Illinois Page 7 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Luke Altmyer powers No. 12 Illinois to opening blowout of WIU
Luke Altmyer threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and No. 12 Illinois scored on its first five possessions to trigger a 52-3 season-opening victory over Western Illinois on Friday night in Champaign, Ill.,Altmyer completed 17 of 21 passes for the Illini, who played with an AP Top 25 ranking in t...
No. 12 Illinois attempts to put winning on repeat in 2025
No. 12 Illinois has claimed a spot in the preseason Top 25 poll for the first time since 2008. ,That's a long time ago, but it pales in comparison to the last time Illinois pulled off back-to-back excellent seasons. That hasn't happened since John Mackovic was in charge, when the Jeff George-led 198...
Illinois sportsbook operators hit with per-bet tax of 25-50 cents
Illinois sportsbooks are determining their next move after legislators passed a $55.2 billion budget on Saturday that included a bet fee of 25 to 50 cents per wager.,The bill calls for sportsbooks to pay the tax on every bet, which could be passed on to public bettors. The stock market reacted by de...
Illinois' Brad Underwood agrees to contract extension through 2031
Illinois has rewarded men's basketball coach Brad Underwood for five consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and six straight 20-win seasons with a three-year contract extension that takes him through the 2030-31 season.,Athletic director Josh Whitman announced Tuesday that Underwood's new deal also boos...
Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic commits to Illinois
Former Cal guard Andrej Stojakovic committed to Illinois on Monday.,Stojakovic, the son of former Sacramento Kings All-Star Peja Stojakovic, made the announcement in a post to X. He chose the Illini over North Carolina and Stanford.,"They really believe I'm the missing piece to what they think is a ...
Illinois PG Kasparas Jakucionis enters NBA draft
Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis, projected as a top-10 NBA pick, declared for the 2025 draft on Monday.,The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a freshman for the Fighting Illini, but he told ESPN he's ready for the next level.,"I've waited for this mom...
Kentucky tops Illinois, makes first Sweet 16 since 2019
MILWAUKEE -- Koby Brea had 23 points and Otega Oweh added 15 to pace third-seeded Kentucky to an 84-75 victory over No. 6 Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region on Sunday.,Kentucky (24-11) will face second-seeded Tennessee in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Indianapolis.,Kent...
Short-handed due to injuries, Illinois eliminates Creighton
Limited to six players due to injuries, No. 8 seed Illinois secured its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000, defeating No. 9 Creighton 66-57 in the first round of the Birmingham 3 Region at Austin, Texas, on Saturday. ,Illinois (22-9) was led by Genesis Bryant's 17 points and four assists and Kenda...
Illinois healthy for second-round matchup with Kentucky
MILWAUKEE -- Third-seeded Kentucky will face a maturing Illinois team getting healthy at the right time in a second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region on Sunday.,Sixth-seeded Illinois (22-12) advanced with an 86-73 victory over 11th-seeded Xavier on Friday. Kentucky (23-11) pulled...
Illinois pulls away from Xavier, earns date with Kentucky
MILWAUKEE -- Will Riley scored 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace sixth-seeded Illinois to an 86-73 victory over 11th-seeded Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region on Friday.,Illinois (22-12) advances to a Sunday second-round game against...
Inconsistent Illinois looking for offensive rhythm vs. Xavier
MILWAUKEE -- Illinois will be looking to regain its offensive form when the sixth-seeded Fighting Illini face No. 11 Xavier in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament South Region on Friday.,Illinois (21-12), making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, lost to Maryland 88-65 in the quarterfinals ...
No. 11 Maryland blasts No. 24 Illinois to advance to Big Ten semis
Rodney Rice scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the first nine minutes Friday night and No. 2 Maryland emphatically advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament by routing 7th-seeded Illinois 88-65 in Indianapolis.,Rice was 7 of 9 from 3-point range, converting a pair of 4-poi...
No. 11 Maryland takes on No. 24 Illinois in Big Ten tournament
Getting the second seed for the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis might be the classic good-news, bad-news situation for Maryland, which will play its first tournament game Friday evening, against seventh-seeded Illinois.,The good news? Not only did the No. 11-ranked Terrapins (24-7) get...
No. 24 Illinois lights up Iowa for 106 points in Big Ten tourney win
Kylan Boswell recorded 24 points and seven assists and No. 24 Illinois put on an offensive show while producing a 106-94 victory over Iowa on Thursday to reach the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals in Indianapolis.,Tre White scored 22 points and Will Riley added 21 points, seven rebounds and five ass...
No. 24 Illinois aims to continue ascent vs. Iowa
Illinois' up-and-down season is pointing in the right direction ahead of its opening game in the Big Ten Tournament against 15th-seeded Iowa on Thursday evening in Indianapolis.,Less than three weeks ago, the seventh-seeded Fighting Illini (20-11) were a flu-wracked, defenseless mess. They were comi...
No. 18 Purdue, Illinois ride recent resurgence into season finale
Nearly two weeks ago, Purdue's prospects for a long March Madness run looked poor, and Illinois' appeared worse. ,Matt Painter's Purdue crew was suffering through the program's first four-game losing streak in five years. Meanwhile, Brad Underwood's bunch was dealing with national ridicule after tak...
Illinois uses balanced attack to knock off No. 15 Michigan
Tre White led four players in double figures with 19 points to lead visiting Illinois to a 93-73 win over No. 15 Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor.,Kasparas Jakucionis and Kylan Boswelll each scored 17 points, and Will Riley had 13 points for Illinois (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten), which beat Michigan for the...
No. 15 Michigan braces for close contest vs. Illinois
In order to win a championship, teams often have to win close games. ,But No. 15 Michigan has won nearly all of its close games in its pursuit of a Big Ten championship. ,The latest hurdle to clear in that goal will come Sunday afternoon against Illinois in Ann Arbor, Mich.,If Michigan's trend in Bi...
Illinois pulls away for 20-point win over Iowa
Tomislav Ivisic scored a game-high 22 points and Illinois pulled away from Iowa early in the second half to post an 81-61 Big Ten win Tuesday in Champaign, Ill.,Ivisic hit 9 of 13 shots and dished out five assists for the Fighting Illini (18-11, 10-8), which connected on 57.1 percent of their field ...
After Duke debacle, Illinois returns to Big Ten refuge versus Iowa
Illinois made program history Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Just not the kind of program history a team wants to achieve.,A weakened, short-handed version of the Fighting Illini was mauled 110-67 by No. 3 Duke, breaking the school's 51-year-old record for most lopsided defeat. The old mar...