Illini Basketball 2026-2027
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Its not like Northeestern hasn't won it before and hasn't been to multiple conference championship games. So if you're laughing at that, why should people not be laughing at our basketball championship goal? At least Northwestern has done it. I don't understand the smugness of some of our fans.
Scooped up my Vaaks & Mirkovic Wooden Award futures today 
This clip is like crack to all Illini hoops addicts at just the right time. But it is too brief....4-5 hours would be about right.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Back in the late 90s, as the internet was in its infancy, I told my brother I wanted wall to wall, nonstop Illini coverage. I said, “I want to know everything about Illinois basketball. If Sergio McClain had Cheerios for breakfast instead of Corn Flakes, I want to know it.”
Funny how we’re kinda there now.
.....
"3. Illinois Fighting Illini
Impact newcomer: Stefan Vaaks
Coach Brad Underwood will be wholly reliant on his incoming group on the perimeter, with Vaaks and five-star freshman Quentin Coleman manning the backcourt. Both players are capable of playing on or off the ball, but Vaaks showed real playmaking chops during his freshman season at Providence. He had 20-plus points against St. John's twice and Villanova twice, and his 6-foot-7 size causes issues for defenders.
Projected starting lineup
Quentin Coleman (No. 23 in SC Next 100)
Stefan Vaaks (15.8 PPG at Providence)
Andrej Stojakovic (13.5 PPG)
David Mirkovic (13.6 PPG)
Tomislav Ivisic (10.2 PPG)"
I've landed on 4 being the right number for me.
When you do these rankings, what matters most of anything is elite traits (offense / defense). Illinois is most likely the best offense in the country, as Torvik projects. That immediately gives them a high ranking.
Florida and Duke should be top 5 in both, so having Illinois above them I wouldn't agree with at all. (Our defense is likely going to be in the 20s, maybe late teens, especially since we lost our two best defenders in Ben and Kylan)
After those two I don't see any "top 5 in both" teams, but UCONN is right on that cusp, and could be TOP 10 in both. Plus, considering they've beaten us over and over, they should be ahead.
Michigan lost 3 lottery picks. There's too much "projecting" with that roster. And, they lost their coach, so I wouldn't have them ahead of us.
Of course none of this is set in stone on July 1st, as always the case with preseason roster outlooks.
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Stevegarbs
- Mokena, IL
The place is going to be packed. I upped my IFund donation and all I was able to do was move around to center court with the TV view, 200s row 15. No chance to move down rows, and was only one section off of center court last season.
The post moves point firmly falls in the "disease of more" category.
So much of this "potential" is just shooting. His rebounding went up dramatically ALONG WITH leading the nation in 2 point %.
If Z shot 38% from 3 just like he did at ARK, everyone would be ecstatic about his production.
If Tomi shot 35.7% from 3 just like he did in 2025, no one would've thought he took a "step back" (yeah the points would be down, much of which has to do with how good a team your on).
If Z shoots 38% from 3 again next season, then that probably solidifies him as a draft pick (along with fulfilling your observation of so much being "untapped")
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Who do we expect to be the #6thMan? (judged by minutes/game)
It feels like Jake / Morillo / Z all have a 1/3 chance at the moment.
A lot might be predicted on who lands majority of the non Mirk minutes at the 4.
It feels like Jake / Morillo / Z all have a 1/3 chance at the moment.
A lot might be predicted on who lands majority of the non Mirk minutes at the 4.
Andrej will be better than bothScooped up my Vaaks & Mirkovic Wooden Award futures today
Every freshman we get that's outside the top 100, will be said to have been "underrated" because of Keaton. That doesn't automatically mean they'll be ready their first year.
We have one spot available between Zens / Brown / Williams to play realistic minutes (our much-coveted #9thMan position).
Could it be Brown who wins those minutes? Yes.
Could it be one of the other two? Yes as well.
QC has such a nose for the ball.
Ffffft, we've been saying that since before Keaton was born.
Joel Goodson
- it's all ball bearings, nowadays
I've watched this 53 times
Boricua Illini
- Puerto Rico
Mirk dunking in traffic at the 19 sec mark... I don't remember him doing this last year...
Is that Landon at the .34 second mark dunking? Is that Ethan with a sweet shot at .39? Reminded me of Bennett Stiritz.
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