Illinois returns four starters from a Final Four team and deserves to be in the conversation for preseason No. 1.

1. Illinois

Last season: 28-9 (15-5 Big Ten), Final Four

Coach: Brad Underwood, 10th season at Illinois. Underwood has it rolling at Illinois and is coming off his first Final Four. The Illini have finished in the top two of the conference in four of the last six seasons.

Key player: David Mirkovic is one of the hardest matchups in college basketball, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound point forward. With the loss of Keaton Wagler, Mirkovic will be used even more as the Illini’s primary handler. He has All-American potential.

Stat to know: The Illini are the perfect illustration of how basketball has evolved. They were the tallest team in college hoops last season, according to Ken Pomeroy’s tracking, and yet they attempted nearly half of their shots (49.7 percent) from 3.

Why they’re interesting: Five of the six leading scorers are back from an offense that was tied for the most efficient in the modern era (and likely all time). That kind of retention is very rare but not all that surprising for a group that seemed to love being around each other.

Read for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7681960/2026/10/12/big-ten-basketball-predictions-illinois-michigan-state/?unlocked_article_code=1.IFE.YR2_.ukfLKS7gtZyW&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta

According to Bret Bielema: "I do know he had something broken in his hand"

ILLINOIS WINS 38-37 IN OVERTIME VS MICHIGAN STATE, GIVING BIELEMA A 5-0 EECORD IN OT.

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Your Fighting Illini take on the Michigan State Spartans at 2:30PM on FS1 in East Lansing, MI

Podziemski just signed a $110M contract extension with Golden State. Then I suddenly remembered he actually played for Illinois in the 2021-2022 season. Looks like he transferred to Santa Clara to get more playing time (or maybe money). Why did he not receive more playing time at Illinois?

Brother went to U of I but I went to Oregon so my dad and I are heading to Oregon at U of I. I am looking for any game day suggestions. We are hoping to get into town early that day to tailgate or bar hop. Any advice would be great!

Here’s some positive football news, former Illini catches 58 yard TD against the Bears! It’s his first receiving TD! Congratulations!

It's becoming a major issue where every season we seem to have a deflating loss for the season or just a bad loss

2022-7-1 chance for big ten division title is ours and we drop 2 in a row to mich st and purdue at home

2023-get destoryed by purdue then lose right to nebraska

2024-lose to minnesota when we were 6-2

2025- lose to washington deflating playoff hopes then lose to a bad wisconsin team

2026-deflating loss to duke and a awful loss to purdue

Purdue 24-Illinois 17. Brutal.

Not much more to say…. Do we win about game this year?

IT’S PURDUE. HOW???

Your Fighting Illini take on the Purdue Boilermakers at 3:15PM on BTN in Champaign

My friend and I are looking to go to the homecoming game today. Is it possible for him to get a student ticket through someone else or will they not allow him in since he doesn’t go to uiuc?

Going to the game today at Memorial Stadium. We have bleacher seats. We’re wondering what the rules are regarding bringing our stadium seats?

just me or is he smiling every time he announces a call that hurts the Illini?

the TD called back for holding, the review of purdues TD, etc

weplayed bad but what’s up with that guy?