How to Watch No. 13 Illinois Basketball vs. No. 5 UConn (Game 8)

Illini Nation hasn't forgotten.

Roughly a year and a half ago, a seasoned – and some believed special – Illinois team came up against a juggernaut in UConn in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight round, suffering a 77-52 beatdown that was non-competitive from almost the opening jump. Looking back, the Illini never stood a chance against those Huskies, who would win the NCAA championship two games later in a thumping of top-seeded Purdue.

But that is, on the short arc of the college basketball timeline, ancient history. Among the Illinois players from that team, only Ty Rodgers remains from that team – and he won't be suiting up when No. 13 Illinois (6-1) meets No. 5 UConn (5-1) at Madison Square Garden in New York City (11:30 a.m. CT, FOX). It's a new day, a new season, a new mountain to climb.

Here's more information on Monday's non-conference showdown in Champaign:

How to watch Illinois Fighting Illini vs. UConn Huskies

Highlights of our 98-58 victory at State Farm Center over Long Island.https://t.co/40okoF1d9N
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 22, 2025

Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) vs. UConn (5-1)
What: Neutral-site non-conference matchup
When: Friday, Nov. 28 at 11:30 a.m. CT
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City
TV/streaming: FOX
Radio/audio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM; Chicago: WLS 890 AM); Fighting Illini Productions; Varsity Network App
Last week: After falling to then-No. 11 Alabama at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 19, Illinois returned to Champaign's State Farm Center to take down Long Island (98-58) and UT Rio Grande Valley (87-73) in its two games last week. UConn suffered its first loss of the season in a 71-67 defeat against Arizona in Storrs, then bounced back with a 72-49 win over Bryant.
Series history: Illinois is 1-3 against UConn all time. In the teams' most recent (and memorable) matchup, the Huskies rolled the 77-52 on March 30, 2024 in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight before going on to win the national championship.

What to know about UConn

Unless you're a Central Connecticut resident, Dan Hurley may be the most grating basketball coach in the galaxy – but he also could be its most brilliant. A son of Hall of Fame high school coach Bob Hurley, brother to former Duke All-American and current Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley, and a former pupil under P.J. Carlesimo, Dan Hurley comes by his personality and his hoops IQ honestly.

The Huskies would likely be formidable by plugging a team of IT interns into Hurley's pinpoint system, but they have reloaded since their 2024 title run and are solidly in the mix of the current championship contenders. (Check out our Illinois on SI First Look of UConn for more.) Would an Illini win add them to that short list? You would have to think so, especially given their recent history at MSG (last season's Duke debacle) and the fact that Friday will be a whiteout of rabid Huskies fans at "Storrs South." If Illinois can overcome all that – plus UConn's talent and Hurley's scheming – it would be proof that anything is possible for this program in 2025-26.

Highlights of our 87-73 victory at State Farm Center over UT Rio Grande Valley.https://t.co/2tfG6PZQT1
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 25, 2025