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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. has not been afraid to pull out the trick plays all season. From a fullback toss to Hank Beatty for a touchdown against Ohio State, or the Philly Special remake against USC, Lunney Jr. shows he’s willing to think outside the box. Thinking outside the box is […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. has not been afraid to pull out the trick plays all season. From a fullback toss to Hank Beatty for a touchdown against Ohio State, or the Philly Special remake against USC, Lunney Jr. has not been afraid to think outside the box. Thinking outside the box […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Take yourself back to December 2020. Josh Whitman had just dismissed Lovie Smith. Rod Smith was leading the Illini in their final game of the season. And present in the stadium was the new man in charge, Bret Bielema. It was a symbolic and literal changing of the guard in Champaign. Bielema won the gig […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
How to Watch No. 17 Illinois vs. Jackson State (Opening Night) Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Monday TV Channel: BTN Online Streaming: BTN+ Odds: N/A Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season, 165-101) Last Game: Kentucky 84, Illinois 75 (NCAAT Second Round) Gameday Reading: Jackson State Tigers (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) Head coach: Mo […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
For the first time in seven years, Illinois soccer won a Big Ten Tournament match. The Illini topped No. 8 Ohio State 1-0 in the first round of the tournament Thursday night in West Lafayette. According to the program, Illinois hadn’t won a tournament match since they beat Wisconsin in October 2018. The lone goal […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
And we’re off. Illinois women’s basketball played its only public exhibition on Thursday night as the Illini topped DII Maryville 79-60 at State Farm Center. Freshman Cearah Parchment starred for the Illini, scoring a game-high 22 points and adding 13 rebounds. Very Kendall Bostic of her. The game came just two days after head coach […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Going into this football season, a lot of people — myself included — were looking quite fondly at the Illini defense, with seven starters returning, including the entire secondary, along with linebackers Gabe Jacas, Dylan Rosiek, and Kenenna Odeluga. Other contributors from last season, like Malachi Hood, Joe Barna, Juice Clarke, and Saboor Karriem, and […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Tomislav Ivisic, a 7-foot-1 second-year junior from Croatia, is arguably the Illini’s best returning player for this coming season. He was a huge factor for the team last season, averaging 13 points, 7.7 rebounds, as well as 2.3 assists per game. The Illini fan base, as well as the coaching staff, were both very happy […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
How to Watch Illinois vs. Rutgers Game Time: 11 a.m. Saturday TV Channel: NBC Online Streaming: Peacock Odds: ILL -12.5, O/U 62.5 Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) Head Coach: Bret Bielema (5th season) Last Game: 42-25 loss at Washington Gameday Reading: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) Head coach: Greg Schiano (17th season) Last game: […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Just under a week away from the return of Illinois basketball, the Illini got two major opportunities in October before revving up for regular-season action. The preseason slate consisted of two matchups: Illinois State (exhibition) and Florida (closed-door scrimmage). As we’ve seen in previous seasons, the Illini once again had opportunities to get a taste […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini suffered a tough loss against Washington on Saturday, but they still have a lot of football to play this season. To round out their 2025 campaign, Illinois has four games remaining on the schedule with Rutgers, Maryland and Northwestern coming to town and a road matchup against Wisconsin. Currently sitting […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
4. UCLA Predicted Starting Lineup Donovan Dent, Senior, 20.4 ppg/2.3 rpg/6.4 apg/1.4 spg at New Mexico Look for Mick Cronin to pick up the pace this year, because his prize transfer is best as a road runner in the open floor. Dent shot 40% from three but is selective of when he will let it […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Shauna Green had to rebuild her roster this offseason, but she’s already being hampered by injures before the season even tips off. Illinois announced on Tuesday that freshmen Erica Finney and Manuella Alves will miss the 2025-26 season with injuries. Finney, a 6-foot guard from Australia, joined the program last December as a four-star recruit. […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois guard Kylan Boswell is receiving national attention before the season even tips off. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released the 20-man watchlist for the 2026 Jerry West Award Tuesday, honoring the top shooting guard in collegiate basketball. Entering the award’s 12th year, Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell earned a spot […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
We are now less than one week away from Illinois tipping off their 2025-26 campaign at the State Farm Center against Jackson State. Injuries have been an issue for the Illini throughout the offseason, and it remains unclear who will be fully healthy to start the year. Nonetheless, I’ve shared my official game-by-game predictions for […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
On this episode I’m joined by TCR’s Brandt Dolce & Pleas Honeywood to discuss Illinois’ 42-25 loss at Washington (4:03). We also offer our evaluations of where things stand with the program (12:57), what action can Bret Bielema take (20:46), and big picture thoughts entering the final month of the season (27:26). We expand on […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Ayo Dosunmu: Most Improved Player? Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve said that about the Illinois legend in his NBA career, but this year it looks legit. After a 21-point outburst in the Bulls’ win over the Hawks on Monday, Chicago is 3-0 and Ayo is red-hot to start off year five. He’s averaging 16.7 […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
Illinois point guard Mihailo Petrovic has officially been cleared for the 2025-26 college basketball season by the NCAA, according to a team spokesperson. Petrovic has been classified as a sophomore, meaning he has three years of eligibility remaining. Petrovic is 22 years old. The Serbian point guard averaged 14.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Illinois soccer has earned the opportunity to continue its record-setting 2025 season. The bracket was revealed for the 10-team, single-elimination Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament on Sunday, with the Orange & Blue clinching the #9 seed. Illinois will match up with 8-seed Ohio State this Thursday at Purdue University, with the victors advancing to play […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
The CFP is out of the picture, but Illinois needs a win in the worst way. And FanDuel Sportsbook has the Illini as a big favorite to beat Rutgers in Champaign this weekend. Illinois opened Sunday as a 12.5-point favorite over the Scarlet Knights. The moneyline for the Illini is -465, while the over/under is […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Illinois checks in at No. 6 in KenPom’s 2025-26 Preseason Ratings, something I believe that pleasantly surprised many Illini fans. That is a decent-sized jump from the No. 17 spot awarded to them in the preseason AP Poll. KenPom is a predictive model that ranks teams based on a set of advanced efficiency metrics. The […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
SEATTLE — After losing to the Washington Huskies on the road, the Illini fall to 5-3 on the season, a record that will likely put them out of reach of making the College Football Playoff. The narrative surrounding Saturday’s game was that it was a playoff elimination game, meaning that if either the Illini or […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
SEATTLE, Wash. — Whenever there is rain and heavy winds forecasted for a football game, many fans assume the game will be a defensive slugfest. Washington did not get that memo in their dismantling of the Fighting Illini. The Washington Huskies offense had their way with the Illini defense, scoring touchdowns on six of eight […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — There was always a potential for turbulence on Saturday afternoon, with slippery conditions looming at a consistently hostile Husky Stadium on top of a West Coast cross-country trip. But no-show performance on defense led to a second-half collapse to Washington, 42 – 25. With Saturday’s loss, Illinois lost any hope of maintaining […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
We’re already seeing that Brad Underwood has confidence in his true freshmen this year with Brandon Lee and Keaton Wagler. So it’s no shock that BU keeps hitting the high school ranks for prospects, even in the era of the transfer portal. In a social media post on Friday, four-star guard Lucas Morillo committed to […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read