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No. 10 Illini to open Big Ten Tournament against No. 15 Wisconsin
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Welcome to March, Illini fans. It’s that time of the year again! As we conclude the regular season in college basketball, all eyes will be on tournament play this upcoming week as teams around the country will look to strengthen their resume in order to get to the big dance. One of […]
Illinois’ comeback falls short in regular season finale
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois had its chances late. After trailing by as many as 15 points, the Illini battled back to tie the game in the final minute Sunday at State Farm Center. Minnesota responded at the free-throw line and held on for a 78-73 win in Illinois’ regular-season finale. The loss means the Illini […]
Illinois has a great chance to pick themselves back up
On this episode of ’Oskee Talk’ I recap women’s basketball’s near upset of #9 Iowa (3:15) and break down potential B1G Tournament positioning ahead of the regular season finale (10:46). I also examine the aftermath of Friday’s loss to Michigan (14:48) and the biggest weakness of the men’s basketball roster being exposed (16:07). I also […]
How to Watch Illinois vs. Oregon: Game Time, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds
How to Watch Illinois vs. Oregon Game Time: 8 p.m. Tuesday TV Channel: N/A Online Streaming: Peacock Odds: N/A (Illinois 95% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Michigan 84, Illinois 70 Gameday Reading: Oregon Ducks (11-18, 4-14 Big Ten) Head […]
‘Ready to go cut it loose’: Former Illini QB Luke Altmyer performs at NFL Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — Rearing and ready to go. When former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer met with the media at the NFL Combine, he was teeming with anticipation, just waiting to get to Saturday morning’s drills. “I’m ready to go cut it loose, man,” Altmyer said. “I’m confident, I’m prepared and I’m ready to go do it.” […]
Photo Gallery: Illinois’ 84-70 loss to No. 3 Michigan
It was a disappointing night at State Farm Center on Friday as Illinois couldn’t top No. 3 Michigan. The Wolverines left the arena with an outright Big Ten title. Here’s the best photos from a big day from TCR photographer Jack Jungmann.
‘Need to play with more nasty’: How Illinois got bullied in dud vs. No. 3 Michigan
CHAMPAIGN — Kylan Boswell sat at the podium while emerging from a flashbang. As the mist subsided, the irritation in his eyes grew. It was like he had seen a ghost. “I feel like I let us down tonight. I can’t afford this type of stuff for the team,” Boswell said after No. 10 Illinois’ […]
No. 10 Illinois fall to No. 3 Michigan behind sold out crowd
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With all the hope in the world, Illini fans were let down Friday night. Despite a sold out State Farm Center crowd and a sense of hunger to take home a victory, No. 10 Illinois couldn’t hold off the most athletic team in the nation, falling 84-70 to No. 3 Michigan. The […]
Orange Krush isn’t messing around ahead of Michigan game
Ahead of the biggest game of the season, Orange Krush isn’t messing around. The Illini’s student section showed up bright and early outside State Farm Center on Friday, with some arriving overnight to secure their spot. Illinois shared a drone shot of the lines outside the arena Friday afternoon. TCR’s Jack Jungmann snapped some photos […]
Editorial: Illinois vs. Michigan is a rivalry
Yeah, so this caused a firestorm of controversy. The concept of rivalry in college athletics can be a headscratcher. In college football, Michigan State fans view Michigan as their rivals. Michigan fans view Michigan State as their intramural sparring partner because of their far greater concern with the team down south. Meanwhile, in basketball, Ohio […]
‘Always a dream’: Former Illini Gabe Jacas on NFL Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — To whichever NFL team drafts Gabe Jacas, they’re getting someone who’s physical and disciplined, who doesn’t take plays off and is a natural leader. That is, of course, in the words of Jacas himself, as he met with the media from the NFL Combine on Wednesday morning. While describing himself to reporters, one […]
Hot shooting Illini can’t finish off upset of No. 9 Iowa
IOWA CITY, Ia. — Almost had it. In the 51st consecutive sellout at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Fighting Illini nearly pulled off the program’s most historic upset in recent memory, falling short to the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes 82-78. It was a game of two halves for the orange and blue. Early on, it was all […]
Illinois names new wrestling head coach
A couple of months after Mike Poeta was placed on leave, Illinois officially has a new wrestling coach. Illinois removed the “acting” tag off Jeremy Hunter’s job on Thursday and made him the 16th head coach in Illini wrestling history. Hunter has been with the Illini for a quarter-century since arriving in 2001. He has […]
Three reasons Illinois will beat No. 3 Michigan
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 […]
‘Grown a lot’: Illinois enters final stretch on winning streak
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 […]
Illinois’ Gretchen Dolan ruled out for rest of season
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 […]
Why Illinois is still a national title contender
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, […]
Illinois hasn’t lost to Michigan in 2,600 days. Will that end Friday?
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 […]
Illinois’ data-driven offense collided with costly collapse
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 […]
Every TCR recap from Illinois’ 7-year winning streak over Michigan
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, TV Channel, Online Streaming and Odds
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 […]
Illinois is counting on its youth heading into March
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 […]
TCR Bracketology 9.0: What the committee reveal says about Illinois
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, […]
Illinois secures top-10 road win, Hartleb’s 600th overall
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 […]
Illinois’ efficient three-point shooting helps crush Northwestern
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 […]
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