How Illinois Basketball Can Win the 2026 Big Ten Tournament

On Friday, Illinois will begin its run at a Big Ten Tournament championship, needing just three wins to secure the title after it clinched a triple bye behind a 15-5 conference record. The Illini are set to meet the winner of Wisconsin vs. Washington before a likely matchup with top-seeded Michigan, which just smacked around Illinois 84-70 less than two weeks ago in Champaign.

Here’s how the Illini can find themselves cutting down the nets in Chicago on Sunday:

5 keys to Illinois basketball winning the 2026 Big Ten Tournament

Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) drives to the basket on Maryland Terrapins forward Solomon Washington (9) during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Control the offensive glass

Illinois’ endlessly lauded offense is a product of two things: elite offensive talent and top-notch offensive rebounding. Focusing on the latter: The Illini’s shooting percentages aren’t anything to write home about, but their ability to get extra looks is a game-changer in terms of points per possession – which is truly what defines offensive efficiency.

Especially against worthy foes, Illinois depends on its board-cleaning success – which often comes down to sheer effort – to ensure it can survive any off nights from the field.

Keep opposing guards at bay

The Illini have been dissected time and again by athletic, shifty opposing guards. And with a potential matchup against John Blackwell, Nick Boyd and Wisconsin ahead in the quarterfinals, Illinois must find some answers.

Whether it’s taking away the downhill attack or the long-range bomb (and, in a dream world, both), the Illini simply cannot allow opposing guards to create with the freedom they have enjoyed thus far – otherwise, it won’t just be an early exit in the Big Ten Tournament but also likely the Big Dance, as well.

Consistency from the three-point line

Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) shoots during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Unlike defense, it’s impossible to be consistent shooting the ball. No player has ever tried to miss a shot. Although the quality of the look is important, the reality is sometimes the shots fall, sometimes they don’t.

With that in mind, when we mention consistency in terms of shooting beyond the arc, we’re talking about a reasonable minimum. If the Illini can stay above 30 percent, they won’t shoot themselves out of any game. But if they continue to hover in the 20s (as they have over their past two games), Brad Underwood’s club may not survive its inaugural 2026 conference tournament game.

Keep opponents out of transition

The Illini have switched it up this year. Instead of pushing the tempo, they have slowed things down to a snail’s pace. But certain opponents aren’t interested in that tempo, and Illinois hasn’t done enough to dictate the pace of the game. Michigan State outscored the Illini by 22 in transition, while Michigan did the same by nine.

The Illini, who have far too many miscommunications and inexplicable errors against teams that thrive in the open floor, need to find a way to stave off fastbreak attacks while continuing to have a presence on the offensive boards. Admittedly, that's a tall task.

Better contests at the three-point line

Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Andre Mills (7) shoots over ]Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) for a three point basket during the first half at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Underwood’s current preference for shutting down the interior – which Illinois has mostly done – and begging opponents to knock down shots from deep has some merit. As for the Illini’s penchant for simply disregarding a sub-30 percent three-point shooter, and the decision to seemingly make closeouts optional, well, that’s borderline blasphemous.

We’re all for playing the numbers and relying on the analytics, but let’s use some common sense here: the vast majority of high-major Division I basketball players can hit wide-open threes. And that should be the least of the worries for the Illini, who are prone to leaving fantastic shooters unattended, too.

Protect the rim, yes. But at all costs? Perhaps not. Illinois needs to acknowledge the scouting report and adjust accordingly. A team like Wisconsin can't be afforded open looks all night long, or it will be a night that ends with the Illini on the wrong side of the scoreboard.