The Champaign Room

From October 2023 to May of 2025, I wrote for The Champaign Room, SB Nation's home for Illinois Fighting Illini News, as a Beat Reporter/Writer, and served as an assistant site manager from July 2024 to the end of my time with TCR. I started with coverage in Volleyball and Women's Basketball, and then moved into Men's Basketball and Football.

Game Recaps

Game recaps are published promptly at the immediate end of the game, not just recapping the competition but offering a complete view of the match, even if the reader did not watch. Quotes from the head coach, players and occasionally opposing head coaches are also included post-publishing.

(Volleyball, Men's & Women's Basketball, Baseball)

Click here for all TCR Game Recaps

The Champaign Room • 24th March 2025

Illinois’ season ends in Round of 32 loss to Kentucky

Will Riley was among the emotional Illini walking off the Fiserv Forum court Sunday afternoon after a 84-75 loss to No. 3 Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee. No. 6 Illinois falls short of reaching the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season and finishes head coach Brad Underwood’s eighth season in Champaign with 22 wins.“Just keep our heads up,” said junior guard Kylan Boswell on his message to the team after the game. “Today was tough. All we can do now is enjoy...

The Champaign Room • 22nd March 2025

Well-rounded Illinois shakes off Xavier in Round of 64 win

One week after a less-than-stellar showing in the Big Ten Tournament, No. 6 Illinois turned on the jets at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and topped No. 11 Xavier late Friday night to advance to the Round of 32 for the second consecutive season. The Fighting Illini will have just over a day to get their legs under them for a date with No. 3 Kentucky on Sunday and an appearance in the Sweet 16 on the line.The evening started with an opening few minutes that may have made Illini fans at Fiserv Forum an...

The Champaign Room • 14th March 2025

106-point outburst sends Illinois to Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals

It’s the fourth time this year that Illinois has hit the 100-point mark and first since a 109-77 win at Oregon in January. The Illini fell just short of the record for most points scored in a Big Ten Tournament. The record was 112 points, set by the Hawkeyes in 2022.The Illini drove the ball against the Hawkeyes, who all season long have been one of the shakier teams when defending inside the arc. Early drives from the likes of Kasparas Jakucionis got the Lithuanian started in the points column...

The Champaign Room • 8th March 2025

Illinois comes back from the dead to topple No. 18 Purdue on Senior Night

It isn’t Illinois basketball if it doesn’t push you to the brink and then pull you back in, right? Midway through the second half, it seemed like the Illini were properly down and out. The Boilermaker advantage was ten, the largest advantage of the game by either team. It was then that the Illini went off for a 10-0 run out of seemingly nowhere to tie things up and then take the lead, a la Ben Humrichous from deep. 67-66 Illinois.It stayed tight the rest of the way through, with the dagger being...

The Champaign Room • 19th February 2025

Illinois gives up 95 points, run over by No. 11 Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — A matchup between two of the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offenses did not disappoint — at least for one half. Shorthanded with injuries and illnesses, Illinois showed flashes of brilliance scoring the ball but ultimately struggled to contain Wisconsin, falling 95-74 at Kohl Center on Tuesday night.The Fighting Illini (17-10, 9-8 Big Ten) entered Tuesday as the second-best rebounding team in the nation but were handily out-rebounded by the Badgers (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten). Following his...

The Champaign Room • 6th February 2025

Illinois can’t close in another Big Ten loss, this time at Rutgers

In a game where Illinois started slow, played their best and then finished slow, the Illini fell 82-73 to Rutgers. The loss is Illinois’ worst in the NET rankings this season.If you tuned in midway through the second half, you might have trouble believing that Illinois was being steamrolled early to start this game.The game began slow for Illinois. Despite entering Wednesday as the nation’s best rebounding team in the nation, weakness in that area combined with shooting woes and a concerning lev...

The Champaign Room • 11th January 2025

Illinois stumbles, falls flat at home against USC

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — So that’s what playing without KJ is like.
After cruising to a blowout victory earlier in the week without their star point guard, Illinois had a wide-scale collapse, falling to USC 82-72 on Saturday morning and ending a five-game winning streak.
The 13th-ranked Illini (12-4, 4-2 Big Ten) had no answers for the Trojans (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) across all 94 feet of hardwood. The hosts led for just 4:37 in this game, leaving a sold-out State Farm Center crowd speechless. It’s the tea...

