College Basketball 2025-2026

[Tryptamine]

Back to back sweet 16s,hopefully Underwood can start landing some premier US talent. He has done well overseas, but his 2026 class has just 1 kid in the rivals top 150 ranking . He can't continue to rely on finding diamonds in the rough like Wagler if he wants to win it all.

[mul21]

1 hour ago, Tryptamine said:

Back to back sweet 16s,hopefully Underwood can start landing some premier US talent. He has done well overseas, but his 2026 class has just 1 kid in the rivals top 150 ranking . He can't continue to rely on finding diamonds in the rough like Wagler if he wants to win it all.

I'm not about to gripe about the job Underwood has done.  He's gotten them to 6 straight tournaments and the last time that happened was Lon Kruger through the first few years of Weber (99-00 through 06-07).  The only real disappointment in his tenure was the loss to Loyola, but they got screwed having to play a team that was way better than an 8 seed essentially as the road team.  Last year should have been better but there's not much you can do about Jakuciounas getting hurt and not being 100% the last half of the season. 

I think he's gotten better as a coach as well.  When they were struggling early Saturday, you saw an immediate shift to get Stojakovic in the game and he was clearly told to attack the rim at every opportunity and that strategy really opened things up the rest of the game.  Subtle adjustment that made a huge difference.

[gflore34]

2 hours ago, mul21 said:

I'm not about to gripe about the job Underwood has done.  He's gotten them to 6 straight tournaments and the last time that happened was Lon Kruger through the first few years of Weber (99-00 through 06-07).  The only real disappointment in his tenure was the loss to Loyola, but they got screwed having to play a team that was way better than an 8 seed essentially as the road team.  Last year should have been better but there's not much you can do about Jakuciounas getting hurt and not being 100% the last half of the season. 

I think he's gotten better as a coach as well.  When they were struggling early Saturday, you saw an immediate shift to get Stojakovic in the game and he was clearly told to attack the rim at every opportunity and that strategy really opened things up the rest of the game.  Subtle adjustment that made a huge difference.

I still believe Ayo was not right as well, towards the end of Big Ten Championship game he got popped in the head.  Coming off a concussion/MSU punch there's no way it wasn't re-aggravated.

Edited March 23 by gflore34

[jb10194]

It's a weird thought, but I've been thinking about what this Illini team might have looked like pre-NIL when we used scholarship grids to predict future rosters.

I know transfers would have still been likely (Skyy Clark), but I wonder how that theoretical lineup would have stacked up to the current roster.

I think that would end up being something like Clark, Jayden Epps, Amani Hansberry, Gibbs-Lawhorn, and Morez Johnson added to Tomi, Wagler, and Mirkovic.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

4 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

Back to back sweet 16s,hopefully Underwood can start landing some premier US talent. He has done well overseas, but his 2026 class has just 1 kid in the rivals top 150 ranking . He can't continue to rely on finding diamonds in the rough like Wagler if he wants to win it all.

I’ve been out of the loop since his recommitment from Wake Forest, but is Quentin Coleman still in play? He’d be a fantastic Wagler replacement.

 

I’ve read that Stojakovich may not be back next year, but more because his price tag is the highest on the roster and the staff might think they can spend that money more wisely elsewhere. I hope they can find a way to bring him back. I think he’s a great second scoring option.

 

i think the safe default assumption in this day and age is 75% of the roster transfers or goes pro, but Mirk, Stojakovich, Coleman, Morillo and whatever combination of the twins and Davis they can bring back would have me feeling really good. They’d still need a PG. don’t think petro is the guy.

[Irrelevant Dude]

29 minutes ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

i think the safe default assumption in this day and age is 75% of the roster transfers or goes pro, but Mirk, Stojakovich, Coleman, Morillo and whatever combination of the twins and Davis they can bring back would have me feeling really good. They’d still need a PG. don’t think petro is the guy.

I would probably let the Ivisic twins go if their NIL demands are anything significant.  That money can be better spent elswhere.  Bring back Mirk, Stojakovic, and Davis, then find some athletic types to fill the holes.  MAYBE Stojakovic takes a little less to stay at Illinois because he doesn't want to start over on a 4th team in 4 years?

