Illini Basketball 2025-2026

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#1      

Dan

Dan
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Dan
Welcome to the Illini Basketball thread :illinois:

Tickets | Schedule | Roster

Single game general public tickets go on sale in October.

Tennessee game in Nashville (Sat, Dec 6) general public tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.
UConn game in New York (Fri, Nov 28) general public tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.


Last year all the time & TV info was released on October 9th.

DateOpponentTime/TV
Sun, Oct 19Illinois State
(Exhibition Game)		2:00pm B1G+
Mon, Nov 3Jackson State
Fri, Nov 7Florida Gulf Coast
Tue, Nov 11Texas Tech
Fri, Nov 14Colgate
Wed, Nov 19Alabama
(Chicago)
Sat, Nov 22Long Island
Mon, Nov 24UT Rio Grande Valley
Fri, Nov 28UConn
(New York)
Sat, Dec 6Tennessee
(Nashville)
Tue, Dec 9at Ohio State
Sat, Dec 13Nebraska
Mon, Dec 22Missouri
(St. Louis)
Mon, Dec 29Southern
Sat, Jan 3at Penn State
(Philadelphia)
Thu, Jan 8Rutgers
Sun, Jan 11at Iowa
Wed, Jan 14at Northwestern
Sat, Jan 17Minnesota
Wed, Jan 21Maryland
Sat, Jan 24at Purdue
Thu, Jan 29Washington
Sun, Feb 1at Nebraska
Wed, Feb 4Northwestern
Sat, Feb 7at Michigan State
Tue, Feb 10Wisconsin
Sun, Feb 15Indiana
Wed, Feb 18at USC
Sat, Feb 21at UCLA
Fri, Feb 27Michigan
Tue, Mar 3Oregon
Sun, Mar 8at Maryland

All times CT
 
Last edited:
#2      
Bryce Hopkins
Winning Number 1 GIF by Masters Of The Universe
 
#4      
Brosky
Is Petrovic on campus and scrimmaging with the other guys?
 
#7      
Konnie
IlliniHardwood said:
Does anyone recall when tickets went on sale and game time was announced for the Braggin' Rights game last year? I'm excited to go again this year, but there are lot of moving parts so I'm trying to be right on top of it.
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Last year, I purchased my Braggin' Rights ticket on November 10th. In 2023, I purchased my Braggin' Rights ticket on November 7. I always purchase my Braggin' Rights tickets the first few days they go on sale.
 
#8      
pweo
IlliniHardwood said:
Does anyone recall when tickets went on sale and game time was announced for the Braggin' Rights game last year? I'm excited to go again this year, but there are lot of moving parts so I'm trying to be right on top of it.
Click to expand...
Last year IFund form went out in early October with a November 2nd order deadline.
 
#10      
Fighter of the Nightman
Cravingschampaign said:
armchairillini.com

Top 5 Illinois basketball teams since 2000

After the 2004-2005 team reunion in Champaign this weekend, our very own Robby Nardini got us thinking about some of the Illini's best teams.
armchairillini.com armchairillini.com

View attachment 43391
Click to expand...
For some "on paper" context here and to compare accomplishments, here are those teams laid out! To better compare, if a team did NOT achieve something comparable to another year's team, it is left blank:

2005
NCAAT National Runner-Up
NCAAT #1 Seed Overall
Big Ten Champions
BTT Champions
Final AP #1
37 Wins

2001
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #1 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
27 Wins
Final AP #4

2021
NCAAT Second Round
NCAAT #1 Seed
---* (Should have been Big Ten champions...)
BTT Champions
Final AP #2
24 Wins* (Shortened season...)

2024
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #3 Seed
---
BTT Champions
Final AP #6
29 Wins

2002
NCAAT Sweet Sixteen
NCAAT #4 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
Final AP #13
26 Wins

So put by category or whatever...

