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Illinois guard Destiny Jackson (2) looks for a path past Vanderbilt forward Aiyana Mitchell (14) during the second half of a second round NCAA college basketball tournament game at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, March 23, 2026.

The Illini's season came to an end on Monday, as a very talented Commodores squad was too much to overcome in the NCAA Tournament

News

The Illini's season came to an end on Monday, as a very talented Commodores squad was too much to overcome in the NCAA Tournament

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Basketball

Brad Underwood and the Illini were sent home by the Cougars in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Here's how they can use those lessons to win this time around.

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois head coach Brad Underwood yells to his players during the 1st half against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini and Cougars have each taken care of business through two games thus far – but only one will Thursday. Who will prevail in the Sweet 16?

News

A win over Vanderbilt would put Illinois in the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 1997-1998 season

Illinois guard Aaliyah Guyton (1) celebrates defeating Colorado with her team in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 21, 2026.

News

For the second straight year, the Illini advanced to the Round of 32, where a formidable Commodore squad awaits

Mar 21, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) reacts after a made basket during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are back in the Sweet 16, but a terrifying Cougars team awaits them

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) scores near VCU Rams forward Michael Belle (8) March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Basketball

The Illini delivered strong individual performances almost across the board agains the Rams, and it showed in a

Basketball

One scintillating sequence in the Illini's second-round win over the Rams had the internet reeling – in a good way – during Saturday's NCAA Tournament bonanza

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is shown after their game Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Illinois beat Wisconsin 34-10.

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Football

Illinois added more depth to its receiving corps after signing Illinois transfer Eddie Kasper on Thursday

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives to the basket against VCU Rams forward Jadrian Tracey (2) during the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini knocked off the Rams to advance to the Sweet 16. Here are the numbers that explain how they did it.

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings (0) defends against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) during the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Illini wing Stojakovic spent two years on the West Coast but hadn't played in an NCAA Tournament game. Now he's playing in the Sweet 16.

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini advanced to the Sweet 16 in dominant fashion, and as usual social media had plenty to say about it

News

The Illini opened the NCAA Tournament with yet another program-building victory, this time over the Buffaloes

Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) defends the shot of VCU Rams guard Tyrell Ward (15) Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Basketball

The Illini knocked off VCU to advance to the Sweet 16, and their hope is that they're nowhere near kicking off their dancing shoes

Feb 11, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) dribbles the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

Illinois products are all thriving in one way or another – headlined by Ayo Dosunmu's emergence in Minnesota

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) dribbles the ball against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Basketball

The No. 3-seeded Illini (25-8) are Goliaths in this matchup, but will the Rams (28-7) play David for the second game in a row?

Mar 3, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) drives against Oregon Ducks forward Sean Stewart (13) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Basketball

Rams head coach Phil Martelli Jr. spoke on the challenges the 'super tough' Mirkovic will pose in Saturday's second-round matchup

Illinois Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood speaks during a press conference ahead of the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Basketball

The No. 3-seeded Illini face an upset-minded No. 11 VCU team that defeated North Carolina in overtime in the first round

Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) shoots against the Penn Quakers during the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Basketball

The freshman forward Mirkovic totaled 29 points and 17 rebounds in a dominant win over Fran McCaffery's Quakers

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

News

Shauna Green has the seventh-seeded Illini nearing uncharted territory, but they will have to go through the No. 10 Buffaloes to get there

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts to a play against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Basketball

The Illini are the favorite – and a heavy one at that – but they're vulnerable against this scorching-hot Rams unit

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood instructs his team against the Penn Quakers in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Basketball

The third-seeded Illini are expected to take down the 11th-seeded Rams, but how confident are the metrics in Illinois?

Basketball

Illinois gets a dangerous but manageable Round of 32 test against VCU, with a Sweet 16 berth on the line in Greenville, South Carolina

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) goes to the basket against Penn Quakers center Michelangelo Oberti (33) in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Basketball

Ivisic, the Illini's sweet-shooting big man, has been quiet in recent games but is in line for a strong outing on Saturday against the Rams

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) is defended by Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Basketball

If the Illini (25-8) have learned all their hard lessons, the Rams (27-7) – as dangerous as they are – will be a footnote in their 2026 NCAA Tournament run