Some programs like to play cupcake non-conference schedules, but that hasn’t been the case for the Illinois basketball program under Brad Underwood.
Since Underwood took over the program, the Illini have been willing to take on the best teams in the country, whether it be in the Big Ten, non-conference, or NCAA tournament.
Just a couple of weeks ago, it was announced that Illinois was going to be playing Tennessee once again. The Volunteers are a perennial top 10 program, and that game is set for early December.
Underwood wasn’t done with just one elite challenge. On Monday, it was announced that Illinois is also going to be taking on UConn this upcoming season. The game will take place on November 28, which is Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.
NEWS: UConn and Illinois are finalizing an agreement to meet on November 28th --- Black Friday --- at MSG, according to multiple sources.https://t.co/ofUdbISCWU
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 2, 2025
Brad Underwood has never had Illinois basketball back down from a challenge
I think we all remember the last time Illinois took on UConn. We were only down by five points at halftime in the Elite 8. That is when the Huskies went on a massive run and ended up beating us, 77-52.
While that was a depressing ending, Underwood wants to be the best, so he is challenging the best. We are now taking on UConn in the regular season, and that is going to be an exciting matchup.
During the Underwood era of Illinois basketball, we have actually been up for the challenge. Over the last five years alone, Illinois has played a total of 50 ranked opponents. 13 of those opponents came in the non-conference slate of the season, so that is an average of 2.6 ranked opponents in the non-conference in each of the last five seasons.
To go a step further, the level of non-conference ranked opponents has been high, too. Out of those 13 opponents, they averaged being ranked No. 8.615 in the nation. Seven of the 13 opponents ranked No. 8 in the country or better, and five of those teams ranked inside the top five in the country.
Illinois isn’t afraid of the big dogs. We want to be one of those big dogs someday. Hopefully, we can come away with some massive wins before the calendar turns to 2026.