NCAAT Result
2005 - National Runner-Up
2024 - Elite Eight
2001 - Elite Eight
2002 - Sweet Sixteen
2021 - Second Round

NCAAT Seed
2005 - #1 Seed Overall
2021 - #1 Seed
2001 - #1 Seed
2024 - #3 Seed
2002 - #4 Seed

Big Ten Titles
2005 - Big Ten Champions and BTT Champions
2021 - BTT Champions and *Big Ten Champions (if going by games back)
2001 - Big Ten Champions
2002 - Big Ten Champions
2024 - BTT Champions

Final AP Ranking
2005 - #1
2021 - #2
2001 - #4
2024 - #6
2002 - #13

Total Wins
2005 - 37
2024 - 29
2001 - 27
2002 - 26
2021 - 24* (shortened season)

So really, the only no-brainer is that 2005 is #1. I think you can make decent arguments for 2024 or 2001 as the #2 spot, though ... both brought us Elite Eight/Second Weekend appearances when we hadn't had one in a while, and both brought us at least some type of Big Ten championship. I think I personally give the nod to 2024 for (A) doing it as a #3 seed instead of a #1 seed and (B) seemingly delivering that deep NCAAT run when the program needed it more. Add in the TSJ emotional drama, and they get an EVER-so-slight advantage for me.

I also think that, as much as it really sucks, 2021 just has to be dragged down a tad more for the Loyola loss ... while on paper it was just a loss in one earlier game than the 2002 team, the effect was seismic for us. We were legitimately dreaming of a National Championship and for GOOD reason. To go down like that so early was just nothing short of tragic.

All of these teams gave so many great memories, though! Here's to many more!
 
#11      
PepeSilvia
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I also think that, as much as it really sucks, 2021 just has to be dragged down a tad more for the Loyola loss ... while on paper it was just a loss in one earlier game than the 2002 team, the effect was seismic for us. We were legitimately dreaming of a National Championship and for GOOD reason. To go down like that so early was just nothing short of tragic.
Click to expand...
The 2021 team gets dragged down because they fumbled such a golden opportunity.

Loyola was a good team that probably underserved but the Illini came out flat and just got outworked on both ends.

They basically had a elite 8 appearance gift wrapped to them with how mediocre that Oregon State team was. Then I think Illinois would have presented too many matchup issues for Houston with Ayo and Kofi(yes I know they lost to Houston the next year but that Illini team was way worse than the 21 team).

I don't really think they had a chance to beat that Baylor team but a final four appearance was very achievable.
 
#12      
lstewart53x3
Fighter of the Nightman said:
For some "on paper" context here and to compare accomplishments, here are those teams laid out! To better compare, if a team did NOT achieve something comparable to another year's team, it is left blank:

2005
NCAAT National Runner-Up
NCAAT #1 Seed Overall
Big Ten Champions
BTT Champions
Final AP #1
37 Wins

2001
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #1 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
27 Wins
Final AP #4

2021
NCAAT Second Round
NCAAT #1 Seed
---* (Should have been Big Ten champions...)
BTT Champions
Final AP #2
24 Wins* (Shortened season...)

2024
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #3 Seed
---
BTT Champions
Final AP #6
29 Wins

2002
NCAAT Sweet Sixteen
NCAAT #4 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
Final AP #13
26 Wins

So put by category or whatever...

NCAAT Result
2005 - National Runner-Up
2024 - Elite Eight
2001 - Elite Eight
2002 - Sweet Sixteen
2021 - Second Round

NCAAT Seed
2005 - #1 Seed Overall
2021 - #1 Seed
2001 - #1 Seed
2024 - #3 Seed
2002 - #4 Seed

Big Ten Titles
2005 - Big Ten Champions and BTT Champions
2021 - BTT Champions and *Big Ten Champions (if going by games back)
2001 - Big Ten Champions
2002 - Big Ten Champions
2024 - BTT Champions

Final AP Ranking
2005 - #1
2021 - #2
2001 - #4
2024 - #6
2002 - #13

Total Wins
2005 - 37
2024 - 29
2001 - 27
2002 - 26
2021 - 24* (shortened season)

So really, the only no-brainer is that 2005 is #1. I think you can make decent arguments for 2024 or 2001 as the #2 spot, though ... both brought us Elite Eight/Second Weekend appearances when we hadn't had one in a while, and both brought us at least some type of Big Ten championship. I think I personally give the nod to 2024 for (A) doing it as a #3 seed instead of a #1 seed and (B) seemingly delivering that deep NCAAT run when the program needed it more. Add in the TSJ emotional drama, and they get an EVER-so-slight advantage for me.

