Illini Basketball 2025-2026

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#651      
Fighter of the Nightman
GatorMcKlusky said:
Underwood's tough guy, Pizza Hut parking lot, "to be the best you have to play the best" schedule is a huge mistake. You don't get better from losing. You don't learn anything from Duke kicking your butt in MSG. Somebody tell Brad to google Curt Cignetti. Or better yet, google Indiana football nonconference schedule. Cignetti is the best coach in America. Why is he hell bent on scheduling cupcakes?
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1) I'm not sure where this somewhat odd tirade originated, but regardless of your feelings when it comes to Brad Underwood ... you cannot compare football and basketball here, period. And I think you know that. With how many more games that are played and the current NET / Quad system that is very outspokenly utilized by the Selection Committee, it is a completely and totally different dynamic ... and the current hoops dynamic says you are better off scheduling Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.

2) What reason do you have to believe that the 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2025 teams would have made the Sweet Sixteen if they had an easier schedule? Because you HAVE to believe that in order for your critique to make any logical sense when it comes to what Underwood should do when scheduling for Illini Basketball.
--- The 2021 team played a very difficult schedule, and it got the highest seed possible. There is no serious argument that a flimsier schedule prevents an upset vs. Loyola, lol.
--- You seriously think we get past Houston in 2022 with an easier schedule? We certainly don't get a #3 seed instead of a #4 seed with worse NET rankings and Quad results.
--- Anyone seriously think the 2023 team has a better NCAA Tournament showing if our non-conference schedule is easier? Lol, the entire reason we MADE the Tournament is because we beat #2 seed UCLA in Las Vegas and #2 seed Texas at MSG.
--- I won't address 2024 since they (A) played a tough schedule and (B) made the Elite Eight...
--- I would love to hear how the 2025 squad would have been better off overall without playing Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and - yes- even Duke. The 2025 team was an up-and-down mess, but they literally won three straight DIRECTLY after the Duke massacre, including 93-73 at #15 Michigan and vs. #18 Purdue. What about an easier schedule would have had us more prepared for Kentucky? Forgetting for a second that stacking wins vs. nobodies will NOT get you a better seed in the NCAA Tournament, let's also remember that last year's team lost to 15-win Rutgers and 17-win USC at home ... what makes you think they would have blazed through an easier non-conference schedule?

It sounds like you're just hating on Underwood, honestly. :ROFLMAO: Because your thesis here is that we would be better positioned to make the Sweet Sixteen with an easier schedule. For that to be an anywhere-near-serious claim, you have to be able to articulate how and why an easier schedule in any of those years gets us to the Sweet Sixteen ... otherwise, what are you even arguing??
 
#654      
Fighter of the Nightman
Wasn't sure if there was a general college hoops thread or not, so I'll just drop this here. I know every fan base complains about the Peacock games, but always remember it could be worse! They did preseason #1 Purdue pretty dirty by putting this many games - including some really big ones - on Peacock, haha.

vs. Oakland
vs. Marquette
vs. #20 Auburn (Indianapolis, IN)
at USC
at #12 UCLA
at Indiana
vs. #7 Michigan
vs. #22 Michigan State

For comparison, these are our Peacock games:

vs. Florida Gulf Coast
at Ohio State
vs. Nebraska
vs. #24 Wisconsin
vs. Oregon
 
#655      
Retro62
Todd99 said:
Nah, he’s just a kid. We don’t know the whole backstory anyway. Kids make bad decisions for dumb reasons. Let it go.
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As a high school teacher, I always remind myself that growth is both possible and probable. However, the climate in the high schools in the county where I live is to never punish or reprimand students either. It's perfectly fine to acknowledge that someone is young an inexperienced, while also letting them know that their actions have consequences. Hence, he deserves to be roundly booed and heckled--it's just a basketball game and it's okay in that setting, provided it is just the typical treatment an opposing player should expect without it getting nasty.
 
#656      
logjam
Rebounding Dog said:
Boz is a thick build at 6-2 and 215. Lee, 6-4 carrying 195 won't look as thick. Those numbers are what the two players are listed per the Illinois website.
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I think it could have more to do with the neck...
 
