Quite refreshing to see our Oregon game on BTN rn 
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Illini Basketball 2025-2026
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Peterson over dybantsa? Is that crazy or has this guy just taken that next step?
I wondered the same. From my viewings, Dybansta is certainly a Cooper Flagg level prospect.
Underwood badly whiffing on the internal evaluation of Podziemski is nightmare fuel.
A lot of people think it's going to be a real competition over who gets drafted #1. Wasserman had him ahead of Dybantsa back in November:
And CBS's latest mock also has Peterson going first:
2026 NBA Mock Draft: Kansas' Darryn Peterson ahead of BYU's AJ Dybantsa in way-too-early look at next year
Peterson goes No. 1 in Adam Finkelstein's projection of lottery picks for next June's NBA Draft
www.cbssports.com
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Seems accurate for the Illinois guys, would likely mean all 3 return to college though
More than happy to rehash this for the millionth time lol.
We wanted him to stay, but we don’t promise featured roles to players, that must be earned at programs like Illinois. Brandin wasn’t discarded to Santa Clara, he made the choice to transfer there.
Bigtex
- DFW
You can say it a million times that Podz left on his own, but there was a missed evaluation by the staff. Same with the Fears & #7 draft pick - misses happen.
Staff gets more right than they do misses. IMO....those are the only 2 players on who were on Illinois roster that played much better than expected elsewhere after they left. I am not considering these as significant losses: Goode, Dain, Epps, & Clark while they all contributed to their new teams.
This is way too early…
Idk about that, its pretty clear both made the decision to leave. It would seem obvious to me that you'd do everything in your power to keep players of that caliber, yeah? I think it would be foolish to think we booted players out that we recruited hard enough to have committed in the first place, just seems like common sense.
When I think of missed evals I think of Carey Booth, for example.
Homecoming 2019
- Chicago
Didn't say it wasn't?
1a and 1b. https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA_Draft/..._peterson_58_points_vs_aj_dybantsa_49_points/ has some discussion of their head to head.
That may be the widest possible disparity in outcomes for one number worn back-to-back by different players.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
RE: The post on the home page about there being more UC games in the future, there aren't any rumblings for anything past UConn and Tennessee, correct? I would not think so that far out, but just checking. I am super pumped to go to the Alabama game this year, and I would hope that game is not stuck on BTN or FS1.
Also, just a reminder that our small crowds at the UC at the tail end of that series were almost ENTIRELY a function of (A) us getting infinitely worse as a program and (B) the opponents we were playing getting progressively less interesting (with the exception of the OSU game, at which point the damage had been done). Breaking down our UC attendance like this really paints that picture. Keep in mind, I am ordering these by what year we remember the team by rather than the calendar year where the game took place ... so "2005" refers to our December 2004 game vs. Oregon.
I will also say that the "par" here should pretty much be the capacity for State Farm Center, IMO - approximately 15,500. The UC is a very big arena, especially for a college team ... I personally think anything over 18,000 (160%+ higher than a sellout in Champaign) should be considered a smashing success for the Illini. The following list is of UC games we hosted in the usual format (i.e., non-conference games usually in December and our home game) since 1999-2000.
