Pranav Hegde

Joined: Apr 10, 2025

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Football

Nov 16, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema gives a hand to players before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Football

Illinois guard Aaliyah Guyton (1) locks up a Bellarmine ball-handler in the Illini's 90-41 win Tuesday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

News

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Felix Okpara (34), forward Nate Ament (10), guard Bishop Boswell (3) and forward J.P. Estrella (13) come back onto the court after a time during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are looking for their first victory away from home against an opponent that has owned them in recent years

News

Illinois dominated Le Moyne behind elite defense, balanced depth and efficient free throw shooting

Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) and UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) fight for a rebound in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini came out flat, fought back and eventually fell to a sensational Huskies squad – which got a rise out of social media

Basketball

A 6-foot-6, 205-pound forward from East Peoria, Kitt becomes the first Illini commit in the class of 2027

Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

News

The Illini pulled away after a tight first quarter, using defense, depth, and free throws to move to 6-1 on the young season

Nov 22, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Long Island University Sharks forward Mason Porter-Brown (6) drives with the ball into Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

UConn’s offense is a machine, and Illinois will need its best defensive showing yet to disrupt the Huskies’ rhythm

Nov 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The UConn Huskies pose for a photo after a game against the BYU Cougars at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini will head to New York City on Black Friday to take on the Huskies in what should be a hostile environment

Nov 15, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) runs the ball during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Football

The Illini are still gunning for a quality bowl and a win in their regular-season finale and rivalry game, so we ran our weekly sim to learn more

Illinois guard Maddie Webber (34) rises for a finish in the Illini's 84-64 win over Murray State last week at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

News

All the details to know about Illinois’ next game, a home matchup – and Friendsgiving! – against Western Kentucky in Champaign

Nov 24, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) drives the ball as U10 defends during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

A win is a win, but the Illini left a lot to be desired on the court against the Vaqueros – and social media let them have it

Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats wide receiver Hayden Eligon II (80) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Football

After an embarrassing performance in Madison last week, the Illini will be looking for a strong finish to the regular season at home

Illinois guard Gretchen Dolan (4) drives to the hoop against a Florida State defender in the Illini's 86-63 win over the Seminoles on Sunday at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.

News

The Illini (4-1) continued their hot start and took their first road win of the season against the Seminoles

Pranav Hegde

Joined: Apr 10, 2025

Illinois Early Signing Day Superlatives: Who Stood Out in the Illini's 2026 Class?

Illinois Flips 2026 Offensive Lineman Micah Smith From UCLA: Why it Matters

Why Illinois Tapping Into the JUCO Pipeline Is More Than Just a Quick Fix

Three Key Observations From Illinois WBB's Impressive Blowout of Bellarmine

Basketball

First Look at Illinois Basketball's Game 9 Opponent: Tennessee Volunteers

News

Three Key Observations From Illinois WBB's Impressive Blowout of Le Moyne

Basketball

Basketball

Four-Star Forward Quinton Kitt Commits to Illinois: How He Fits

News

Three Key Observations From Illinois WBB's 70-41 Win Over Western Kentucky

Basketball

Why UConn’s Offense Is So Hard to Guard – And How Illinois Can Counter

Basketball

First Look at Illinois Basketball's Game 8 Opponent: UConn Huskies

Football

EA Sports' 'College Football 26' Simulation Predicts Illinois vs. Northwestern

How to Watch Illinois Women's Basketball vs. Western Kentucky (Game 6)

First Look at Illinois Football's Week 14 Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats

Three Key Observations From Illinois WBB's 86-63 Win at Florida State