The Illinois Fighting Illini are suddenly facing a moment of reckoning. After climbing to No. 8 in the latest AP Poll, Illinois dropped its second straight game Tuesday night - this time in heartbreaking fashion.
A 92-90 overtime loss to Wisconsin in Champaign saw the Illini blow a 12-point lead with just over eight minutes left in regulation. It’s the first time all season they’ve lost back-to-back games, and the timing couldn’t be worse with Big Ten title hopes hanging in the balance.
At 20-5 overall and 11-3 in the Big Ten, Illinois now finds itself chasing the conference-leading Michigan Wolverines (22-1, 12-1), and the path forward just got steeper. But despite the setback, head coach Brad Underwood isn’t hitting the panic button - especially given the circumstances.
“Really proud of our guys,” Underwood said postgame. “Tough one to lose.
Really off script for us with 13 turnovers, most we've had in league play. Then just a very poor night on the offensive glass.
Very seldom do you shoot 53 percent and lose.”
He’s not wrong. Shooting over 50 percent from the field typically puts you in the driver’s seat.
But turnovers and second-chance points are killers in close games, and Illinois felt both of those stings Tuesday night. What makes the loss even more frustrating is that the Illini were without two key backcourt pieces: Andrej Stojaković (ankle sprain) and Kylan Boswell (fractured hand).
Their absence forced Illinois to lean even harder on guard Keaton Wagler, who rose to the occasion - and then some.
Wagler was electric, pouring in a game-high 34 points and keeping Illinois afloat throughout the night. But even his big night couldn’t mask the frustrations that boiled over for Underwood, particularly when it came to the officiating.
“I’m done,” Underwood said, visibly frustrated. “I’m very frustrated. Because it changes so much from game to game.”
Underwood specifically pointed to a 10-second violation and a questionable out-of-bounds call in overtime that he felt shifted the momentum. His frustration reached a boiling point, and he cut his media availability short, walking off the podium after delivering pointed comments about the officiating crew.
“We had a guy [ref] tonight we haven’t had in two years,” Underwood said. “In two years...do a league game.”
The officiating aside, Illinois had its chances. Alongside Wagler’s scoring outburst, center Tomislav Ivišić chipped in 19 points and forward David Mirković added 12. Jake Davis - who got a big ovation from the Orange Krush student section, many of whom wore wigs in his honor - added 11 more.
But Wisconsin came to play. The Badgers, who had dropped two of their last four, got a massive lift from their backcourt.
John Blackwell and Nate Boyd combined for 49 points, and their shot-making down the stretch was the difference. It also marked Wisconsin’s first road win over Illinois in seven years - a milestone that wasn’t lost on head coach Greg Gard.
“What a heck of a college basketball game between two really, really good teams,” Gard said afterward. “I thought we executed as well as we wanted to.
They were able to hit some tough shots at times. I can’t say enough about the job our guys did just to battle back when we got down.”
Now, Illinois has to regroup - and fast. They’ll welcome Indiana to Champaign on Sunday afternoon in what feels like a must-win to keep pace in the Big Ten race. The Hoosiers (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) have been inconsistent but dangerous, and Illinois can’t afford to let this mini-slide turn into something more serious.
“There’s no reason for negativity now,” Ivišić said, sitting next to Wagler after the game. “We got a lot of games left.
We’re in a good spot. We can’t be affected by this.
We need to be ready. We’ll get some guys back and go with the mentality to win.
Losing is not an option.”
That’s the mindset Illinois needs. The Big Ten title chase is still alive, but the margin for error is shrinking.
The Illini have shown flashes of being one of the most complete teams in the country. Now, it’s about putting it all together - staying healthy, staying focused, and finding a way to close games when it matters most.