Inside Illini Basketball

That's "slam dunk" in Estonian, and adding the Tabasalu native out of the transfer portal was exactly that for Illinois this offseason. Vaaks fits the mold Brad Underwood prefers with positional size and shooting and no glaring gap in his overall skill set. A combination that's worked well for the Estonian national team this month and projects to be a big deal in Champaign for the 2026-27 season....

Workouts continue for Illinois, with the whole team save for Stefan Vaaks (back in Estonia for World Cup qualifiers) on campus and putting in the summer grind. David Mirkovic has been among the summer standouts — both on the court and for his work with strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses the goings on at Ubben, the NBA draft and Summer League opportuni...

This is a big week for Illinois with Keaton Wagler (and maybe Kylan Boswell) in the 2026 NBA Draft and the second week of summer workouts underway at Ubben Basketball Complex. Lottery pick. Reports of an impressive 2026-27 team in Champaign. Things  really are coming up Illinois. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more, including some recruting tidbits, in this week's Inside Illini Basket...

Roster retention put Illinois in position to be considered one of the top teams in the country heading into the 2026-27 season. But there are still roles to fill in the rotation, including a rather notable Keaton Wagler-sized hole. Figuring out a familiar, but still semi-new look roster and rotation will be priority No. 1 with summer workouts underway this month. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses...

Quentin Coleman was the most consistent player on the court for Team USA during its entire FIBA U18 AmeriCup run and the only American to make the All-Star Five. The one nitpick? It only came with a silver medal. But Coleman's performance in Leon, Mexico, further strengthened the idea he can be an impact player for Illinois as a true freshman in 2026-27. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and...

Illinois was a clear winner following the NBA draft early entrant withdrawal deadline. Andrej Stojakovic's return to Champaign for the 2026-27 season — full retention — raises Illinois' floor and ceiling. It's not crazy to think about Detroit and another Final Four. Maybe even that elusive national championship. Even in June. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that and more in this week's episode...

Illinois coach Brad Underwood joins our Scott Richey for another milestone episode of Inside Illini Basketball and a wide-ranging conversation that hit on the Final Four run, building the 2026-27 roster, Underwood's contract extension and the growth of college basketball.

The NBA draft is less than two months away, with Keaton Wagler still projected as a high lottery pick. Brad Underwood is in line for a contract extension and raise (and so is his coaching staff). Several Illinois players could have national team opportunities around the world. Everything's coming up Illinois, and beat writer Scott Richey discusses it all in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

This week is an important one for Illinois' Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic with the NBA draft combine . Beat writer Scott Richey will eventually join them in Chicago, but until then he breaks down all things draft related to the likely lottery pick and the other two trying to improve their stock in this week's Inside Illini Basketball. 

Beat writer Scott Richey answers a series of questions during this week's Inside Illini Basketball, including the NBA draft future for a trio of Illinois standouts, where David Mirkovic ranks among the best players in the Big Ten heading into the 2026-27 season and just how may two-pointers Jake Davis might make next year.

Keaton Wagler projects as a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Kylan Boswell could go from Champaign to the league if his second-round projection holds. Andrej Stojakovic is testing the draft waters. Illinois sending guards to the NBA has become a trend, and Ayo Dosunmu is making an even bigger name for himself this month in the playoffs. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses the draft, recruiting a...

Last week solidified Illinois as legitimate contender as the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Retention was the offseason priority in Champaign, and Brad Underwood and Co. were able to follow through by bringing back everyone possible from last season's Final Four rotation except for  NBA-bound Keaton Wagler. Add in Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks and an intriguing five-man freshman class, an...

A newsworthy weekend jumpstarted Illinois' offseason, with one expected goodbye (Keaton Wagler to the NBA), a major transfer addition (Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks) and two Balkans hitting the portal (Mihailo Petrovic and Toni Bilic). Brad Underwood and Co. are still waiting for the most important offseason news, however, with retention still priority No. 1 in running back as much of the Final...

The transfer portal officially opens April 7 even if hundreds of players have already made their intentions to leave their current college basketball home clear. The better to be tampered with, of course.  But the best case scenario for Illinois might be to only have to dabble in the portal. Retention is at the top of Brad Underwood and Co.'s to do list, starting with a guy like David Mirkovic and...

Illinois is back in the Final Four for the first time in 21 years with a team that has as good a chance to win the whole thing as any that will make their way to Indianapolis this weekend. An All-American point guard. Multiple stretch bigs. A couple of slashers. Not to mention a defense improving at exactly the right time. Beat writer Scott Richey, who has chronicled every moment of the NCAA tourn...

Illinois is back in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years after romping its way through two rounds in Greenville, S.C. Next up? A Sweet 16 showdown with Houston ... in Houston. A challenge for Kylan Boswell and Co., but one that can be cleared as one of the best offenses in the country squares off against one of the best defenses. Exactly the kind of matchup you want at this stage of the...

Did Illinois play well enough down the stretch in the regular season or in the Big Ten tournament to land in St. Louis for the opening round of the NCAA tournament? No. Losing four of eight to end the regular season and then go one-and-done in the Big Ten tournament sent Illinois into March Madness trending the wrong direction. But having to head to Greenville, S.C., came with a fairly favorable N...

With the regular season in the books, all eyes now turn to Chicago and the Big Ten tournament. An opening act for the NCAA tournament, sure, but a place where Illinois can build some momentum with a shot at multiple résumé-boosting wins. The Big Ten will announce its season awards before games tip in Chicago on Tuesday night, and Illinois' Keaton Wagler is a lock for at least freshman of the year...

Games against Oregon and Maryland in the final week of the regular season couldn't have come at a better time for an Illinois team that has lost four of its last six games, playing itself out of Big Ten regular season championship contention and putting a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament at jeopardy. The Ducks and Terrapins are the exact kind of "get right" opponents needed. Beat writer Scott Ric...

Winning a share of the Big Ten regular season title certainly got much more difficult after a split the Los Angeles trip. Now, Illinois has to do what it can to protect its spot on the No. 2 seed line for the NCAA tournament. Beating Michigan on Friday would certainly help. Not losing to Oregon or Maryland to end the regular season is even more important. Beat writer Scott Richey discusses that, t...

Illinois got back on track with Sunday's blowout win against Indiana. Turns out getting Kylan Boswell back in the lineup was a big deal. A return that came just in time for a pivotal West Coast trip, with games against USC and UCLA that will either keep Illinois in the hunt for a Big Ten regular season title or make it easier for Michigan, Purdue or Nebraska to claim the league championship. Beat...

Beat writer Scott Richey fields a series of true or false statements concerning Illinois. Up for debate? Big Ten officiating, the timeline for  Kylan Boswell's return, Illinois' place as a Big Ten championship contender and more all discussed in this week's Inside Illini Basketball.

Scott Richey and Loren Tate team up to discuss Illinois' big win at Nebraska and the potential of landing a Number 1 seed for the NCAA tournament in this week's Inside Illini Basketball podcast.

Nine straight wins. Five on the road in Big Ten play. Scoring and shooting records getting reset by a star freshman. A rise in the national rankings. Illinois is in a good place after another 2-0 week included Keaton Wagler's record-setting performance at Purdue. Illinois has legitimized itself as not only a Big Ten title contender, but a threat to win the national championship. Basketball school....

Illinois has an opportunity to cement its place among the legimtiate Big Ten title contenders — and the best teams in the country — Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind. (With the idea mid-week business is handled against Maryland). It's that weekend matchup with Purdue, though, that stands as a litmus test for Illinois. Seven straight wins (and perhaps an eighth against the Terrapins) is goo...