Illinois Fighting Illini: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

ESPN's Joe Lunardi Reveals Encouraging NCAA Tournament Path for Illinois

Illinois is indisputably in the thick of its roughest patch of the 2025-26 season. The Illini have lost four of their past six outings, which is partially the result of a gauntlet of a stretch but even more a consequence of incessant defensive miscues .

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Watch: Brad Underwood wants more consistency on defensive end | Big Ten Men's Basketball

Watch: Oregon vs. Illinois | COLLEGE BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS | 3/3/26

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Big Ten Network / March 3

Watch: Oregon at Illinois | HIGHLIGHTS | Big Ten Basketball | 03/03/2026

Brad Underwood News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / March 2

Brad Underwood Details Illinois' Defensive Woes – And How to Fix Them

There is no sugarcoating it: Illinois has been, at times this season, a nightmare on defense. After the Illini's loss to Nebraska in mid-December, they seemingly turned a corner on that end of the floor, spurring a 12-game win streak.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / March 2

UNLV's Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Is on Fire – Would He Have Thrived at Illinois?

During his two seasons at Illinois, guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn slowly blossomed into a valuable rotational player. But his role was fairly cemented: a spark-plug scorer off the bench who would inject infectious energy and serve as an on-ball defensive pest.

Brad Underwood News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / March 1

Brad Underwood Saved Illinois Basketball – But Has He Hit the Ceiling?

Brad Underwood deserves a world of credit for dragging Illinois basketball back to relevance. When he took the job in 2017, he inherited a program that

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / February 28

Can Illinois' Offense Carry It All the Way to a National Championship?

Despite shooting 41.3 percent from the field in its loss against Michigan on Friday night, Illinois still has the top-rated offense in the country, per KenPom – and the best the analytical tool has ever seen.

College Basketball News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / February 27

Illinois Basketball Fans' Top Five Supervillains

Illinois basketball fans are generally a supportive, non-confrontational bunch. Ask around. Illini Nation travels well, and the general consensus around the country is that it's populace is competitive but good-natured.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / February 27

Illinois Basketball Availability Report for Michigan: Is Keaton Wagler a Go?

Less than a week ago, in Illinois' overtime loss at UCLA last Saturday, Illini guard Keaton Wagler suffered a nasty spill that sent him off the floor and into the locker room holding his left shoulder.

Brad Underwood News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / February 27

Illinois' Brad Underwood Addresses Keaton Wagler's Shoulder Before Michigan Game

Nearly every moment of Keaton Wagler 's magical freshman season has drawn swoons, smiles or stunned head shakes, but in the first half of Illinois' overtime loss at UCLA last Saturday, Illini Nation let out a collective gasp when things appeared to take a potentially drastic turn for the worse.

Watch: Illinois at Iowa | HIGHLIGHTS | Big Ten Women's Basketball | 02/26/2026

Ty Rodgers News / Illinois Fighting Illini on SI / February 26

Could Ty Rodgers Still Return to the Illinois Basketball Lineup This Season?

Ty Rodgers started for Illinois' 2024 Elite Eight team, and he has remained on the roster ever since. But he also hasn't played since that loss to UConn, and there's no telling when he'll appear in a game next.

Illinois Fighting Illini News / Big Ten Network / February 26

Watch: Spotlighting Chloe Cho | Illinois Gymnastics | On The Beam

Kendall Gill News / Big Ten Network / February 24

Watch: Kendall Gill Led the Fighting Illini With 26 PTS | 1989: Michigan at Illinois | @B1GMBB Classic

Built for March: Why Illinois Could Cut Down the Nets

After years of improvement and five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the Illinois Fighting Illini are set to make a run during March Madness. With strong leadership under head coach Brad Underwood, elite playmaking at every position, and a deep bench, Illinois has a realistic chance to cut down the nets when it’s all said and done in April.