disgruntled Brad Underwood, who had very little to say to his team after Illinois’ first crack at postseason play ended […]