The Champaign Room
A Fighting Illini community since 2012
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David Mirkovic on sideline back in boot during Illinois’ exhibition vs. Baylor
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illini fans are itching to see their preseason All-American selection back in action, but this is the last piece of news they’re gonna want to hear. During Illinois’ exhibition matchup versus Baylor Friday night, the first game of the season at State Farm Center, the Illini’s star sophomore forward and preseason All-American […]
Dylan Raiola set to start Saturday against the Fighting Illini
After all the changes in the Oregon quarterback room, Dylan Raiola will take the field for the Ducks on Saturday. Pete Nakos of ON3 reported yesterday that Raiola would indeed get the starting spot this week. The Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has sent three different starting quarterbacks out this year — Raiola, Dante Moore […]
2026 is Underwood’s shot to win Big Ten Coach of the Year
It’s been a long time coming, but there’s a couple things that need to happen for Brad Underwood to make this Illinois dream come true. Let’s talk about it. Another NBA Draft pick The Illinois basketball program has had tons of recent success in the NBA Draft. Just within the past five years. Underwood has […]
How Illinois can pull off an upset against Oregon
Oregon opens as a 9.5-point favorite against Illinois in Champaign on Saturday. Both teams will be without key players, and the over/under is set at 49.5 points. In its first four games, Oregon seemingly scored at will, averaging 47.7 points per game. Since scoring 41 points against USC, however, the Ducks have managed just 34 […]
Who will be the eighth man for Illinois?
A major factor in Illinois’ success last season was its overall roster depth. A strong starting five, aided by three impactful players off the bench, allowed the Illini to run varied lineups throughout games with an eight-man rotation. This season looks to follow a similar trend. While players like Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis returned, […]
Brad Underwood reveals what Illinois basketball wants to test against Baylor
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini are gearing up for their second of three exhibition contests, as they look to fine-tune their team before the regular season rolls around. Last Saturday, Illinois took down the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road. Friday night, they’ll play host to a Baylor Bears team coming off of an exhibition win […]
Big Ten Basketball Preview Part 4: The Contenders
Now we are getting to the business end of the conference. These teams all have the talent to make a run at the Big Ten title and make a deep run in the tournament. They also have real question marks and flaws to keep them from being considered favorites. In case you missed any of […]
Bye week allows more intentionality for Illinois’ defense
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for interim defensive coordinator Roger Cooper and the Illinois defense. Against Michigan State, it looked like the same defense we have seen all season, solid flashes then lackluster energy. Cooper described the past week as a “kind of reset” for the defense. […]
David Mirkovic sidelined for Illinois’ exhibition vs. Baylor
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illini fans are itching to see their preseason All-American selection back in action. Approaching the final stages of recovery for a foot injury that’s kept him out since the beginning of August, David Mirkovic did not see the court during Illinois’ exhibition win over the Cincinnati Bearcats last week. Illinois faces Baylor […]
3 takeaways from Illinois basketball’s exhibition win over Cincinnati
This Illini team returns plenty of players from last year’s Final Four team. Illinois brings back almost every player who had a role on last year’s team, with the exception of three players. Hearing that, you might assume this year’s team is set to be a pretty close copycat of last season, with similar lineups, […]
How does Brad Underwood stack up against college basketball’s elite?
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood joined the Illini in 2017 and faced criticism from some Illinois fans for failing to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament during his first few seasons. It took him three seasons to lead the Illini back to the Big Dance, but he has since guided the program to […]
Illinois basketball’s freshmen could be even better than we thought
Illinois basketball is officially back…kind of. It was Cincinnati, it didn’t count, and Brad Underwood played 12 guys like he was running a science experiment. The Illini gave up 96 points, and Underwood himself said they didn’t even scout. If you’re nitpicking for a reason to overreact, I guess you could find one. However, the […]
David Mirkovic named AP Preseason All-American
It’s official, Illinois forward David Mirkovic has been named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press. All offseason, Mirkovic has been catching a lot of buzz from the local media about how he might take that sophomore leap and be the Illini’s star player. It certainly seems like the national media is certainly taking note […]
TCR Daily Brief: Wednesday, Oct. 21
Happy Wednesday, Illini fans! Here’s what you need to know today: 🏀 Women’s Basketball Illini crack AP Top 25 Illinois women’s basketball opens the 2026-27 season ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press preseason poll, giving head coach Shauna Green her second preseason Top 25 team in Champaign. It’s the fifth preseason ranking in program history and matches Illinois’ No. 23 spot in 2023-24. The Big Ten leads all conferences with a record nine teams in the preseason poll. Illinois finished 22-12...