I also think that, as much as it really sucks, 2021 just has to be dragged down a tad more for the Loyola loss ... while on paper it was just a loss in one earlier game than the 2002 team, the effect was seismic for us. We were legitimately dreaming of a National Championship and for GOOD reason. To go down like that so early was just nothing short of tragic.

All of these teams gave so many great memories, though! Here's to many more!
Click to expand...
Good stuff. One more data point:

KenPom Rating / Efficiency:

2005: 2 / +32.68
2021: 4 / +29.06
2002: 8 / +23.21
2024: 10 / +24.53
2001: no data
 
#16      
Brosky
I think the Rev guarded the post quite a bit too.
 
#17      
Brosky
I think the Rev guarded the post quite a bit too. I can't say how much, it's 20 yrs. ago. My memory is a bit fuzzy.
 
#23      
Cravingschampaign
Fighter of the Nightman said:
For some "on paper" context here and to compare accomplishments, here are those teams laid out! To better compare, if a team did NOT achieve something comparable to another year's team, it is left blank:

2005
NCAAT National Runner-Up
NCAAT #1 Seed Overall
Big Ten Champions
BTT Champions
Final AP #1
37 Wins

2001
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #1 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
27 Wins
Final AP #4

2021
NCAAT Second Round
NCAAT #1 Seed
---* (Should have been Big Ten champions...)
BTT Champions
Final AP #2
24 Wins* (Shortened season...)

2024
NCAAT Elite Eight
NCAAT #3 Seed
---
BTT Champions
Final AP #6
29 Wins

2002
NCAAT Sweet Sixteen
NCAAT #4 Seed
Big Ten Champions
---
Final AP #13
26 Wins

So put by category or whatever...

NCAAT Result
2005 - National Runner-Up
2024 - Elite Eight
2001 - Elite Eight
2002 - Sweet Sixteen
2021 - Second Round

NCAAT Seed
2005 - #1 Seed Overall
2021 - #1 Seed
2001 - #1 Seed
2024 - #3 Seed
2002 - #4 Seed

Big Ten Titles
2005 - Big Ten Champions and BTT Champions
2021 - BTT Champions and *Big Ten Champions (if going by games back)
2001 - Big Ten Champions
2002 - Big Ten Champions
2024 - BTT Champions

Final AP Ranking
2005 - #1
2021 - #2
2001 - #4
2024 - #6
2002 - #13

Total Wins
2005 - 37
2024 - 29
2001 - 27
2002 - 26
2021 - 24* (shortened season)

So really, the only no-brainer is that 2005 is #1. I think you can make decent arguments for 2024 or 2001 as the #2 spot, though ... both brought us Elite Eight/Second Weekend appearances when we hadn't had one in a while, and both brought us at least some type of Big Ten championship. I think I personally give the nod to 2024 for (A) doing it as a #3 seed instead of a #1 seed and (B) seemingly delivering that deep NCAAT run when the program needed it more. Add in the TSJ emotional drama, and they get an EVER-so-slight advantage for me.

I also think that, as much as it really sucks, 2021 just has to be dragged down a tad more for the Loyola loss ... while on paper it was just a loss in one earlier game than the 2002 team, the effect was seismic for us. We were legitimately dreaming of a National Championship and for GOOD reason. To go down like that so early was just nothing short of tragic.

All of these teams gave so many great memories, though! Here's to many more!
Click to expand...
Great points, thanks for sharing and putting it all together!
 
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