#657      
Fighter of the Nightman
Obviously rankings change each week, but using the preseason poll as a guide ... If either Ohio State (currently RV #30) or Missouri (currently RV #34) can sneak into the top 25 by the time we play them, we could have the most top 25 opponents before the New Year since the 2000-01 season!
- We play OSU on December 9, and I really don't see a game they should lose before that; even if they drop one of vs. Notre Dame / at Pitt /at Northwestern, they should still be 7-1 and ranked when we welcome them to Champaign.
- Barring a massive slip-up, Mizzou should be 8-0 when they head to Notre Dame on December 2. If they can split the Notre Dame road game and their game vs. KU in Kansas City, they should pick up 2 more easy home wins before Braggin' Rights and come into that game at 11-1 and ranked. Depending on how well we do, this could be one of the more hyped Braggin' Rights games in several years!

A reminder that we started playing 1-2 Big Ten games before the New Year in the 2017-18 season, so keep that in mind for an apples-to-apples comparison. With that in mind, the 2000-01 schedule was super impressive ... 5 top 10 opponents before Braggin' Rights and we went 3-2 in those games!


2025-26
vs. #10 Texas Tech
vs. #15 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #18 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)

2024-25
L vs. #8 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
W vs. #19 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W vs. #20 Wisconsin
L vs. #1 Tennessee

2023-24
L vs. #4 Marquette
W vs. #11 FAU (New York, NY)
L at #17 Tennessee

2022-23
W vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
L vs. #16 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
L at #22 Maryland
W vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY)

2021-22
L vs. #11 Arizona

2020-21
L vs. #2 Baylor (Indianapolis, IN)
W at #10 Duke
L at #19 Rutgers

2019-20
L at #21 Arizona
L at #3 Maryland
W vs. #5 Michigan

2018-19
L vs. #3 Gonzaga (Maui, HI)
L vs. #19 Ohio State (Chicago, IL)

2017-18
N/A

2016-17
L vs. #19 West Virginia (New York, NY)
L vs. #25 Florida State (New York, NY)

2015-16
L vs. #4 Iowa State (Niceville, FL)

2014-15
L at #15 Miami (FL)
L vs. #7 Villanova (New York, NY)

2013-14
L vs. #15 Oregon (Portland, OR)
W vs. #23 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2012-13
W at #10 Gonzaga
L vs. #12 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2011-12
W vs. #19 Gonzaga
L vs. #10 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2010-11
L vs. #9 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2009-10
W at #18 Clemson

2008-09
W vs. #25 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2007-08
L vs. #13 Duke (Maui, HI)
L vs. #22 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

2006-07
L vs. #23 Maryland
L vs. #16 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)

2005-06
N/A

2004-05
W vs. #24 Gonzaga (Indianapolis, IN)
W vs. #1 Wake Forest
W vs. #22 Cincinnati (Las Vegas, NV)

2003-04
L vs. #10 North Carolina (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2002-03
W vs. #12 North Carolina
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2001-02
L at #5 Maryland
L vs. #7 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)
W vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2000-01
W vs. #6 Maryland (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Arizona (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Duke (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #7 Seton Hall
W vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

1999-00
L vs. #17 Duke (Chicago, IL)
W vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL)
 
#659      
PasadenaIllini
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Obviously rankings change each week, but using the preseason poll as a guide ... If either Ohio State (currently RV #30) or Missouri (currently RV #34) can sneak into the top 25 by the time we play them, we could have the most top 25 opponents before the New Year since the 2000-01 season!
- We play OSU on December 9, and I really don't see a game they should lose before that; even if they drop one of vs. Notre Dame / at Pitt /at Northwestern, they should still be 7-1 and ranked when we welcome them to Champaign.
- Barring a massive slip-up, Mizzou should be 8-0 when they head to Notre Dame on December 2. If they can split the Notre Dame road game and their game vs. KU in Kansas City, they should pick up 2 more easy home wins before Braggin' Rights and come into that game at 11-1 and ranked. Depending on how well we do, this could be one of the more hyped Braggin' Rights games in several years!

