The Champaign Room
A Fighting Illini community since 2012
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Latest Entries
With Stojakovic secured, Illinois can stake its claim as a title contender
On this episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ I discuss how Andrej Stojakovic’s return impacts the Fighting Illini’s bid for another Final Four (3:51) as well as incoming freshman Quentin Coleman earning a spot on Team USA (17:02). I also introduce Illinois’ newest women’s basketball recruits (23:15) and criticize the NCAA’s new international eligibility rules (30:20). Finally, […]
Why Illinois can beat Texas Tech in back-to-back years
Last season was the beginning of a home-and-home series Illinois agreed to with Texas Tech. The inaugural game was Illinois’ first big assignment of the season, where No. 11 Texas Tech was outworked by No. 14 Illinois. The ranked matchup was nail biting to the end, when junior Andrej Stojakovic had a clutch block in […]
Can Brad Underwood bring a national title to Illinois in 2027?
Conversations about a national championship don’t happen often in Champaign, but the Orange and Blue crowd has every reason to dream big this season. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place on May 27 when Andrej Stojakovic announced his return, locking in an Illinois roster that will enter the season with a target […]
Can Stojakovic Make Year 2 Leap Under Coach Underwood?
Andrej Stojakovic will join a star-filled list of transfers to play two years under Brad Underwood. Illini Isaac reacts to Stojakovic going through the NBA Draft process and deciding to return to Champaign.
Illini Hoops Storylines & Football Preview with Kyle Tausk!
Illini Isaac is joined by Kyle Tausk, former TCR writer, to break down some of the recent Illinois Basketball headlines and preview the upcoming football season.
Kickoff times announced for Illinois’ first three 2026 games
Football season is almost here — and now we can mark more games on the calendar. Illinois announced its kickoff times for its first three games of the 2026 season on Wednesday. The season will start at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 3 against UAB. The game will start at 8 p.m. on Big Ten […]
What NCAA’s new international guidelines mean for Underwood and Illinois
On May 8, the NCAA released new eligibility guidelines that target international prospects who have spent time playing in pro leagues overseas. The guidelines are aiming to classify players from the EuroLeague, Spanish ACB and more as pro athletes rather than student athletes. It’s implied that the rule will be put in place to preserve […]
Andrej Stojakovic pulls name from NBA Draft, will return to Illinois
After watching Andrej Stojakovic enter his name in the NBA Draft, compete in and test well at the Draft Combine and even say that he’s “both feet in” the draft process, Illinois fans can officially rest easy. Stojakovic announced Wednesday that he will be removing his name from the NBA Draft and come back to […]
How four of Illinois’ best coaches ever share a similar past
In terms of top basketball coaches at the University of Illinois, a lot of names come to mind. Names like Harry Combes, the first coach to win over 150 games in the Big Ten (174) and over 300 games at Illinois (316). He led the Illini to three Final Fours. There have only been five […]
Illinois football’s five most intriguing 2026 matchups
It seems like it was only a short matter of time ago that the Fighting Illini took down Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Despite that feeling, much has changed since then, and with roughly three months before the first kickoff against UAB, it’s already time to start looking at who the Illini will face […]
Could Quentin Coleman be the next great Illinois guard?
Illini fans have been spoiled with excellent guard play since the arrival of Ayo Dosunmu in 2018. Several have followed in Dosunmu’s footsteps, cementing Brad Underwood as a coach that can develop guards. Ayo Dosunmu, Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley and Keaton Wagler were all home-grown stars recruited by Underwood. If Underwood’s staff isn’t developing guards, […]
How good is Illinois’ 2026 freshman class?
We all know Brad and Tyler can put on a recruiting masterclass, but how will the five newbies stack up? Guards Starting with the most recent, but probably most essential piece in the recruiting class is Missouri 247Sports five- star recruit Quentin Coleman. Not only does it always feel good to grab a “Braggin’ Rights” […]
Will Hurley defeat Underwood for a fourth time in three years?
Can Illinois win the rematch with UConn set for December 4th, 2026? Isaac Ambrose sat down with Aman Kidwai of The UConn Blog to break down the Illinois/UConn matchup set for December 4th at the United Center and discuss why Dan Hurley has had Brad Underwood’s number in previous matchups.