The Champaign Room • 8th January 2025

Jakucionis-less No. 13 Illinois blows out Penn State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Boogeyman down.
After 1,043 days — and four games — without a win on the hardwood against Penn State, the Illini took down the Nittany Lions, and it was not close.
The well-oiled Illinois engine was firing on all cylinders on Wednesday night. With the Illini’s three-level attack on full display and the defense also keeping a high-scoring Penn State offense at bay, the Illini cruised to a 91-52 victory.
Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) outdid Penn State (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) in every...

Notebooks

Put together quickly after press conferences and media availability, notebooks are used to view a team's current situation, with quotes from head coaches and select athletes. I've done notebooks for Illinois Volleyball and Men's Basketball.

(Volleyball, Men's & Women's Basketball)

Click here for all TCR Notebooks

The Champaign Room • 22nd March 2025

‘They’re locked in’: A more physical, hungry Illinois has arrived in March

MILWAUKEE — By now, most of us have seen the picture of Bryant’s Earl Timberlake and his blood-drenched face (discretion advised). While not to that extent or level of gruesomeness, a few Illini shed blood in their win over Xavier on Friday, too.Center Tomislav Ivisic entered the Illinois locker room post-game for media interviews, with a tear in his jersey right above the ‘n’ of ‘Illinois’ and a cut on his shooting left hand, which left dried blood caked on his skin down to the wrist.“I don’t k...

The Champaign Room • 22nd March 2025

‘Like a big brother’: Illinois’ Ty Rodgers’ off-court influence having an on-court impact

MILWAUKEE — All season long, he’s been the first guy off the bench and the most animated once he’s off of it. In his redshirt sophomore year, Ty Rodgers has been a mentor, coach and — perhaps most importantly — an older brother to his Illinois teammates, helping Brad Underwood carry over the culture of last year’s success.In Illinois’ win on Friday over Xavier, that was even more apparent, whether it be whipping a towel around or gesturing toward the orange-leaning Milwaukee crowd.After deciding...

The Champaign Room • 15th March 2025

‘We’ll be more hungry’: Energy the focus of Illinois’ bounce-back after Maryland loss

“Today’s the first time in a bit that we’ve gotten off to a tough start,” Underwood said. “We just didn’t handle it very well. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’ve got to do something different, I’ve got to sub; I don’t know. But our energy today was awful. Awful.”Energy was what a lot of Underwood’s players pointed to as well. Junior Tre White said the key to chipping away at large, early deficits — something his team has done to opposing teams throughout the year — is to focus on the task at hand, not th...

The Champaign Room • 14th March 2025

‘They’ve changed the whole dynamic’: Boswell, White the leaders on a young Illinois team

There are factors behind it. Brad Underwood will tell you that his team is hitting the three-ball at an elite rate (37.7 percent in the last four games), and his team is as close to being fully healthy since November.Tre White and Kylan Boswell, who between the two of them have the most Division I experience from their stops at USC/Louisville and Arizona, have become the leaders of the squad that has no fewer than eight players in their first or second year of college basketball.“They’ve changed...

The Champaign Room • 6th March 2025

‘They’ve got a big job’: The scout team, Illinois’ behind-the-scenes everyday guys

That’s the job that the squad’s scout team is tasked with. A scout team, in simple terms, is the group of players that looks to deploy the tactics and replicate the playstyles of upcoming opponents to help prepare starters.“They’ve got a big job, from out-of-bounds plays to opponents’ highest frequency actions,” head coach Brad Underwood said of the scout team. “So we get a very, very good hands-on simulation of what teams do. Is it to the level of what we’re gonna see in a game? No, but it’s a...

The Champaign Room • 26th February 2025

‘I’m done talking about sickness’: Underwood, Illinois gearing up for final regular season stretch

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It appears as though lessons were learned after suffering an embarrassing 43-point loss on national television against Duke on Saturday. A decision to field an all-new starting five and implement a new defensive structure against the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offense is a risky gamble, but one that paid off.The Illini, who were once the best rebounding team in the nation, were out-rebounded for the fourth consecutive game, but still found a way to win thanks to irritating defen...

The Champaign Room • 4th February 2025

‘That’s life’: Illinois won without the three. Can they continue to do that?

