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Illinois basketball showing no fear against recent pain in the neck

The Illinois basketball team has struggled against one team in the last few years, but Brad Underwood isn't fearing anyone.
ByKellen Sherman|
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Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots the ball against UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots the ball against UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The men's Illinois basketball team has had one of the best offseasons in the country, with five of their key players from last season committing to return to the program.

Brad Underwood and the Illini are poised to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament in 2026-27, with multiple sources ranking them as a top-10 team in their way-too-early rankings.

Illinois will look to build upon their successes from last season after reaching their first Final Four since 2004-05. According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, they will reportedly have to go through the UConn Huskies again in order to get there.

The Huskies, led by head coach Dan Hurley, have become a perennial powerhouse in college basketball over the past number of years. They are one of the premier teams to beat since Hurley took over, recording a 72.6% winning percentage while winning two championships over the past eight seasons.

The Illini will be facing off against coach Hurley and Co. for the third time in two seasons at the United Center, with their last meeting being a 71-62 loss on April 4, 2026, in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

Illinois basketball will look to exact revenge in their homeland this winter against the powerhouse UConn Huskies

A date with Hurley is slowly becoming a regular occurrence for the Illini, with Underwood's bunch scheduling the Huskies as a way to gear up for March. It is a smart idea on paper that, sadly, has not worked out for them in the win column.

Thankfully, Illinois' retention has been absolutely stellar, with Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, and both Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic committing to return to the program. Not only that, but they will also have five-star recruit Quentin Coleman and four-star Lucas Morillo being added to the mix.

This will not be a cake walk for the Illini, as the Huskies will be bringing back five members of last year's squad, which includes guards Solo Ball and Silas Demary Jr.

Regardless of that, the point here is that Illinois is in a great spot to get over that UConn hump from a year ago. They will have a unit that's entering its second year together and is already familiar with the system that Underwood runs.

It won't be an easy feat, because you can never overlook a Hurley-led program, but win or lose, this game is going to be must-watch TV for college basketball fans across the country.

Let's just pray that they're both at full strength by December, and that nothing catastrophic happens.

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