Illinois and Duke Matchups Preview with Duke Basketball Report!
Isaac Ambrose sat down with Scott Rich of Duke Basketball Report to break down the home-and-home basketball series between the two schools and the upcoming football matchup this fall. The Illini agreed to a home-and-home series with the Blue Devils and will travel to Cameron Indoor this fall. The last time the two squads met […]
Illinois Hoops Updates: Week of May 18th
Illini Isaac is joined by Drew Pastorek of Oskee Talk to discuss the latest news from Illinois Basketball. Andrej Stojakovic returning to Illinois? Duke on the schedule? and more!
Brad Underwood’s extension sends a clear message about Illinois’ future
This episode of ‘Oskee Talk’ is a collaboration with TCR’s “Illini Isaac” Ambrose! We chat about Andrej Stojakovic’s looming NBA draft decision (3:54), Keaton Wagler’s potential new team (9:49), men’s basketball’s non-conference clash with Duke (15:46), and the benefit of playing so many top-tier opponents (24:42). We also break down Brad Underwood’s contract extension (27:19) […]
Illinois falls to Purdue, ending Big Ten Tournament run
Illinois won’t be dancing this spring. Illinois Baseball’s season came to a disappointing end in the Big Ten Tournament when the Illini lost 3-1 to the Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday in Omaha. The game featured an absolute pitching duel with both starters determined to keep their teams’ seasons alive in the elimination game. It was […]
Does Illinois have the best guard sell in college basketball?
If someone asked you which college has produced the best NBA guards, which school would you choose? Most would choose Kentucky, some would choose Duke, or maybe even UCLA. While these schools have produced a plethora of elite NBA talent at the guard position, hardly any school has done it better as of late than […]
Brad Underwood agrees to extension with Illinois
He’s sticking around into the 2030s. Illinois announced last week that Brad Underwood agreed to new terms on his current contract keeping him in Champaign through June 30, 2032. That contract could extend as far as June 30, 2036, based on performance, according to a news release. The agreement is pending approval by the Board […]
Column: Grateful for everything they gave me
As I started my treacherous walk from the CNN Techwood Studios to my apartment on the Georgia Tech campus, sweat droplets began to permeate through the outer layer of my blue dress shirt. The Atlanta summer heat made a 15-minute walk feel like an exhausting hour-long journey across a hellish desert. Perhaps akin to my […]
Is Brad Underwood already the GOAT Illinois Hoops coach?
Brad Underwood recently agreed to terms on an extension with the University of Illinois, Isaac Ambrose breaks down the contract and asks a major question about the Illini coach. Is Brad Underwood already the GREATEST Illini coach ever?
Stojakovic remains ‘both feet in’ the draft, keeping Illinois options open
CHICAGO – Illini fans have been patiently waiting and wondering if Illinois’ second-highest scorer last season will be back for one more. After David Mirkovic, the Ivisic twins and Jake Davis all announced their plans to return to State Farm Center for the 2026-27 season, veteran guard Andrej Stojakovic followed in their footsteps and stated […]
Illinois Basketball 2026-27 Schedule Tracker
The NCAA added a 32nd game to the schedule for the 2026-27 season, including a 20-game Big Ten schedule. There will be 12 non-conference games and 20 conference games before the conference tournament starts March 9, 2027. We will not know the specific date and times for conference games until September, but this tracker will […]
Illinois basketball announces home-and-home with Duke
The Illini are headed to North Carolina this season. Illinois basketball announced Wednesday that it will play Duke on Nov. 17 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils will come to Champaign in December 2027. Duke and Illinois have matched up just twice this decade, most recently during the 2024-25 season. It was a game […]
What Illinois’ matchup vs. Duke says about Illini’s non-conference slate
Brad Underwood continues to schedule aggressively for the Illini, and the latest marquee matchup announced is a home-and-home series with the Duke Blue Devils. Illinois will travel to Durham for the first game of the series on Nov. 17, while Duke will make the return trip to Champaign on Dec. 4, 2027. The Illini are […]
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