Illini now

Social Media Reacts to Illinois Basketball's Stunning Defeat Against Wisconsin

The Illini were down two starters when they fell at home to the Badgers on Tuesday, and social media had strong feelings about all of it
Pranav Hegde|
Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives the ball against Wisconsin Badgers guard Braedon Carrington (0) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives the ball against Wisconsin Badgers guard Braedon Carrington (0) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

In this story:

Illinois Fighting IlliniWisconsin Badgers

Illinois had every opportunity to win Tuesday's game. Instead, the Illini let it slip away.

In a 92-90 overtime loss to Wisconsin, Illinois wasted a monster performance from Keaton Wagler and turned what should have been a bounce-back win into one of the most frustrating defeats of the season.

Let’s start with the obvious: Wagler was phenomenal. After a rare off night, he responded with 34 points on 12-for-23 field-goal shooting and 5-for-10 marksmanship from three. He played 44 minutes and carried the offense for long stretches. It was exactly the kind of star response you want to see from your go-to guy.

But it wasn’t enough.

Illinois was dealt a blow before tip-off when Andrej Stojakovic was ruled out because of an ankle injury. His absence mattered. The Illini lacked another shot creator and on-ball defender, and when option No. 1 wasn't enough, there wasn’t a reliable Plan B to settle things down.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s backcourt put on a clinic: Nick Boyd (25 points) and John Blackwell (24) had their way with Illinois all night. They repeatedly beat defenders off the dribble, knocked down threes and made tough shots late. The Illini defense – which has shown flashes this season – simply wasn't good enough. Rotations were slow, point-of-attack defense was often nonexistent and help defense routinely arrived a step too late.

To put it bluntly: Illinois' defense was garbage.

Wisconsin shot 44.4 percent from three and consistently got clean looks. In overtime, it felt inevitable that Blackwell or Boyd would create something positive.

Offensively, the Illini weren’t bad at all. They scored 90 points and shot over 50 percent from the field. The process, though, wasn’t pretty. There was far too much standing around and watching Wagler cook. Ball movement stalled, possessions turned into isolation-heavy sets, and when the shots stopped falling for brief stretches, the offense had no rhythm to fall back on.

And then there were the free throws.

Illinois shot 11-for-19 from the line. Eight missed free throws. In a two-point overtime loss. You don’t need advanced analytics to calculate that it was the difference.

Missed opportunities at the stripe late made it even more painful. These were winning plays left on the table. Combine that with defensive breakdowns, and you get a loss that felt entirely preventable.

That’s what makes this one sting.

Social media, as you might imagine, had plenty to say – some measured frustration, some full-blown meltdowns. The reality is somewhere in between. The Illini are still a very good team, but games like this highlight the margin for error in the Big Ten. You can’t defend the way Illinois did Tuesday and expect to contend. You can’t miss almost half your free throws. And you can’t rely on one player to do it all.

Tomi starts out hot

Welcome back, Hawk

Ben Humrichous with some big plays

Wagler with a huge bounce-back

Tough circumstances

A brutal 'L'

Need the studs back

Tip your cap to Wisconsin

Published
Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

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__.

Home/Basketball