CHRONOLOGICAL
2018: 5,695 vs. New Mexico State
2017: N/A (so must have been awful) vs. BYU
2016: 5,151 vs. UIC
2015: 13,759 vs. Oregon
2014: 13,017 vs. UIC
2013: 18,136 vs. Auburn (ILL #12)
2012: 15,144 vs. UNLV (ILL #19)
2011: 13,177 vs. UIC (ILL #12)
2010: 20,917 vs. Gonzaga
2009: 12,139 vs. Georgia
2008: 19,573 vs. #24 Arizona
2007: 16,424 vs. UIC
2006: 19,833 vs. Xavier (ILL #12)
2005: 21,224 vs. Oregon (ILL #1)
2004 #2 : 15,415 vs. UIC (ILL #20)
2004 #1 : 15,398 vs. Arkansas (ILL #11)
2003: 13,361 vs. Temple (ILL #15)
2002: 18,671 vs. Arkansas (ILL #5)
2001: 21,885 vs. #7 Arizona (ILL #5)
2000 #1: 16,714 vs. #8 Kansas (ILL #20)
2000 #2: 20,143 vs. #17 Duke (ILL #16)
BY GAME TYPE
Power Conference - Both Teams Ranked
2001: 21,885 vs. #7 Arizona (ILL #5)
2000 #2: 20,143 vs. #17 Duke (ILL #16)
2000 #1: 16,714 vs. #8 Kansas (ILL #20)
Power Conference - Only Illini Ranked
2005: 21,224 vs. Oregon (ILL #1)
2006: 19,833 vs. Xavier (ILL #12)
2002: 18,671 vs. Arkansas (ILL #5)
2013: 18,136 vs. Auburn (ILL #12)
2004 #1 : 15,398 vs. Arkansas (ILL #11)
Power Conference - Only Opponent Ranked
2008: 19,573 vs. #24 Arizona
Power Conference - Neither Team Ranked
2015: 13,759 vs. Oregon
2009: 12,139 vs. Georgia
Other Games - Illini Ranked
2004 #2 : 15,415 vs. UIC (ILL #20)
2012: 15,144 vs. UNLV (ILL #19)
2003: 13,361 vs. Temple (ILL #15)
2011: 13,177 vs. UIC (ILL #12)
Other Games - Neither Team Ranked
2010: 20,917 vs. Gonzaga ... such an outlier, as we were recently ranked and the 'Zags have the draw of a Power Conference team
2007: 16,424 vs. UIC
2014: 13,017 vs. UIC
2018: 5,695 vs. New Mexico State
2016: 5,151 vs. UIC
2017: N/A (so must have been awful) vs. BYU
So...
- Overall average, even with the huge decrease in later years, of 15,295 (98.4% SFC).
- Our pre-2016 average, when things really went downhill, was 16,861 (108.5% SFC).
- Our average attendance when we featured a RANKED Illini team is 17,272 (111.1% SFC).
- Our average vs. "Power Conference" teams jumps up to 17,952 (115.5% SFC), and this even excludes a huge crowd of 21k vs. Gonzaga!
- And our average attendance when BOTH teams are ranked is an incredibly impressive 19,581 (126.0% SFC).
TL;DR
If you have an even semi-healthy Illini program and an opponent that ANYBODY cares about even a little, you are going to draw significantly more than we would in Champaign with a sellout. I would argue the evidence is incredibly clear that the Illini are a huge draw at the United Center barring exceptional circumstances, and having an annual game there pays for itself over the long run quite easily. There is not a doubt in my mind that a UC game in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and last season would have been attended quite well. Hosting the likes of Alabama, UConn and Tennessee over the next couple of years given where we are as a program is the EXCAT type of situation we should want here. Let's just hope the next couple are on a Saturday, lol.
Also, just a reminder that our small crowds at the UC at the tail end of that series were almost ENTIRELY a function of (A) us getting infinitely worse as a program and (B) the opponents we were playing getting progressively less interesting (with the exception of the OSU game, at which point the damage had been done). Breaking down our UC attendance like this really paints that picture. Keep in mind, I am ordering these by what year we remember the team by rather than the calendar year where the game took place ... so "2005" refers to our December 2004 game vs. Oregon.
I will also say that the "par" here should pretty much be the capacity for State Farm Center, IMO - approximately 15,500. The UC is a very big arena, especially for a college team ... I personally think anything over 18,000 (160%+ higher than a sellout in Champaign) should be considered a smashing success for the Illini. The following list is of UC games we hosted in the usual format (i.e., non-conference games usually in December and our home game) since 1999-2000.
