Illini Basketball 2026-2027
- Status
Thank you for posting these. I enjoy the walk down memory lane.
As far as Mike Davis, I am surprised he is second on the career rebounding list. We have had some great post players and he is second! Davis had a sneaky good career on Weber's last rosters. Where is he now?
Didn’t Vaaks just score 20 in 19 minutes, over 50% for the field. Based on that, I’d say he’s going to play a lot.
Is there a more complete highlight video than the one I watched, which was about 4 minutes with just music in the background? Or even better, a replay of the game somewhere?
blackdog
- Champaign
It's from the baseline but over 10 minutes of clips
HIGHLIGHTS: Illinois basketball wins exhibition at Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, Ohio (WCIA) – Illinois men’s basketball scored plenty in its first time back on the floor since the 2026 Final Four. The Illini beat Cincinnati 105-96 on Saturday at Fifth T…
www.wcia.com
go to you tube and you can watch every Illini basket.
Thanks, appreciate the link.It's from the baseline but over 10 minutes of clips
HIGHLIGHTS: Illinois basketball wins exhibition at Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, Ohio (WCIA) – Illinois men’s basketball scored plenty in its first time back on the floor since the 2026 Final Four. The Illini beat Cincinnati 105-96 on Saturday at Fifth T…www.wcia.com
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
So the next game is on B1G+, and there are a couple more on it within the next month, but there is that outlier game against Seattle that forces the issue of whether it’s worth a whole month more of B1G+ for one quad four game. Ugh, so annoying, because I know I have to watch that game regardless.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Never watched a game on B1G+ and never will. Absolutely deplorable that they would treat their best customers that way.
Sounds like L Davis might be an important piece this year
Epsilon
M tipping over
- Pdx
No doubt. It’s like watching a high school game production. But I have a feeling I’m going to want to drink in this whole season nonetheless.
B1G+ is good enough. If allows me more personal insight to our Fighting Illini basketball team for the upcoming season, I'm in.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Always a possibility I missed someone or made a mistake, but here are the ranked non-conference opponents for each Big Ten school now that the rankings are out! I'm only counting guaranteed opponents, not potential ranked matchups in tournaments and things like that. Just for fun and to round out the list a bit more, I included the top 10 teams in the Receiving Votes category ... but four of those were actually Big Ten teams, so it only adds six more. 
Michigan State
vs. #2 Duke (Chicago, IL)
at #8 Tennessee
vs. #12 Arkansas (Detroit, MI)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Palm Desert, CA)
Ohio State
at #4 UConn
vs. #17 Kansas (New York, NY)
vs. #24 Vanderbilt
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
Illinois
at #2 Duke
vs. #4 UConn (Chicago, IL)
at #19 Texas Tech
vs. RV #26 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
vs. RV #30 North Carolina (Nashville, TN)
Purdue
vs. #8 Tennessee
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Las Vegas, NV)
at #18 Iowa State
Indiana
vs. #12 Arkansas (New York, NY)
vs. #23 Kentucky (Indianapolis, IN)
vs. RV #26 Missouri
Iowa
vs. #18 Iowa State
vs. #20 Alabama (Des Moines, IA)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Sioux City, IA)
Michigan
vs. #4 UConn (Boston, MA)
vs. #11 Louisville (Detroit, MI)
Maryland
vs. #9 Virginia
vs. #8 Tennessee (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
UCLA
vs. #5 Arizona (Las Vegas, NV)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Anaheim, CA)
Oregon
vs. #13 St. John's (NY) [Las Vegas, NV - Players Era]
vs. #11 Louisville / #19 Texas Tech (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
Northwestern
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Charleston, SC)
Rutgers
vs. #10 Houston (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
USC
vs. #19 Texas Tech (Fort Worth, TX)
Washington
vs. #25 BYU (Maui)
Nebraska
N/A
vs. RV #26 Missouri (Kansas City, MO)
Minnesota
N/A
Penn State
N/A
Wisconsin
N/A
Who knew BYU was on a Big Ten tour.
Michigan State
vs. #2 Duke (Chicago, IL)
at #8 Tennessee
vs. #12 Arkansas (Detroit, MI)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Palm Desert, CA)
Ohio State
at #4 UConn
vs. #17 Kansas (New York, NY)
vs. #24 Vanderbilt
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
Illinois
at #2 Duke
vs. #4 UConn (Chicago, IL)
at #19 Texas Tech
vs. RV #26 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
vs. RV #30 North Carolina (Nashville, TN)
Purdue
vs. #8 Tennessee
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Las Vegas, NV)
at #18 Iowa State
Indiana
vs. #12 Arkansas (New York, NY)
vs. #23 Kentucky (Indianapolis, IN)
vs. RV #26 Missouri
Iowa
vs. #18 Iowa State
vs. #20 Alabama (Des Moines, IA)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Sioux City, IA)
Michigan
vs. #4 UConn (Boston, MA)
vs. #11 Louisville (Detroit, MI)
Maryland
vs. #9 Virginia
vs. #8 Tennessee (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
UCLA
vs. #5 Arizona (Las Vegas, NV)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Anaheim, CA)
Oregon
vs. #13 St. John's (NY) [Las Vegas, NV - Players Era]
vs. #11 Louisville / #19 Texas Tech (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
Northwestern
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Charleston, SC)
Rutgers
vs. #10 Houston (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
USC
vs. #19 Texas Tech (Fort Worth, TX)
Washington
vs. #25 BYU (Maui)
Nebraska
N/A
vs. RV #26 Missouri (Kansas City, MO)
Minnesota
N/A
Penn State
N/A
Wisconsin
N/A
Who knew BYU was on a Big Ten tour.