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Though injuries have forced the Illini to tinker their lineup with new looks in recent weeks, they were at full strength for the first time in a long time on Sunday against Ohio State. However, a new starting five was announced before tipoff, to the surprise of many.Underwood debuted a new starting lineup against the Buckeyes that saw Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn get the nod to start after a series of impressive outings. While Underwood didn’t reveal whether or not they’d go back to that...

The Champaign Room • 4th February 2025

‘Tomi’s tough’: Underwood on Ivisic’s return helping Illinois to victory over Ohio State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Fans at home may have grown frustrated with Illinois’ end-game lineup after their loss at Nebraska, but head coach Brad Underwood seems to be learning from his mistakes.“The last ten minutes was the first time that we had a group out there that they were in a good rhythm on both sides of the court,” Underwood said. “We were getting stops, we were scoring, weren’t turning the ball over. And that’s something that we have been lacking. We have been missing.”A lineup built around K...

The Champaign Room • 29th January 2025

‘His confidence is growing’: Underwood on Riley’s steady rise through Illinois injury bug

Riley, who made his collegiate debut with a 31-point explosion over Eastern Illinois, is yet to hit those heights again for the Orange and Blue. The Kitchener, Ontario native earned his first start when point guard Kasparas Jakucionis went down with a left forearm injury, and is now looking to build some momentum with center Tomislav Ivisic set to miss at least another game while out with mononucleosis.“Will’s a really, really good hard shot maker,” Underwood said. “He’s very gifted at getting t...

The Champaign Room • 22nd January 2025

‘We’re worried about winning’: Humrichous, Illinois looking to win, not avoid two straight losses

If you had a time machine and went back to Sunday, what would you change? Brad Underwood pointed to his team’s troubles from the free-throw line as a reason for why his team lost to now-No. 8 Michigan State but also said he would’ve had a conversation with his star point guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who fouled out in just over eight minutes of play.Underwood wasn’t quite in the Valentine’s Day spirit — that’s still a good three weeks away, for those participating — he was of course speaking on how...

The Champaign Room • 20th January 2025

‘The best player of the game played eight minutes’: Underwood on Illinois’ loss to MSU

“The best player of the game played eight minutes,” Brad Underwood said. “You saw just a little bit of what he could do when he was in. Just controlled the whole game with pick-and-rolls and passes. Unfortunately, today, he didn’t get to play.”It doesn’t take a genius to know who BU is talking about, right? Kasparas Jakucionis saw the floor for just over eight minutes before fouling out, at least according to the officials on Sunday.Underwood was asked by a member of the media after the game wha...

The Champaign Room • 7th January 2025

‘That’s competing’: Underwood, White on what separates hard workers from competitors

What makes an ‘Every Day Guy’?
Brad Underwood says that the phrase is reserved for guys who play hard, something that he has demanded and seen to this point in the season, but also says that playing hard and competing to win are two different things.
“I think competing to win is the play Tre White made at the end of the game,” Underwood said during availability to the media on Tuesday. “Diving on the floor for a loose ball. First one on the floor. It’s going to offensive rebound even though you’...

The Champaign Room • 21st December 2024

‘I don’t like it very much’: Underwood not a fan of JUCO eligibility ruling

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — How would your sporting career have gone different if you could play out a few specific years differently?
Let’s day dream a little and have an Uncle Rico moment:
“If coach would have put me in fourth quarter, we’d have been state champions, no doubt. No doubt in my mind. You’d better believe things would’ve been different. I’d have gone pro. In a heartbeat, I’d be making millions of dollars, living in a big ol’ mansion somewhere.”
Snap! Back to reality now.
Earlier this week,...

The Champaign Room • 20th December 2024

Inside Luke Altmyer’s decision to come back to Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In front of the loudest 15,544 that Champaign had to offer on Dec. 14, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer had the smile and swagger of a star — like a singer who might perform at State Farm Center in its vacant summer months.
It was just another media timeout. Maybe a blindfolded student would find a cardboard cutout of some Portillo’s fries or launch a half-court heave to shave a few dollars off of their tuition.
At the time, Illinois men’s basketball held an 8-3 lead over No....