[Tryptamine]

Sounds like Illinois is in on Cornell transfer guard Jake Fiegen

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5175900/jake-fiegen

 

Edited March 23 by Tryptamine

[Bobson Dugnutt]

1 hour ago, Tryptamine said:

Sounds like Illinois is in on Cornell transfer guard Jake Fiegen

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5175900/jake-fiegen

 

Terrence Hill Jr. is another name I’ve seen floating around.

[gflore34]

In 2022 Houston had the physical advantage over the Illini.  Illini were also dealing with pink eye, concussions, locust swarms, etc., neither of these things are the case this time.  In fact, the Illini have the physical advantage in size and should, provided the officiating doesn't let Houston get away with too much of their hacking, control the boards.

Edited March 23 by gflore34

[Brian707]

It just sucks this game is in Houston 

[gflore34]

Regarding Illinois - Houston, objectively, most of what's here makes sense - Sweet Sixteen Picks - but, it is the Illini and Brad Underwood.  Playing the Cougars in horsefeathers Houston.  Man, I loathe everything about Houston mainly, their POS coach.  If the Illini can't get the job done, as much as it pains me to say, I hope Nebraska/Iowa can take them down.  Even though chances are Nebraska/Iowa won't be able to get the job done either, I still want to see Sampson fail.

Edited March 24 by gflore34

[Brian707]

Houston the town is a horsefeathers hole no doubt 

[gflore34]

On 3/23/2026 at 3:20 PM, Irrelevant Dude said:

I would probably let the Ivisic twins go if their NIL demands are anything significant.  That money can be better spent elswhere.  Bring back Mirk, Stojakovic, and Davis, then find some athletic types to fill the holes.  MAYBE Stojakovic takes a little less to stay at Illinois because he doesn't want to start over on a 4th team in 4 years?

Why the horsefeathers can't the Illini just buy a championship?  IU did so in football which is arguably more difficult to do than basketball.  Doesn't Illinois have a version of Mark Cuban?  If not, maybe, several multi-millionaire Illini alum can pool their resources.  I want to see an Illini National Championship in basketball just once in my lifetime.

[Thurman Merman]

3 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Why the horsefeathers can't the Illini just buy a championship?  IU did so in football which is arguably more difficult to do than basketball.  Doesn't Illinois have a version of Mark Cuban?  If not, maybe, several multi-millionaire Illini alum can pool their resources.  I want to see an Illini National Championship in basketball just once in my lifetime.

You aren't going to like the answer to the illinois mark cuban

[Bobson Dugnutt]

43 minutes ago, Thurman Merman said:

You aren't going to like the answer to the illinois mark cuban

Yeah, the Ellisons have already ruined enough. Let’s keep them the horsefeathers away from Illinois.

[Thurman Merman]

7 hours ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

Yeah, the Ellisons have already ruined enough. Let’s keep them the horsefeathers away from Illinois.

Ha, I was thinking of an entirely other horrible billionaire. So glad my alma mater is churning out so many quality people.

[gflore34]

9 hours ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

Yeah, the Ellisons have already ruined enough. Let’s keep them the horsefeathers away from Illinois.

You're correct.

[gflore34]

4 hours ago, Thurman Merman said:

Ha, I was thinking of an entirely other horrible billionaire. So glad my alma mater is churning out so many quality people.

Buying a NC was just thought nevertheless, it's going to suck when the Illini lose tonight.  Most especially losing to a complete POS in Sampson.  Lying sacks of horsefeathers are winning quite a bit these days about time one of them lost.

Edited March 26 by gflore34

[sneakypower]

11 hours ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

Yeah, the Ellisons have already ruined enough. Let’s keep them the horsefeathers away from Illinois.

"imagine if Larry Ellison somehow took an interest in collegiate sports"

*monkey paw curls*

(his 6th wife asks him to buy her/University of Michigan a QB for Christmas)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This Texas/Purdue game has become such a ref-baiting slog that Texas is able to play a guy who can't walk and get away with it

[Thurman Merman]

Must have big ten officials in this game

[Brian707]

Illinois up 18 in 2nd half. Where is everybody?

[Thurman Merman]

Just now, Brian707 said:

Illinois up 18 in 2nd half. Where is everybody?

I'm here wishing this game was on 2 hours earlier. I'm gonna be tired tomorrow, but hopefully happy and tired.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

[Bobson Dugnutt]

2 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

Illinois up 18 in 2nd half. Where is everybody?

Another Brad Underwood Special.