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The Champaign Room is planning its coverage for the 2026-27 athletic seasons, and you can join us! In order to continue making TCR the best place on the Internet for free Illinois Fighting Illini coverage, analysis and discussion, we’re expanding our staff. We’re happy to talk with anyone interested in contributing to the site, whether […]
So, Illinois fans, are you ready to ride the cosmic roller coaster of Portal SZN? No? Well, it’s too late now. You already clicked on this article, and there is analysis forthcoming. The Illini do not appear to be pursuing a massive number of targets in the transfer portal. While lots of players could be […]
He’s off to the NBA (most likely). Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA Draft on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wagler had one of the great freshman seasons in Illinois history, with the most points in a single season by a first-year player. He also led the Illini to their first Final […]
Illinois guard Mihailo Petrovic has entered the transfer portal, per Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony on X. Petrovic played in 19 games for the Illini this past season and ultimately saw his minutes shrink as the season progressed. The 23-year-old Serbian entered college basketball as a sophomore this past fall and will have two years of […]
Illinois guard Mihailo Petrovic has entered the transfer portal, per Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony on X. Petrovic played in 19 games for the Illini this past season and ultimately saw his minutes shrink as the season progressed. The 23-year-old Serbian entered college basketball as a Sophomore this past fall and will have two years of […]
‘Tis the season for words like “bag” and “speed dating” in reference to college hoops portal activity. The Illini are always an ever-present force in Portal Kombat. Whether it’s their most notorious misses (RayJ Dennis, AJ Storr, Josh Dix) or their most glorious hits (Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Andrej Stojakovic), Illinois is a major […]
This piece is dedicated to Illinois alumni. If you have ever called the University of Illinois home, I am writing this to let you know that I hear you. This run to the Final Four was amazing. Many of us didn’t experience these heights as students. Some, like our fearless leader Stephen Cohn, had to […]
The transfer portal season is starting to heat up with the madness of the tournament ending. Illinois has already lost two players to the portal in Hayven Smith and Naomi Benson. Now, tides have changed with the Illini signing incoming sophomore Divine Bourrage, reported first by Kedric Prince on X and then confirmed by the […]
On this episode of “Oskee Talk” I review the aftermath of Illinois’ Final Four loss to UConn (3:23) and the Illini’s inability to overcome bad bounces (5:57). I also highlight some of the top performers from this season (14:20) and examine why this was one of the most memorable seasons in program history (24:47). I […]
There is no time to rest in this era of college basketball, as the transfer portal officially opened following the National Championship on Monday night. Coaches used to have two months in April and May to recover from the long season and even take a vacation, but not anymore. The Illini are already looking for […]
The Illini and the Final Four Before the NCAA Tournament existed, Illinois was named the 1915 men’s basketball national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation. The NCAA championship tournament did not begin until 1939. Including this season, Illinois has now appeared in six Final Fours across 36 NCAA Tournament berths over the past 86 years. […]
INDIANAPOLIS — As the buzzer sounded, the overflow of emotion refused to stay bottled up. Frustration lingered as Illinois saw the curtains close on its season; it all pointed towards the end of a magical season. A season not complete without its exhilarating highs and devastating lows. A season, like that of the three other […]
Illinois lost Saturday night in the Final Four to UConn. My take: The loss stunk. Illinois missed a lot of threes. Some of the calls were questionable. I’m grateful. Grateful because Illinois was in the Final Four. Grateful because there’s nothing like being an Illini fan. Did you see the number of people who showed […]
INDIANAPOLIS – Before Saturday night’s matchup, UConn had won 12 of its last 13 Final Four games. For Illinois, a program that had only won just one Final Four game ever, the task was simple: keep Tarris Reed Jr. away from the glass and make life difficult for him in the paint. “Most of the […]
INDIANAPOLIS — An oh-so magical year came to a crashing halt in Indianapolis for the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday night in a 71-62 defeat against UConn at the Final Four. With another magical flick of the wrist, the Huskies’ Brayden Mullins sealed it. That was until Keaton Wagler responded in the second with a […]
How about this for a Final Four gift? Four-star guard Quentin Coleman committed to Illinois on Friday, one day before the Illini take on UConn with a shot at the national championship on the line. Coleman, out of St. Louis, is the No. 34 player nationally in 247’s 2026 class. At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, […]
INDIANAPOLIS — As Illinois head coach Brad Underwood grazed the halls of Lucas Oil Stadium, an ear-to-ear smile lingered. He couldn’t seem to shake off his grin; in fact, he hasn’t been able to all week. Who can blame him? For the first time in his 36 years of coaching, he’s reached the biggest stage […]
INDIANAPOLIS – The Illini have finally reached a high that fans have been starving for since 2005. Under the bright lights at Lucas Oil Stadium, Illinois prepares for the moment that the entire season has led up to: the Final Four. “There’s a reason that we got here, and you don’t wanna get here and […]
When the 2025-26 season kicked off, I made two predictions on the Oskee Talk Podcast. It’s easy to remember the losses. The gag at Breslin, the choke job at Pauley, and letting an Illini-lite, diet Illinois Wisconsin squad get two wins were all perplexing defeats. It was as if Jeremy Fears had cloned himself and […]
Sometimes, the most intense rhetorical battles you fight are the ones you fight at home. Before I dive into this screed against the commentariat segment that inspired it, let’s be clear: I am not declaring a fatwa on a generation of sports thinkers. I’m here to empty multiple clips into a speculative school of thought […]
On this ‘Oskee Talk’ extra, I remind Illini fans to embrace the moment (3:17). I revisit Illinois’ path to Indianapolis (4:22) and spotlight the Illini’s standout March Madness performers (11:03). I also look back at UConn’s road to the Final Four (15:42), including their unlikely Elite Eight victory versus Duke (17:32). I recap the season’s […]
Before the season began, I wrote about how this could be a potential make it or break it year for Brad Underwood. Not necessarily for his job security, but more so for the fanbase. Much of Illini nation began to grow impatient after multiple early tournament exits, especially considering the level of talent those teams […]
INDIANAPOLIS — A key factor in the recruiting process for Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is whether a player can pass the “personality test.” “I hope I’m not known for wins and losses,” Underwood said. “I hope I’m known for impacting people’s lives and creating memories.” In making that impact, Underwood instilled a level of […]
After locking down two Big Ten wins at Penn State, the Illini made their way up to Illinois State for their midweek matchup. The odds were in favor of Illinois walking away with a victory, but instead the night ended with a 4-1 upset for the Redbirds, leaving the Fighting Illini with a 14-13 record. […]
Amidst the hype of the beloved “Balkan Five”, Kylan Boswell’s special senior season in his hometown, and Keaton Wagler’s rapid rise to stardom, Jake Davis and Ben Humrichous have been the unsung heroes of Illinois’ historic season. Davis and Humrichous are two of Illinois’ eight rotational players, combining to play 42.1 minutes per game for […]