Illinois basketball is already 2-0, but the real measuring-stick stretch is about to begin.
That’s the backdrop for this week’s TCR Reacts poll, which asked readers how many non-conference games the Fighting Illini will win this season. The most common answer landed in the 9-10 win range, with 9-3 or 10-2 emerging as the clear consensus.
Illinois has 12 non-conference games on the schedule, so that prediction essentially gives Brad Underwood’s team room to stumble a few times before Big Ten play takes over. Nearly one-quarter of voters think the Illini can push even further and go 11-1.
The confidence makes sense. FanDuel Sportsbook has Illinois with the fourth-highest odds in the country to win the national championship, and the roster comes with plenty to like after a 28-win season and a trip to the Final Four. Underwood also has a mix that should draw attention all season: a few rotation players back, a star-heavy freshman class and an impact transfer in Vaaks.
Still, the schedule is about to sharpen fast. Illinois opened with blowout wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn, but Tuesday brings the first major test with a road trip to Texas Tech.
After that comes another tough one away from home against Duke on Nov. 17.
The Illini also have UConn in Chicago on Dec. 4, Missouri in the annual Braggin’ Rights game and North Carolina in Nashville on Jan.
- That’s a non-conference slate with very little room to coast, which is why the reader poll settled where it did: strong expectations, but not a perfect run.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Took Another Painful Hit In The Backfield
Illinois kept rolling with a 24-13 win over Nebraska, extending its conference surge and giving the Illini their first four-game league winning streak since 2022. Katin Houser led the offense with 292 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping Illinois keep control of a game that mattered both in the standings and in the bigger picture of where this team is headed.
Javari Barnetts afternoon ended on a far more troubling note. The freshman running back went down with a lower-leg injury and was carted off the field, leaving Illinois to wait on the extent of the damage to a backfield that has already had to absorb plenty this season. For a team trying to build momentum, the win was important, but the injury cloud hanging over Barnett may linger longer than the celebration. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Chasing An Intriguing Frontcourt Fit With One Big Question
Illinois basketball has spent the recent offseason without adding an international player, but it appears to be keeping an eye on a potentially useful frontcourt piece in Lithuanian forward Ignas Stombergas. He was in attendance for Illinois game against Penn, a small but meaningful sign of interest as the staff continues sorting through options for the future. What makes Stombergas intriguing is the blend of athleticism, defense and rebounding that could translate well in the Big Ten if the rest of his game keeps coming along.
The appeal is obvious enough for Illinois to keep digging, especially with frontcourt depth always a priority for a program trying to stay physical and versatile. The question, as it so often is with young bigs, is whether the shooting can catch up to the rest of the profile. If it does, Stombergas could become a legitimate fit in Illinois system, but for now he remains more of a developmental target than a finished product. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Faces A Huge Frontcourt Recruiting Test With 7-Foot-1 Target
Illinois is getting an early look at one of the more intriguing frontcourt prospects in the 2027 class, with 7-foot-1 center Jack Thelen set for an official visit. The former Wisconsin commit has already been on the move in his recruitment, including a recent trip to UConn that ended with an offer, and Illinois is clearly tracking him as a possible answer to future size needs inside.
The timing matters because the Illini are already thinking ahead to expected roster turnover in the frontcourt, and Thelen fits the kind of long-term reinforcement they may need to keep stacking depth. Illinois has not offered yet, which makes this visit an important evaluation point for both sides as the staff gauges whether he belongs on the board and Thelen gets a closer look at what Champaign could offer. [Read more 🡒]