What I like about it is that one can watch all of last season’s games (and other seasons as well). I can get my fix while waiting for the current season to begin. I generally start in September and go straight through last year’s schedule (sans the losses). It’s interesting some of the things one forgets about individual games. And I can watch the Purdue and Missouri games as often as I want, which has been two times since September. It’s great seeing the Purdue fans watch Wagler score at will against them.
Though Big Ten Plus is so basic. And too much buffering.
Nicely done. Good games for scouting our conference victims.Always a possibility I missed someone or made a mistake, but here are the ranked non-conference opponents for each Big Ten school now that the rankings are out! I'm only counting guaranteed opponents, not potential ranked matchups in tournaments and things like that. Just for fun and to round out the list a bit more, I included the top 10 teams in the Receiving Votes category ... but four of those were actually Big Ten teams, so it only adds six more.
Michigan State
vs. #2 Duke (Chicago, IL)
at #8 Tennessee
vs. #12 Arkansas (Detroit, MI)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Palm Desert, CA)
Ohio State
at #4 UConn
vs. #17 Kansas (New York, NY)
vs. #24 Vanderbilt
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
Illinois
at #2 Duke
vs. #4 UConn (Chicago, IL)
at #19 Texas Tech
vs. RV #26 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
vs. RV #30 North Carolina (Nashville, TN)
Purdue
vs. #8 Tennessee
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Las Vegas, NV)
at #18 Iowa State
Indiana
vs. #12 Arkansas (New York, NY)
vs. #23 Kentucky (Indianapolis, IN)
vs. RV #26 Missouri
Iowa
vs. #18 Iowa State
vs. #20 Alabama (Des Moines, IA)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Sioux City, IA)
Michigan
vs. #4 UConn (Boston, MA)
vs. #11 Louisville (Detroit, MI)
Maryland
vs. #9 Virginia
vs. #8 Tennessee (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
UCLA
vs. #5 Arizona (Las Vegas, NV)
vs. #15 Gonzaga (Anaheim, CA)
Oregon
vs. #13 St. John's (NY) [Las Vegas, NV - Players Era]
vs. #11 Louisville / #19 Texas Tech (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
Northwestern
vs. #25 BYU (Salt Lake City, UT)
vs. RV #35 Virginia Tech (Charleston, SC)
Rutgers
vs. #10 Houston (Las Vegas, NV - Players Era)
USC
vs. #19 Texas Tech (Fort Worth, TX)
Washington
vs. #25 BYU (Maui)
Nebraska
N/A
vs. RV #26 Missouri (Kansas City, MO)
Minnesota
N/A
Penn State
N/A
Wisconsin
N/A
Who knew BYU was on a Big Ten tour.
Captain 14
- The Last Best Place
Suggestions on the best way to approach getting tx for the west coast swing at OR and WA in February?
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Got roasted for this comment for suggesting Jake could start with Vaaks coming off the bench. Just listened to the Werner/MLT podcast and they both suggested the same.
Vaaks will start. Jake’s a quick processing, gritty player with a perpetual green light. BUT I wouldn’t necessarily call him a plus defender.
Did we all watch the same game? Vaaks had multiple tough finishes at the rim and is a flamethrower from deep. We’re going to be a fringe top 20 defense. We need all the O we can get.
I expect Vaaks, QC, Andrej, Mirk, and Tomi to start. Jake subs in for Andrej. Brown rotates with QC and Vaaks in the backcourt. Z rotates with Mirk and Z. Landon could steal some Z minutes.
Our starters will play 30min vs. a TTU/Duke/UConn. So leaves about 50min for Brown, Jake, and Z so about 15-20min per.
I do worry about Tomi and Z regressing for some odd reason. Hope they’re just taking exhibition lightly.
- - -
Can’t put my finger on it but the team doesn’t seem to have the same chemistry/connection we saw with the lovable bunch led last year by Keaton and Mirk… yet.
MLT talked about this but the argument with Jake starting is that Vaaks will obviously play a ton and brings firepower off the bench.
The big question mark right now with Vaaks (that are non-negotiables for playing time) is defense and rebounding. How much he plays, if he’ll start early on, etc depends on how much he can progress and improve in those categories.
Could we wait for Mirk to play before we make this assertion?
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
It will 100% be predicated on defense.
I could def see it. Matchup based, defensive performance based.
Edit: I’ll add after those highlights, the confidence QC showed with the ball, along with Point Mirk will also play into not depending on Vaaks as a starting PG.
- Status