A reminder that we started playing 1-2 Big Ten games before the New Year in the 2017-18 season, so keep that in mind for an apples-to-apples comparison. With that in mind, the 2000-01 schedule was super impressive ... 5 top 10 opponents before Braggin' Rights and we went 3-2 in those games!


2025-26
vs. #10 Texas Tech
vs. #15 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #18 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)

2024-25
L vs. #8 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
W vs. #19 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W vs. #20 Wisconsin
L vs. #1 Tennessee

2023-24
L vs. #4 Marquette
W vs. #11 FAU (New York, NY)
L at #17 Tennessee

2022-23
W vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
L vs. #16 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
L at #22 Maryland
W vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY)

2021-22
L vs. #11 Arizona

2020-21
L vs. #2 Baylor (Indianapolis, IN)
W at #10 Duke
L at #19 Rutgers

2019-20
L at #21 Arizona
L at #3 Maryland
W vs. #5 Michigan

2018-19
L vs. #3 Gonzaga (Maui, HI)
L vs. #19 Ohio State (Chicago, IL)

2017-18
N/A

2016-17
L vs. #19 West Virginia (New York, NY)
L vs. #25 Florida State (New York, NY)

2015-16
L vs. #4 Iowa State (Niceville, FL)

2014-15
L at #15 Miami (FL)
L vs. #7 Villanova (New York, NY)

2013-14
L vs. #15 Oregon (Portland, OR)
W vs. #23 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2012-13
W at #10 Gonzaga
L vs. #12 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2011-12
W vs. #19 Gonzaga
L vs. #10 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2010-11
L vs. #9 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2009-10
W at #18 Clemson

2008-09
W vs. #25 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2007-08
L vs. #13 Duke (Maui, HI)
L vs. #22 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

2006-07
L vs. #23 Maryland
L vs. #16 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)

2005-06
N/A

2004-05
W vs. #24 Gonzaga (Indianapolis, IN)
W vs. #1 Wake Forest
W vs. #22 Cincinnati (Las Vegas, NV)

2003-04
L vs. #10 North Carolina (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2002-03
W vs. #12 North Carolina
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2001-02
L at #5 Maryland
L vs. #7 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)
W vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2000-01
W vs. #6 Maryland (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Arizona (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Duke (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #7 Seton Hall
W vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

1999-00
L vs. #17 Duke (Chicago, IL)
W vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL)
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I remember that year well. Brian Cook anchoring the middle. Frank Williams and Corey Bradford in the backcourt. Sergio "the human bowling ball" McClain. Lots of players from central Illinois. That was a special team. And how can anyone forget "FOUL ON ARCH!!!"
 
#661      
IlliniFan42
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Wasn't sure if there was a general college hoops thread or not, so I'll just drop this here. I know every fan base complains about the Peacock games, but always remember it could be worse! They did preseason #1 Purdue pretty dirty by putting this many games - including some really big ones - on Peacock, haha.

vs. Oakland
vs. Marquette
vs. #20 Auburn (Indianapolis, IN)
at USC
at #12 UCLA
at Indiana
vs. #7 Michigan
vs. #22 Michigan State

For comparison, these are our Peacock games:

vs. Florida Gulf Coast
at Ohio State
vs. Nebraska
vs. #24 Wisconsin
vs. Oregon
Click to expand...
I haven't gone through the exercise of ranking teams' media value this year, but in prior years, Peacock is one of the "higher-tier" channels compared to say BTN and obviously B1G+. I think CBS also didn't pick us up for too many games this season so it all might end up to the conference valuing us a bit worse than last year.
 
#664      
RollChief
Rebounding Dog said:
Boz is a thick build at 6-2 and 215. Lee, 6-4 carrying 195 won't look as thick. Those numbers are what the two players are listed per the Illinois website.
Click to expand...
I think listed height and actual can be very different at times. I'm not sure if you've ever stood next to Boz but if I didn't know any better I would say he's every bit of 6-3 or 6-4.
 
