A Fighting Illini community since 2012
On this edition of ‘Oskee Talk’ I recap Illinois’ blowout win versus Northwestern (3:33) as well as their OT loss at Michigan State (13:16). I also discuss why my viewpoint on Illinois’ season hasn’t changed (28:21) and the Illini’s tournament ceiling (35:37), plus I weigh in on the critiques of Brad Underwood and why regular […]
about 5 hours ago | 0 reads
Illinois saw its 12-game winning streak snapped Saturday night with a narrow overtime loss to Michigan State in East Lansing. The Illini had opportunities to further strengthen an already impressive resume but instead added another Quad 1A loss. Following the loss, Illinois moved to 20-4 overall and 11-2 in Big Ten play. The Illini now […]
about 6 hours ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has officially made its big move of the offseason, as it was announced Monday that former University of Montana head coach Bobby Hauck was hired to be the team’s defensive coordinator. Hauck brings 38 years of collegiate coaching experience to Champaign, with 19 seasons as the head coach at both Montana […]
about 11 hours ago | 0 reads
One loss and the Illini dropped to No. 8 in the AP poll on Monday. Illinois couldn’t come through in overtime at Michigan State on Saturday in a 85-82 loss. It snapped the Illini’s 12-game winning streak, which dated back to Dec. 13. The Illini were No. 5 in the AP poll last week. No […]
about 16 hours ago | 0 reads
With Duke and UConn falling, the opportunity was there for the Illini on Saturday night to put pressure on the top seed line. A win probably wouldn’t have moved the Illini up, but it would have made the margin very thin between themselves and UConn, in particular. Unfortunately, everything seemed to go wrong as it […]
about 20 hours ago | 0 reads
Devon Witherspoon may have been the BEST player on the field in Super Bowl LX. The one-time zero-star recruit for Lovie Smith at Illinois has become one of the best DBs in the NFL, and he starred in the Seahawks’ win Sunday night. He never let Patriots QB Drake Maye get comfortable in the 29-13 […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – History was made Sunday at the State Farm Center, despite USC defeating the Illini. It was announced in the third quarter of the Big Ten contest that the game was the third sellout in Illinois women’s basketball history and the first under Shauna Green’s tenure. The crowd stuck with the Illini through […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The State Farm Center was packed with for the third sell-out in women’s basketball history on Sunday afternoon, and the fans were with the Illini through it all. Illinois was down as much as 19, but made it a ballgame in the fourth. The comeback was just a little too late for […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Come chat with fellow fans at The Champaign Room today by making a free account! Be part of the best Illinois site on the Internet and join the conversation by leaving your first comment today. Perks of becoming a member and signing in: Our community is welcoming, and there are moderators here to keep things […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
How to Watch Illinois vs. Wisconsin Game Time: 7 p.m. Tuesday TV Channel: N/A Online Streaming: Peacock Odds: N/A (Illinois 84.9% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (20-4, 11-2 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Michigan State 85, Illinois 82 (OT) Gameday Reading: Wisconsin Badgers (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Close, but no cigar. For the third weekend in a row, Illinois had the opportunity to knock off a top ten-ranked Big Ten foe on the road. No. 5 Illinois pushed No. 10 Michigan State to overtime on Saturday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, but the Spartans came […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Bret Bielema has some spots to fill on his coaching staff. He filled one of them on Friday with Jared Elliott. Elliott served as tight ends coach at New Mexico last year, and he’ll serve in the same position on the Illini staff in 2026. The program said Elliott has served as a college coach […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
For the third time in six seasons, the Fighting Illini football team will have a new defensive coordinator. Aaron Henry accepted the Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary coach position at the University of Notre Dame. Henry was promoted to the Defensive Coordinator position when Ryan Walters left to become the Head Coach of Purdue in 2023. Henry’s tenure […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
Editor’s Note: The views in this piece are those of TCR staff columnist Pleas Honeywood. Let’s get this out of the way early: Tom Izzo earned his Hall of Fame ring. He has been a model of both excellence and consistency in the Big Ten. His track record of making runs into the second weekend […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
This group’s offensive firepower and chemistry have been off the charts thus far. This has arguably been one of the most exciting seasons in the program’s rich history. This year’s team has loads of talent, versatility, unselfishness, and no shortage of fun personalities. Their impressive play on the court has been extremely fun to watch, […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Ayo Dosunmu’s time as a basketball star in the state of Illinois has come to an end. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported this morning that the Chicago Bulls traded Ayo Dosunmu to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips were traded in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks, per Charania. Dosunmu […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — At a press conference on Wednesday night, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema addressed his defensive coordinator opening, dropping hints to some major changes coming to the defensive side of the ball in 2026 along the way. Just last week, Aaron Henry left the Illini for an opportunity on Marcus Freeman’s staff at […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
EUGENE, Ore. – Illinois found itself in uncharted waters on Wednesday night. After beating Washington over the weekend, it was time to conclude the West Coast road trip, this time facing off against the Oregon Ducks. However, the Illini found themselves down 21 points at halftime to the Ducks. Shauna Green, though, rerouted the course […]
5 days ago | 1 read
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois dominated Northwestern at the State Farm Center in round two of what should always be a closely contested “rivalry” game. Instead, Wednesday night’s 84-44 Illini win was a forgettable chapter in a storied duel between both programs. Illinois put together its most complete performance in conference play of the 2025-26 season. […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
How to Watch Illinois at Michigan State Game Time: 7 p.m. Saturday TV Channel: Fox Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO Odds: N/A (Illinois 44.4% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 84, Northwestern 44 Gameday Reading: Michigan State Spartans (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
Illinois will search for another top-10 road win Saturday night in East Lansing, and one of Michigan State’s best players may not be on the court (at least to start). Tom Izzo had some choice words for Jeremy Fears’ performance in the Spartans’ Wednesday night to Minnesota. “Jeremy’s gotta grow up a little bit,” Izzo […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
As if the 84-44 win over Northwestern on Wednesday night didn’t signal elite to the fans, how about this? With the victory, Illinois secured its seventh consecutive 20-win regular season under Brad Underwood — it’s a streak that dates back to the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. The Illini are just one of three teams in that […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois caught fire early from beyond the arc and did not hesitate to slow down. Coming off consecutive top-5 road wins for the first time in program history after taking down No. 4 Purdue and No. 5 Nebraska, Illinois reminded its fans of the depth it has to offer with five Illini […]
5 days ago | 1 read
Illinois, for the second time in three games, faced a top-5 opponent away from State Farm Center and walked out a winner, The Illini worked the inside-out game and hit the boards hard in the first half on Sunday in Lincoln. Nebraska, to its credit, started out hitting three-pointers like it was throwing paper into […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
In this episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ I highlight the standouts from the opening of track & field season (4:25), recap men’s basketball’s wins over Washington (7:17) and Nebraska (10:47), examine Keaton Wagler’s epic three-game stretch (20:46) and break down Illinois’ best start in 20 years (25:04). I also review the Big Ten race and discuss […]
6 days ago | 2 reads