A Fighting Illini community since 2012
HOUSTON – Facing KenPom’s No. 4-ranked defense, one that only gives up 62 points-per-game, Illinois simply had to want it more to come out victorious in an arena filled with Cougar red. It was clear that they did indeed want it more. The Illini walked into Houston and fought for a 65-55 win in a […]
Back in December through early February, when Illinois went 12-0, the Illini were one of the top three-point shooting teams. They were out-rebounding teams by double-digits. They got as high as No. 5 in the AP Poll on Feb. 2. Then, after the Michigan State loss in overtime, the Illini struggled down the stretch, going […]
In this “Oskee Talk” extra I recap the Illini women’s NCAA Tournament loss to Vanderbilt (3:20), recognize this season’s standout performances (7:06), and discuss the team’s possible offseason plans (12:40). I also take a closer look at the men’s Sweet 16 pairings (17:22), revisit the history between Houston & Illinois (23:34), including the March Madness […]
HOUSTON — Illinois head coach Brad Underwood isn’t worried about No. 2 Houston’s home advantage for the Sweet 16 showdown. “We’ve won on the road all year,” Underwood said. And he’s right: the Illini won eight out of ten road games in the Big Ten this season. “It’s no different than going into West Lafayette […]
Another trip to the Sweet Sixteen for Brad Underwood and the Illini, and another tough, physical Big 12 2-seed awaiting them. Houston arrives to the Sweet Sixteen in similar dominating fashion as the Illini have, with 31-point victories over two double-digit seeds. A lot of the talk so far has been about how can Illinois […]
Illinois will head to Houston on Thursday night for a matchup with the Houston Cougars at the Toyota Center. The Illini will travel more than 900 miles for the game, while Houston will be playing in its home city. This will be a rematch of the 2022 Round of 32, when the five-seeded Cougars defeated […]
Illinois placed 15th at this weekend’s NCAA Wrestling Championships with two Fighting Illini earning All-American honors. Kannon Webster placed fifth at 157lb and former NCAA champ Lucas Byrd finished eighth at 133lb. Byrd wrapped up his illustrious Illini career by adding “four time All-American” to his resume, and his 2025 national title run is easily the […]
On March 20, 2022, the Illini lost a 68-53 game against Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars. The loss, while expected, was particularly galling. The loss came against a Houston team built to beat teams like Illinois. And let’s be clear: this game was one of the first attempts by Brad Underwood to build a roster that […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini made a brief comeback from their slump over the weekend. Illinois hosted Rutgers for a three-game conference series, going 2-1 after falling in the series finale. Illinois now has a 12-10 record on the season. Immediately coming into the first matchup, the Illini plated nine runs in the first […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — To most, March on college campuses means buzzer beaters and all the madness that comes with the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. For all the college football fanatics, on the other hand, it means the start of spring practices, something that’s underway in Champaign for the Illini. For Illinois head coach […]
Illinois got quite the draw in the Sweet Sixteen. While an opportunity to play Big Ten foe Nebraska or Iowa in the Elite Eight (with a trip to the Final Four on the line) awaits the Illini, first they have to get by No. 2 Houston… in Houston. Thursday night’s late tip will be in […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Not the result you hope for, but nonetheless, what a season from Illinois. The orange and blue showed a lot of heart on Monday night in Nashville. After a slow start out of the gate, the Illini were pesky and took what they could get against the No. 2 seed Vanderbilt Commodores. […]
On this episode of “Oskee Talk” I review Illinois’ NCAA Tournament wins over Penn (3:57) and VCU (10:33) as well as call out Brad Underwood’s critics (19:49). I also revisit the Illini’s history with Sweet 16 opponent Houston (28:11), break down the analytics comparing the two sides (33:28) and discuss the matchups I’m most looking […]
How to Watch No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston (NCAA Tournament Sweet 16) Game Time: ~9:05 p.m. CT Thursday TV Channel: TBS/TruTV Online Streaming: March Madness Live Odds: Illinois +2.5 (FanDuel) Quick Hits: Illinois Fighting Illini (26-8, 15-5 Big Ten) Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season) Last Game: Illinois 76, VCU 55 Gameday Reading: Houston Cougars (30-6, […]
Let me start with the fact that I’m too young to remember much from Illinois’ run to the national championship game in 2005. I was eight years old, and while I was a fan of the Illini, I didn’t really understand what was going on. The 20 years since have been a mix of good […]
Shauna Green’s team will have a chance to get to the Sweet Sixteen on Monday night against No. 2 Vanderbilt. I don’t think many of us expect the Illini to pull off the upset, but they did win a NCAA Tournament game for the second consecutive season. So did Brad Underwood’s team this weekend, when […]
If you still can’t get over Big Z’s massive block and dunk — like me — then here’s another way to relive it. On Croatian TV. TCR’s Thumpasaurus made us aware of this brilliant clip from Bluesky on Sunday. It’s incredible. Zero idea what’s being said. ZERO. But I love it. I need the whole […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Illini earned gritty win in first round of March Madness. Illinois didn’t try to be perfect Saturday night. They just found a way I the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In a game that stayed close longer than they probably wanted, the Illini made the plays late and pulled away […]
After two games as pretty hefty favorites, Illinois will get a taste of its own medicine next week in the Sweet Sixteen. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Illinois opened Saturday night as a 2.5-point underdog against No. 2 Houston. The game will be Thursday in Houston — so expect the Cougars to have quite the home […]
Andrej Stojakovic came to Illinois as one of the most highly-touted transfers in the country. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 17.9 points per game as a sophomore at Cal last season before hitting the portal and coming to Champaign. An ankle injury during Big Ten play played a part in Stojakovic coming off the bench […]
GREENVILLE, S.C. — VCU’s Lazar Djokovic eyed an exhilarating dunk en route to cutting Illinois’ lead in the second half, but before he could ever get to it, Illinois’ Zvonimir Ivisic elevated at the last second, dancing through the air as he defiantly blocked to quell VCU’s momentum. An exhilarating block. As Illinois’ Kylan Boswell […]
On Sunday, the Illini were selected to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, their second appearance in as many years. This is the first time that Illinois has made back-to-back tournaments since they made four in a row between 1996-2000. The orange and blue are also the youngest of the 68 teams […]
After dispatching Penn without too much consternation or a FranCon 6 level blow up, Illinois moves on to face VCU in the second round. Just like the last time Illinois was a 3-seed two years ago, they get the Atlantic 10 Conference Champion after they upset a 6-seed, in this case the hapless, Caleb Wilson-less […]
The Illini have been inconsistent over the last four games, and it sent Illinois to a 2-2 record over the last week. Coming out of a low-scoring 2-1 Big Ten series against Minnesota over the weekend, Illinois was unable to secure the victory in the extra innings at Indiana State on Tuesday. The 4-3 defeat […]
GREENVILLE, S.C.— Brad Underwood told his team to “let it rip” before the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Illini responded by shifting into a gear fans haven’t seen in weeks. Behind a monstrous, career-high 29 points and 17 rebounds from freshman David Mirkovic, No. 3 Illinois turned a cold shooting start into […]