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Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Basketball: Where the Roster Now Stands After Flurry of Decisions

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Wednesday brought a massive flurry of news for Illinois basketball. David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic all confirmed that they are coming back for next season. Then on Thursday morning, we learned that Ty Rodgers is entering the transfer portal. So what does the current roster look like for 2026-27 Illinois basketball? This chart below is up to date, … [Read more...] about Illinois Basketball: Where the Roster Now Stands After Flurry of Decisions

Josh Whitman Brought a New Golden Era to Illini Athletics

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When Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, gave his farewell address it included this famous quote: "only when you're in the lowest valley, do you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain." As the Illinois men's basketball team heads to Indianapolis this weekend, to face UConn in the Final Four, one can't help but think of this quote. Illinois … [Read more...] about Josh Whitman Brought a New Golden Era to Illini Athletics

Illini Land Stefan Vaaks, Fill Shooting Guard Void Left by Keaton Wagler Departure

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As soon as it opened, the men's basketball transfer portal had a flood of names in it. It was well over 1,000 names, and then quickly surpassed 2,000, just like that. And pretty soon, the transfer market was open, and recruiting efforts were already well underway. The Illinois Fighting Illini got a very sought after asset in Providence shooting guard Stefan Vaaks. He fills this … [Read more...] about Illini Land Stefan Vaaks, Fill Shooting Guard Void Left by Keaton Wagler Departure

Illini Basketball Transfer Talk: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic

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March Madness is now over and the transfer portal is open, so you know what that means, Illini basketball fans- the silly season is here. It's time for the first 2026 edition of Illini basketball transfer talk, and we have items on three different players: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic and Toni Bilic. By the way, and this is no surprise here, Keaton Wagler has officially … [Read more...] about Illini Basketball Transfer Talk: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic

Mihailo Petrovic Exclusive: ‘Final Four was a beautiful experience’

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During Illinois' opening round NCAA Tournament rout over Penn, Philadelphia Eagles icon, soon-to-be brother-in-law of Taylor Swift and guy who appears in every third commercial that airs during a NFL game Jason Kelce tweeted about the Illini. “Who knew that Illinois had so many Serbians,” the ESPN talking posted on Twitter. Actually, Illinois only has one Serbian on the roster, … [Read more...] about Mihailo Petrovic Exclusive: ‘Final Four was a beautiful experience’

Andrej Stojakovic Making Own Name for Himself; He’s Much More than Peja’s Son

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As the Illinois Fighting Illini went on their deep run through March, certain story angles got beaten to death. We chronicled most of them in our Illinois Fighting Illini Bingo Card/Drinking Game with "Camera Shows Peja Stojakovic" near the top of the list. Right next to it is "Announcer Says Andrej Stojakovic Has a Completely Different Kind of Game tha His Ftaher." Ok, we get … [Read more...] about Andrej Stojakovic Making Own Name for Himself; He’s Much More than Peja’s Son

Exclusive with Keaton Wagler: “once you’re an Illini, you’re always an Illini”

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Keaton Wagler, what else is there left to say about this sensational freshman at this point? Is he coming back to Illinois next season? Well, probably not, as he projects out as a NBA Draft lottery pick. Most likely, he will be top 10, perhaps top 8 overall, should he declare. Another reporter asked him if he's determined his future yet, on Saturday night, after the Final … [Read more...] about Exclusive with Keaton Wagler: “once you’re an Illini, you’re always an Illini”

David Mirkovic on Illini Loss: ‘it just wasn’t our day, it happens’

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Illinois Fighting Illini power forward David Mirkovic said it best in postgame: "It just happens, the basketball, it doesn't want to get in." That was exactly how it felt watching Illinois lose to UConn 71-62 tonight in the Final Four. The Illini got a lot of great open looks, both inside and outside. Assistant coach/offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood had the system … [Read more...] about David Mirkovic on Illini Loss: ‘it just wasn’t our day, it happens’

Illini Basketball Game Preview, Prediction: Final Four vs UConn

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When this Illini basketball team lost to UConn at Madison Square Garden on Black Friday, it was a game that didn't receive much hype. After all, it was an early tip-off on the day after Thanksgiving, on many people were more focused on food, shopping, holiday season activities and football than they were on basketball. And then the game itself lived down to the lack of hype, … [Read more...] about Illini Basketball Game Preview, Prediction: Final Four vs UConn