How to Watch No. 10 Illinois vs. USC: TV, Tip-Off Time, More

Even during the most dominant stretch of the season for Illinois (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten), certain vulnerabilities revealed themselves to anyone willing to give an honest look. So when the Illini's first two-game losing streak of the season landed like – if you'll pardon the expression – a ton of bricks, concerns were understandable.

Then again, read back that last sentence once more. If you're an Illinois fan, you have to feel a little giddy talk about "the Illini's first two-game losing streak" in mid-February. Plus, Kylan Boswell is back from a right hand fracture, and Andrej Stojakovic – who was indeed on the plane for Illinois' current West Coast swing – may soon return from an ankle injury and join Boswell back in the starting lineup.

That leaves USC (18-7, 7-7) and coach Eric Musselman with a lot to chew on as they configure how best to match up with the Illini – an unenviable task even when the circumstances have been less favorable for Brad Underwood's group this season. The healthy return of Alijah Arenas has been a boon for the Trojans, and Chad Baker-Mazara is a stellar shot-maker in the midst of an all-conference-level campaign. USC's ceiling is high for a Big Ten middle-dweller, but the space between that and its floor is expansive. The Trojans will need a Herculean effort to fend off the Illini in the Galen Center on Wednesday (9 p.m. CT, BTN).

Here’s more information about the first stop on Illinois' two-game West Coast trip:

How to watch No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. USC Trojans

Set for the West Coast.

📅 Feb. 18
🆚 USC
⏰ 9 p.m. CT
📍Los Angeles, Calif.
📺 Big Ten Network pic.twitter.com/TJva2I8O6k
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 17, 2026

Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) vs. USC Trojans (18-7, 7-7)
What: Big Ten matchup
When: Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. CT
Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles
TV/streaming: BTN
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: Coming off overtime losses at Michigan State and against Wisconsin, Illinois made a brilliant recovery with a 71-51 home win over a hot Indiana club, fueled in part by the return of Boswell from a seven-game injury absence. Meanwhile, USC took an 89-82 loss at Ohio State after slipping by struggling Penn State by 2 a week earlier.
Series history: The Illini have usually come up short in their brief history clashing with the Trojans. Illinois is 3-9 in the all-time series – including, most recently, a stinging 82-72 defeat at the State Farm Center last January, in arguably the Illini's flattest performance of 2024-25.

Highlights of 71-51 Big Ten win vs. Indiana at State Farm Center. pic.twitter.com/0mD9BBStJi
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 16, 2026

What to know about USC

Eric Musselman, the son of former NCAA and NBA coach Bill Musselman, has an extensive track record of his own and ties from the Big Ten to the NBA to international basketball. He's a good coach who has already assembled a formidable collection of talent in just his second year at USC, but so far the Trojans are still putting all the pieces together. They have scorers (Chad Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar jump to mind) but are thin on shooting and sound guard play (USC has at least as many turnovers as assists in each of its past four games). For a deeper dive on the Trojans, check out our Illinois on SI First Look at USC.

GIMME DAT.

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/89JBBX1luc
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 12, 2026