CHRONOLOGICAL
2018: 5,695 vs. New Mexico State
2017: N/A (so must have been awful) vs. BYU
2016: 5,151 vs. UIC
2015: 13,759 vs. Oregon
2014: 13,017 vs. UIC
2013: 18,136 vs. Auburn (ILL #12)
2012: 15,144 vs. UNLV (ILL #19)
2011: 13,177 vs. UIC (ILL #12)
2010: 20,917 vs. Gonzaga
2009: 12,139 vs. Georgia
2008: 19,573 vs. #24 Arizona
2007: 16,424 vs. UIC
2006: 19,833 vs. Xavier (ILL #12)
2005: 21,224 vs. Oregon (ILL #1)
2004 #2 : 15,415 vs. UIC (ILL #20)
2004 #1 : 15,398 vs. Arkansas (ILL #11)
2003: 13,361 vs. Temple (ILL #15)
2002: 18,671 vs. Arkansas (ILL #5)
2001: 21,885 vs. #7 Arizona (ILL #5)
2000 #1: 16,714 vs. #8 Kansas (ILL #20)
2000 #2: 20,143 vs. #17 Duke (ILL #16)
BY GAME TYPE
Power Conference - Both Teams Ranked
2001: 21,885 vs. #7 Arizona (ILL #5)
2000 #2: 20,143 vs. #17 Duke (ILL #16)
2000 #1: 16,714 vs. #8 Kansas (ILL #20)
Power Conference - Only Illini Ranked
2005: 21,224 vs. Oregon (ILL #1)
2006: 19,833 vs. Xavier (ILL #12)
2002: 18,671 vs. Arkansas (ILL #5)
2013: 18,136 vs. Auburn (ILL #12)
2004 #1 : 15,398 vs. Arkansas (ILL #11)
Power Conference - Only Opponent Ranked
2008: 19,573 vs. #24 Arizona
Power Conference - Neither Team Ranked
2015: 13,759 vs. Oregon
2009: 12,139 vs. Georgia
Other Games - Illini Ranked
2004 #2 : 15,415 vs. UIC (ILL #20)
2012: 15,144 vs. UNLV (ILL #19)
2003: 13,361 vs. Temple (ILL #15)
2011: 13,177 vs. UIC (ILL #12)
Other Games - Neither Team Ranked
2010: 20,917 vs. Gonzaga ... such an outlier, as we were recently ranked and the 'Zags have the draw of a Power Conference team
2007: 16,424 vs. UIC
2014: 13,017 vs. UIC
2018: 5,695 vs. New Mexico State
2016: 5,151 vs. UIC
2017: N/A (so must have been awful) vs. BYU
So...
- Overall average, even with the huge decrease in later years, of 15,295 (98.4% SFC).
- Our pre-2016 average, when things really went downhill, was 16,861 (108.5% SFC).
- Our average attendance when we featured a RANKED Illini team is 17,272 (111.1% SFC).
- Our average vs. "Power Conference" teams jumps up to 17,952 (115.5% SFC), and this even excludes a huge crowd of 21k vs. Gonzaga!
- And our average attendance when BOTH teams are ranked is an incredibly impressive 19,581 (126.0% SFC).
TL;DR
If you have an even semi-healthy Illini program and an opponent that ANYBODY cares about even a little, you are going to draw significantly more than we would in Champaign with a sellout. I would argue the evidence is incredibly clear that the Illini are a huge draw at the United Center barring exceptional circumstances, and having an annual game there pays for itself over the long run quite easily. There is not a doubt in my mind that a UC game in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and last season would have been attended quite well. Hosting the likes of Alabama, UConn and Tennessee over the next couple of years given where we are as a program is the EXCAT type of situation we should want here. Let's just hope the next couple are on a Saturday, lol.
For real. How much of the fanbase live in Chicago or Indy...why kneecap yourself
I remember completely falling for it last year. I said there's no way you take #0 the year after Shannon leaves unless you plan on living up to it.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Semi-OT but semi-relevant ... I actually think I might disagree! I have been to a lot of Illini games over the years at three very specific locations - (A) Iowa City, (B) Evanston/the UC and (C) Braggin' Rights. And I think I have actually noticed (admittedly anecdotally) that so many fans seem to actually be from those areas and utilize it as their one chance to see the Illini every year. I noticed so many more Southern-Illinois-ish accents at Braggin' Rights than I ever have in Champaign (not saying Metro East people have accents but rather that a lot of Southern Illinoisans drive up for this one game), I have talked to a disproportionate number of Illini fans in Iowa City who are from Eastern Iowa or especially the Quad Cities, almost zero of the fans I have met at Chicago Area games came up from Central Illinois and were instead local, etc.
Given the timing so close to Christmas every year of Braggin' Rights, I would bet good money that a lot of the fans who attend live in the St. Louis Area itself. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the Monday game decision, necessarily ... I am just sharing an interesting observation of mine, and I think people (especially broadcasters) always overestimate how many fans of a school are traveling from the main fan base centers to these locations.
well, no one knows what promises he wanted.
And it certainly appears that we promise featured roles.
And it certainly appears that we promise featured roles.
Brad underwood interview
You need a hobby that doesn't involve harping about something that's been litigated here thousands of times.
Podz chose to move on and was successful. Illinois won a Big ten championship. Both were ok.
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