There is not rest for the Illinois basketball team, as another ranked opponent awaits.
This time around, No. 23 Nebraska is coming to Champaign for a huge ranked Big Ten matchup. Nebraska has a pretty good team this season, and they always seem to give the Illini a good game, regardless of the end result.
Who will come out ahead in this massive early season matchup? You’ll just have to watch to find out.
Here is the Illinois basketball vs Nebraska how to watch, series history, and players to watch
- Illinois basketball vs Nebraska – How to watch
This is the rare occasion when you get to see a ranked Illinois team play a ranked Nebraska squad in basketball.
The game will take place Saturday, December 13, at 3:00 p.m. CT/4:00 p.m. ET in Champaign. If you want to view this game, you will have to watch it on the Peacock app. This is the second-straight Illinois game on Peacock.
- Illinois basketball vs Nebraska – Series history
Illinois has dominated the series against Nebraska, going 23-9 overall. A nine-game Illini winning streak was ended last season, though. Illinois was bested by the Cornhuskers in overtime, 80-74, back in January of 2025.
The first game in the matchup between the two programs took place in 1921. Illinois fell to the Cornhuskers in what some would call a defensive battle, 30-25. The Illini exacted revenge two days later by beating Nebraska 26-24.
- Illinois basketball vs Nebraska – Players to watch
This is a hot Nebraska team, which is scary. They are coming off a 30-point drubbing of Wisconsin in which Rienk Mast dropped a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Mast didn’t play in the Nebraska win last season, but he did see great success against the Illini two years ago. With his 6-foot-10 size, Mast can stretch the floor. Thankfully, Illinois has some solid size to combat him this time around.
Nearly every starter is a player to watch for Nebraska, too. They can all shoot well from three-point range, and Illinois was just lit up by Bruce Thornton, so there is a weakness there. If Illinois doesn’t guard and close out strong on the perimeter, it could be a long night.
Illinois’ bigs are going to be crucial in this game. Illinois can match Nebraska’s size and even go bigger, but can our big men step out and guard the Cornhuskers on the perimeter? Tomislav Ivisic at 7-foot-1 might be the make-or-break player in this contest.
I know we have mentioned him a lot, but Keaton Wagler should be center stage once again. Nebraska’s backcourt isn’t very big, and the fact that Wagler is 6-foot-6 should give them problems on both ends of the court. Look for Wagler to have the advantage on the perimeter and at the rim, and he should be able to smother Nebraska’s guards when they try to get going from deep.