#665      
doowink
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Obviously rankings change each week, but using the preseason poll as a guide ... If either Ohio State (currently RV #30) or Missouri (currently RV #34) can sneak into the top 25 by the time we play them, we could have the most top 25 opponents before the New Year since the 2000-01 season!
- We play OSU on December 9, and I really don't see a game they should lose before that; even if they drop one of vs. Notre Dame / at Pitt /at Northwestern, they should still be 7-1 and ranked when we welcome them to Champaign.
- Barring a massive slip-up, Mizzou should be 8-0 when they head to Notre Dame on December 2. If they can split the Notre Dame road game and their game vs. KU in Kansas City, they should pick up 2 more easy home wins before Braggin' Rights and come into that game at 11-1 and ranked. Depending on how well we do, this could be one of the more hyped Braggin' Rights games in several years!

A reminder that we started playing 1-2 Big Ten games before the New Year in the 2017-18 season, so keep that in mind for an apples-to-apples comparison. With that in mind, the 2000-01 schedule was super impressive ... 5 top 10 opponents before Braggin' Rights and we went 3-2 in those games!


2025-26
vs. #10 Texas Tech
vs. #15 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #18 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)

2024-25
L vs. #8 Alabama (Birmingham, AL)
W vs. #19 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W vs. #20 Wisconsin
L vs. #1 Tennessee

2023-24
L vs. #4 Marquette
W vs. #11 FAU (New York, NY)
L at #17 Tennessee

2022-23
W vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
L vs. #16 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
L at #22 Maryland
W vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY)

2021-22
L vs. #11 Arizona

2020-21
L vs. #2 Baylor (Indianapolis, IN)
W at #10 Duke
L at #19 Rutgers

2019-20
L at #21 Arizona
L at #3 Maryland
W vs. #5 Michigan

2018-19
L vs. #3 Gonzaga (Maui, HI)
L vs. #19 Ohio State (Chicago, IL)

2017-18
N/A

2016-17
L vs. #19 West Virginia (New York, NY)
L vs. #25 Florida State (New York, NY)

2015-16
L vs. #4 Iowa State (Niceville, FL)

2014-15
L at #15 Miami (FL)
L vs. #7 Villanova (New York, NY)

2013-14
L vs. #15 Oregon (Portland, OR)
W vs. #23 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2012-13
W at #10 Gonzaga
L vs. #12 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2011-12
W vs. #19 Gonzaga
L vs. #10 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2010-11
L vs. #9 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2009-10
W at #18 Clemson

2008-09
W vs. #25 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2007-08
L vs. #13 Duke (Maui, HI)
L vs. #22 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

2006-07
L vs. #23 Maryland
L vs. #16 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)

2005-06
N/A

2004-05
W vs. #24 Gonzaga (Indianapolis, IN)
W vs. #1 Wake Forest
W vs. #22 Cincinnati (Las Vegas, NV)

2003-04
L vs. #10 North Carolina (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2002-03
W vs. #12 North Carolina
W vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2001-02
L at #5 Maryland
L vs. #7 Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)
W vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

2000-01
W vs. #6 Maryland (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Arizona (Maui, HI)
L vs. #1 Duke (Greensboro, NC)
W vs. #7 Seton Hall
W vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL)

1999-00
L vs. #17 Duke (Chicago, IL)
W vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL)
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Fighter ....I'm impressed and thankful that you have time to research and post this type of info....but when and where do you work???.....I've been retired for 15+ years, but I envy your job (position).....keep up the good work young man!!
Patrick Stewart Cheers GIF by Blunt Talk
 
#666      
Yes33
My take on a few of things:
-Mirk- biggest thing is he wasn’t afraid of the moment - he didn’t get the message that he is supposed to be one of the supportive cast, not the star.
- Zvon - was so comfortable, like he was a returning player, not a new guy.
- Wagler - looked very smooth for first game, had a couple blips early, but once he settled in, looked very under control. Would like to get him more open looks.
- Lee - high motor like Sincere but with an offensive game. Forced some, but will settle down with time.
- Shooters - seems like the year we actually have several guys that can shoot the threes, hoping our offense helps get some open looks.
-The others - played as expected, no complaints.

