Coming off a rough ending to the 2024-25 campaign, the Illinois basketball team is looking to get back to the heights we reached just a couple of seasons ago.
The Illini had talent last season, but we just couldn’t put it together. There would be times Illinois looked like the best team in the country. And then there were other times when we looked like Bethune Cookman could beat us.
Brad Underwood managed to keep some key pieces of the cast together, and then Illinois added others to the mix who could help bolster the roster and maybe even get us back to the Elite 8 we saw just two seasons ago. One thing is for sure, Illinois will have one of the top strength of schedules in the country.
On Wednesday, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported that Illinois is starting a home-and-home series with Texas Tech. The first game will be in Champaign on November 11, with the game in Lubbock the following season.
NEWS: Illinois and Texas Tech will start a home-and-home series on November 11th in Champaign, according to a source.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 4, 2025
Return game in Lubbock in 2026-27.https://t.co/Jw3YabwuZj
Texas Tech is a great team. They went to the Elite 8 last season and finished ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25. This program has also made the NCAA tournament in four out of the last five seasons. Once again, they should be one of the top teams in the country.
The Illinois basketball schedule for 2025-26 seems to be daunting, and I am here for it
Illinois playing another top team like Texas Tech is exciting. It brings quality competition to our doorstep, and we can gauge the program on a national level. I also like that it will help us with strength of schedule because that matters to the selection committee.
The Illinois schedule, especially the non-conference, is getting pretty wild. The Big Ten schedule is always tough, as Purdue is the top team in the country and there are numerous ranked teams scattered about.
Illinois now has a top-25 Texas Tech team in the non-conference on November 11. We have a game in Champaign against a top-25 Alabama team on November 19. Illinois will then take on a top-25 UConn program at Madison Square Garden on November 28. We then take on a top-25 Tennessee program on December 6 in Nashville.
That is going to be a wild ride, and I am ready to go on it. Illinois is playing one of the hardest non-conference schedules I have ever seen.