A Fighting Illini community since 2012
While beating two teams in the 80s in NET ranking comfortably but not convincingly this week might not seem like much, those kinds of workmanlike wins are necessary to maintain a high seed. Look around at what else happened this week, and we can appreciate the Illini’s effort more. There was no shame in Iowa […]
about 6 hours ago | 0 reads
We are more than a quarter of the way through Big Ten conference play, and five teams have separated themselves as legitimate regular-season title contenders. Michigan, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Illinois all have zero or one loss in league play and will be battling to be crowned champion. Illinois won a share of the […]
about 7 hours ago | 0 reads
On this episode of ’Oskee Talk’ I’m joined by Pleas Honeywood & Brandt Dolce to review Illinois’ victories against Northwestern & Minnesota (5:00) and the Illini exceeding early expectations (21:08). We also discuss Illinois’ veteran players deferring to Keaton Wagler (24:16), the freshman phenom’s rapid ascent (27:42), and the simplest explanation for the Illini’s 7-game […]
about 13 hours ago | 0 reads
Heading into a big week, Illinois has reached its highest AP poll position since November. The Illini checked in Monday at No. 11, up from No. 13 last week. Illinois has gotten as high as No. 8 this season in mid-November after an undefeated start to the season. At 15-3 and on a seven-game winning […]
about 24 hours ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A tight conference battle at home. Coming off a road loss at Michigan State earlier in the week, Illinois returned to the State Farm Center Sunday afternoon looking to respond against in-state rival Northwestern. The Illini did just that, holding off a late push from the Wildcats to secure a 74-71 win […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
The Illinois Fighting Illini have won seven straight games for the first time since March 2024. Since Dec. 14, no team has played better basketball than Illinois according to Bart Torvik’s T-Rank. Here are my key takeaways from this incredible stretch of hoops. Illinois has a capable defense After surrendering 83 points in a home […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
How to Watch Illinois vs. Maryland Game Time: 6 p.m. Wednesday TV Channel: BTN Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 94% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 77, Maryland 67 Gameday Reading: Maryland Terrapins (8-10, 1-6 Big Ten) Head Coach: […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
In Illinois’ 10-point win over Minnesota on Saturday, junior guard Andrej Stojakovic recorded a significant milestone: his 1,000th career point. And that meant there had to be a postgame celebration. Brad Underwood was asked about the water bottle celebration after the game, and he said Tomislav Ivisic was behind the fun. No shock there for […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Carrying a six-game win streak and all the momentum in the world, head coach Brad Underwood and the Illini prevailed in their first game at State Farm Center in 11 days to make it seven straight victories for this squad and nine wins in a row against the Gophers. “It was just […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
And just like that, Brad Underwood has secured his second commitment in the class of 2027. Neuqua Valley’s Mason Martin announced his commitment to Illinois on Friday in a post online. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Martin is averaging 19 points this season for 16-1 Neuqua Valley. They report he’s already made 62 three-pointers in […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Andrej Stojakovic was triple-cursed before he signed with the Illini. His last name conjures up memories of his father, Predrag (Peja). Peja was a 6-foot-10ish sharpshooter for the Sacramento Kings that tormented the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. He was the closest thing the NBA had to a true replacement for the late “Petro,” Drazen Petrovic. He shot […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Despite a third-quarter push, the Illini fall short against Michigan. It was never going to be easy visited No. 8 Michigan, and the Wolverines proved their ranking Thursday night. After a tune-up win on Sunday, the Illini headed on the road on a mission to get their second AP Top 10 […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
X-Man is back. Xavier Scott announced Thursday night that he will return to Illinois for the 2026 season. Scott, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist in 2024, missed most of the 2025 season after suffering an injury against Western Michigan. He joined the Illini in 2022 as a freshman and has played 39 total games in […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
The 2025 college football season will end Monday night in Miami when the Hoosiers and Hurricanes face off in the 2026 CFP championship game. While Illinois fans probably hoped the Illini could have found a way to this game (or at least into the Playoff), there’s still a lot for the Orange and Blue to […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
If there was any question Brad Underwood’s team can compete this season, they’re stepping up to the challenge with two big road wins in the last five days. Brad Underwood and the Illini secured their fifth straight win on Sunday, defeating Iowa 75-69 in Iowa City. The Illini were led by one of the hottest […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
You can always come home, right? Multiple news outlets, including 247 and On3, reported Wednesday that kicker Ethan Moczulski will return to Illinois after spending one season at Washington. Moczulski, who will have one year of eligibility remaining, played for the Illini in 2024, mostly doing kickoffs. He memorably made a school-record 59-yard field goal […]
6 days ago | 1 read
EVANSTON, Ill. — Illinois began the night shooting only 3-for-15 from three in the first half. The team went on to make eight of its next 15 attempts, outlasting Northwestern in the process en route to winning its first game in Evanston since January 2022, 79-68. A rare blemish on a relatively clean resume for […]
6 days ago | 1 read
EVANSTON, Ill. — Illinois pulled away late to beat Northwestern on the road Wednesday night, 79-68. Northwestern gave Illinois a scare down the stretch, but the Illini stayed calm once again to secure their sixth straight win. The victory marked Illinois’ fifth conference win and fourth road win of the season. Senior guard Kylan Boswell […]
6 days ago | 1 read
How to Watch Illinois vs. Minnesota Game Time: 11 a.m. Saturday TV Channel: BTN Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 92.5% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 79, Northwestern 68 Gameday Reading: Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-7, 3-3 Big Ten) Head […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
The Illini earned their third road win of the season with a 75-69 victory on Sunday. The crowd helped the Hawkeyes make a late surge and cut the lead to four, but Illinois stayed calm and composed to close out an impressive win. “A road win in this league is like gold,” said head coach […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
On this episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ I revisit men’s basketball’s wins over Rutgers & Iowa (5:33) and examine the Illini’s shooting improvements (15:54) as well as their early Big Ten success (17:10). I also take a deeper look at the conference standings (23:47) and look ahead to Wednesday’s game at Northwestern (27:29). I also recap […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Memorial Stadium will make history this fall — with the biggest video board in college football. Illinois announced on Tuesday that Daktronics will install a main video display totaling 17,300+ square feet. The next bigger display is Auburn’s at 10,690 square feet. Officials said the project will be finished by the start of the season […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and freshman Keaton Wagler met with local media ahead of Wednesday’s road game in Evanston. Handling adversity on the road The Illini managed to hold on to a late lead to earn a massive road win at Iowa on Sunday. Underwood was proud of his team’s composure late in the […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Michigan prep Monday morning was a fun one for head coach Shauna Green and the Illini as they were ranked No.25 in the AP poll. This was the first time the Illini have been ranked all season and the first time that they’ve been ranked since the February 17, 2025 AP poll. This comes after […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Monday morning was a fun one for head coach Shauna Green and the Illini as they were ranked No. 25 in the AP poll. This was the first time the Illini have been ranked all season and the first time that they’ve been ranked since Feb. 17, 2025. This comes after Illinois started their season […]
7 days ago | 0 reads