Young QBs step into the spotlight as Illinois hosts Oregon
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is looking for continued improvement from his squad after a much-needed bye week. Illinois (3-3) took down Michigan State in an overtime thriller a week and a half ago and now hosts Oregon this Saturday. The teams share some similarities, as both have dealt with quarterback injuries […]
Illinois women’s basketball checks in at No. 23 in AP preseason poll
For just the fifth time in program history, Illinois women’s basketball will begin its season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Illini come into the 2026-27 season ranked No. 23 in the AP preseason poll, giving Illinois its second preseason ranking under head coach Shauna Green. The Illini also opened at No. 23 […]
Previewing Oregon vs Illinois with Addicted to Quack | TCR Podcast
Illini Isaac is joined by hythloday of Addicted to Quack, Oregon’s SB Nation site, to break down the matchup between Illinois Football and Oregon. Treat Your Pup to Something Better with Chief’s Naturals! Give your dog delicious, wholesome dog treats made with simple, high-quality, human-grade ingredients. Proudly serving Illini dogs and pups nationwide, Chief’s Naturals […]
The six Illinois basketball home games I’m most excited to attend
Illinois basketball is almost back. The home schedule is loaded. Football is 3-3 and frustrating me every Saturday. I’m ready to be back in State Farm Center. This isn’t a ranking of the six most important home games. It’s the six I’m most excited to attend. Maybe it’s a big opponent. Maybe there’s an NBA […]
TCR Daily Brief: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Happy Tuesday! Here’s what you need to know today: 🏀 Men’s Basketball Illini crack AP Top 3 Illinois opened the 2026-27 season at No. 3 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, giving Brad Underwood’s squad an early spot among the nation’s elite. The Illini received two first-place votes after reaching last season’s Final Four. Illinois opened exhibition play Saturday with a 105-96 win over Cincinnati, led by Andrej Stojakovic’s 24 points. Freshman Ethan Brown also made an impression, scoring...
Illinois basketball opens season ranked No. 3 in AP Top 25 poll
Illinois men’s basketball will begin the 2026-27 season ranked No. 3 in the country, matching the program’s second-highest preseason ranking in the Associated Press Top 25. The preseason poll was released Monday, with the Illini trailing only Florida and Duke. Illinois received two first-place votes, joining the Gators and Blue Devils as the only teams […]
TCR Reacts: Illinois’ second-half win total
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Illinois fans and fans across the country. With Illinois getting the second half of its season underway this weekend against Oregon, there’s no better time than now to ask the burning question on […]
Oregon’s Evan Stewart arrested on DUI charge ahead of Illinois matchup
CHAMPAIGN, Ill – Oregon wide receiver, fifth-year senior Evan Stewart, was arrested on Sunday and booked in Springfield Municipal Jail for driving under the influence of intoxicants according to Springfield, Oregon police. According to KATU ABC, Stewart was released an hour after his booking by Oregon wide receiver Dakorien Moore. Sign up here to participate […]
How to Watch Illinois vs. Baylor Exhibition: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds
How to Watch Illinois vs. Baylor (Exhibition) Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys: Game Time: 7 p.m. Friday TV Channel: N/A Online Streaming: B1G+ Odds: N/A Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (10th season) Last Game: Illinois 105, Cincinnati 96 (Exhibition) Baylor Bears (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) […]
TCR Daily Brief: Monday, Oct. 19
Happy Monday, Illini fans! Here’s what you need to know today,. 🏈 Football Seven years ago today, Illinois pulled off one of the most memorable upsets in program history. On Oct. 19, 2019, the Illini stunned No. 6 Wisconsin, 24-23, at Memorial Stadium when James McCourt drilled a 39-yard field goal as time expired. Illinois […]
Illinois beats Cincinnati in exhibition reaction! | TCR Podcast
Illini Isaac reacts to the stats and highlights from Illinois’ scrimmage victory over Cincinnati. Check out State Farm Agent Brian Hanson for a home, auto, business, and life insurance needs quote today: https://gtlk.link/5zlx5Emx Treat Your Pup to Something Better with Chief’s Naturals! Give your dog delicious, wholesome dog treats made with simple, high-quality, human-grade ingredients. Proudly […]
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