Great warm up…. Will be interesting as to who earns Brads trust as the go to guy or guys i.e. Kasper or T the past couple years.
 
#667      
2qtslow
IlliniFan42 said:
I haven't gone through the exercise of ranking teams' media value this year, but in prior years, Peacock is one of the "higher-tier" channels compared to say BTN and obviously B1G+. I think CBS also didn't pick us up for too many games this season so it all might end up to the conference valuing us a bit worse than last year.
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I am not nearly smart enough to watch the games with the sound off'-- I want an announcing team I can learn from. That means I would just as soon see every Illinois game on BTN, where everyone knows the team and many know the game as well.

CBS is the prestige network, but when one of their old fahrt color announcers starts to reminisce and ignore the game, it drives me nuts. Fox is less bad because they often use BTN guys.

Peacock? TBH, I don't even know who their main announcers are.
 
#671      
Fighter of the Nightman
IlliniFan42 said:
I haven't gone through the exercise of ranking teams' media value this year, but in prior years, Peacock is one of the "higher-tier" channels compared to say BTN and obviously B1G+. I think CBS also didn't pick us up for too many games this season so it all might end up to the conference valuing us a bit worse than last year.
Click to expand...
My impression is it's kind of a weird mixture. On the one hand, if Peacock only has uninteresting games, they won't really drive up any subscriptions (hence, some big-time matchups being on Peacock). On the flip side, they know it's rating suicide and not smart to put too many great games on that platform rather than standard TV, and your average Peacock game is still going to be much worse than your average FOX / CBS game (e.g., Minnesota plays Alcorn State and San Francisco on Peacock).

The Galloping Ghost said:
Program changing.
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100% and crazy to think it happened in the pre-NIL era when you look back at it. On the day Ayo committed, this was our program snapshot over the previous four seasons...

- 74-63 (.540) overall record
- 29-43 (.403) record in Big Ten play
- 0 NCAAT appearances
- Ranked in the AP Poll for 2 weeks out of 77 total weeks (2.6%)
- Our season after he committed was a 14-18 (4-14) campaign

He took a chance on us and believed in Underwood, and he is the epitome of "staying home." Regardless of anything else like All-America recognition, Big Ten banners, #1 seeds, etc., Ayo deserves his legend status when it comes to Illini Basketball for no other reason than he had faith in this program's potential when we were at rock bottom.
 
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#672      
The Galloping Ghost
Fighter of the Nightman said:
My impression is it's kind of a weird mixture. On the one hand, if Peacock only has uninteresting games, they won't really drive up any subscriptions (hence, some big-time matchups being on Peacock). On the flip side, they know it's rating suicide and not smart to put too many great games on that platform rather than standard TV, and your average Peacock game is still going to be much worse than your average FOX / CBS game (e.g., Minnesota plays Alcorn State and San Francisco on Peacock).
Click to expand...
As an EPL watcher, most of the games are lower-tier compared to what they put on USA and NBC, but Peacock has always had just enough marquee matchups to string you along. It's annoying, but pretty smart.
 
#674      
HailtotheChief
EllderIlliniFan said:
But Zach Edey is 7' 4" and Johnson is 6'9". Lot's of 6'9" to 7'0" players in the NBA and most can shoot the 3.
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Morez is really good at one thing. Rebounding the ball. I know he has a high motor and all but unless he develops his other skills substantially then at his size then there is not much of a role for someone his size in the NBA. That's why he left. Rez wasn't going to be allowed to play outside at Illinios. That is not his skill set or good for the team. Hell, I much prefer Mirk here at Illinois than I do Rez. Mirk can do more than just rebound. They both can be solid players in college but Mirk showed more the other night to be excited about. I think there is something to these Euro developing better fundamentals vs Americans with so many games and less practice.
 
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