Brad Underwood moved the needle on his status as a game-manager and silenced the critics en route to a Final Four run for his Illinois squad in the 2025-26 season.
It has been an elite offseason for Illinois so far, and Andrej Stojakovic made it even better.Sure, the Illini have only landed one transfer so far, which in today’s college basketball world might not exactly scream “offseason champ” at first glance, but the truth is, Illinois may still be one of the biggest winners of the offseason anyway.
In one of the biggest offseason weeks in Illinois basketball history, the players who are set to return from this past season's Final Four squad have mostly outshined the new additions.
All things considered, Brad Underwood couldn't have expected anything more.Underwood knew his Illinois roster would need some remodeling after this past season's Final Four run, with Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous and AJ Redd all out of eligibility, and with the Keaton Wagler mahic carpet ride flying out of Champaign to some faraway NBA city.
The Illinois Fighting Illini fell just short of their first national championship appearance since the 2004-05 season. Entering this year's NCAA Tournament as the South Region's No.
The Ty Rodgers -Illinois parting is the breakup no one ever wanted: tear-streaked, gut-wrenching and undoubtedly heartbreaking for each side – but both know it’s for the best.
Projected top-10 NBA Draft picks don’t return to college basketball. It’s just not a thing. Millions of dollars in guaranteed money is enough to ensure that everyone takes the leap.
Modern-day college basketball is characterized by movement. Endless movement – not on the floor, but off of it, from players and coaches alike. There is the coaching carousel, of course, but in recent years the transfer portal has also created a de facto free agency in the college game.
Back in November 2025, Illinois officially lost out on class of 2026 wing Alex Constanza, as the No. 52 recruit (per 247Sports) signed on the dotted line with Georgetown.
Sometimes the best transfer portal news is not about who is coming in. It's about who isn't leaving.In an offseason in which fans spend half their days
Illinois was already bracing for certain key losses well before it ever barreled into the final weekend of this past season. Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous and longtime program fixture AJ Redd – all gone.
Illinois has just one primary need this offseason: a Keaton Wagler replacement. Obviously, there isn’t another Wagler out there – consensus All-Americans don't exactly come a dime a dozen – but finding a player who could fill his scoring and playmaking void is a must for the Illini to build another Final Four-caliber squad in 2026-27.
Entering the 2026 offseason, Illinois appeared poised to pull off the best roster retention of the Brad Underwood era. And through nearly a full week, that sentiment has mostly held true.
Kamden Lopati had been committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini since July of 2025. Now, almost a year later, that's a commitment that doesn't hold.
Illinois has lost one of the top recruits in the 2027 recruiting class. According to On3/Rivals' Hayes Fawcett, four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati has reopened his recruitment to other schools.
Illinois needed a guard. On Sunday, it got one.Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks announced his commitment to the Illini, giving coach Brad Underwood an immediate answer in a backcourt that was always going to need serious reinforcements.
With the whirlwind that often is the college basketball offseason underway, Illinois had an unexpectedly uneventful first week since the Final Four loss to UConn ended the 2025-26 season.
Illinois has made a habit of targeting talented young players who look ready for the spotlight, and Lucas Morillo gave another reminder on Saturday why he fits that mold.
Illinois needed a guard. On Sunday, it got one.Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks announced his commitment to the Illini, giving coach Brad Underwood an immediate answer in a backcourt that was always going to need serious reinforcements.
Illinois made its first transfer portal move in the 2026 offseason , and it wasn’t just a splash but a wave – and a massive one at that. Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, the No.
Illinois star guard Keaton Wagler has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wagler is coming off of a historic freshman season for Illinois.
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler is entering the NBA draft, ProMondo Sports tells Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Twitter link). Wagler, 19, is coming off a sensational freshman season that saw him lead the Fighting Illini to a 28-9 record and their first Final Four appearance since 2005.
The first game of Saturday's Final Four brought plenty of excitement, as UConn took down Illinois to move to its third National Championship match in four years.
UConn outlasted Illinois in a thrilling 71-62 contest that saw the Fighting Illini’s comeback fall short at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
When the Fighting Illini of Illinois face off against the UConn Huskies in the Final Four, most of the focus will be on the game itself. For Bill Murray, the stakes are much more personal.
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