The Champaign Room • 19th December 2024

‘Pure pandemonium’: Bielema, Lunney balancing portal and bowl prep

With a bowl game just under two weeks away and the transfer portal heating up with each passing day, Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and his staff have been hard at work to pick up from the portal.
“You got a lot going on, you gotta think about this, you gotta think about that, you gotta be spot on,” Lunney said. “It’s an interesting time in our business, but it’s a fun time in the same breath.”
South Carolina is no small task, either. The Gamecocks’ No. 15 ranking suggests they...

The Champaign Room • 11th December 2024

‘Those are what lottery picks look like’: Jakucionis, Riley shoot up NBA draft boards

It’s been said for a few years now, but gone are the days when players are expected to stay at one school for four years. What has Brad Underwood done to keep up with the times? Find NBA-hopeful, NBA-ready prospects and push them into lottery conversations.
He’s done just that with two of his most prized offseason acquisitions in Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis and Canadian forward Will Riley, who are the Illini’s first and third-best scorers respectively this season.
Here’s a look at this...

The Champaign Room • 6th December 2024

‘Game by game, day by day’: How Underwood, Illini are approaching 18-team Big Ten

CHAMPAIGN, Ill — Remember when the Big Ten had ten teams? Well if you needed a refresher, it was 1949. The shot clock was still a novel development in the sport of basketball, and the NCAA Tournament had just eight teams.
Fast-forward to 2024, and the 18-team conference has grown to almost double its namesake’s head count. It also isn’t just a Midwestern conference now—it spans from coast to coast. We’ve already seen in football how expansion has affected conference play.
“You’re gonna see disc...

The Champaign Room • 2nd November 2024

‘Your play adjusts to the way they’re calling it’: Recapping Saturday’s officiating circus

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There was a lot to be upset about on Saturday’s 25-17 loss to Minnesota, but one group of interest for Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was the zebras.
An early missed holding on linebacker Seth Coleman had Bielema on the hashes. An expired play clock and an assessed (then given back) timeout had him halfway to the numbers. A no-call on his offense’s final drive had his entire sideline and the better part of 58 thousand screaming.
The game was frustrating enough as it was for B...

The Champaign Room • 25th October 2024

‘I’m looking for the next Terrence’: Underwood wants more from team as offseason nears end

With just over a dozen days until his team starts its 2024-25 season, Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood has just one preseason exhibition remaining to assess where his team stands before game time. In Sunday’s exhibition game against Ole Miss, he has an opportunity to find the answer to some questions he still has.
“We’re not gonna go into a real in-depth scout at all with Ole Miss,” Underwood said during availability to the media on Thursday. “It’s more gonna be personnel-base...

The Champaign Room • 22nd October 2024

‘It’s definitely worth it’: Illinois using crowd noise to prepare for No. 1 Oregon

If you were on campus on Tuesday morning, you likely overheard some of the crowd noise that the football team is using to prepare for a loud environment when they travel to play Oregon this Saturday.
The trip to Eugene is the program’s first conference road game with one of the four new former Pac-12 teams, with the team slated to host USC and visit Washington next year.
“I ain’t never been out there that far to the west, but it’s gonna be pretty exciting,” said defensive back Xavier Scott on Tu...

The Champaign Room • 18th October 2024

How Illinois is studying the NBA for its pro-ready offense

In basketball, like any other field, you have to learn from the best if you wish to be the best. During Illinois men’s basketball’s on-campus media day last week, The Champaign Room spoke with members of Illinois’ coaching staff to talk NBA offenses, and how Illinois has been following trends at the highest level of basketball.
A few months ago while assessing his offseason additions, Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood was excited at the combination of size and shooting that the...

The Champaign Room • 4th October 2024

‘Tim was awesome’: Underwood praises Anderson after departure from program

At Big Ten Media Days in Rosemont, Illinois, Brad Underwood spoke on former assistant coach Tim Anderson for the first time since it was announced he would step away from the program indefinitely in September.
When asked by a member of the media about how his staff will fill the void that Anderson left, Underwood highlighted the rest of his staff.
“We got Orlando [Antigua] back, and Geoff [Alexander] has been killing it on the recruiting trail,” Underwood said, but acknowledged that Anderson, wh...

The Champaign Room • 2nd October 2024

‘It’s an absolute gauntlet’: Green loving the new Big Ten

Illini Nation is now entering year three of the Shauna Green experience. With two postseason appearances and one postseason trophy under her belt, Green now looks to build upon the legacy she’s built at Illinois and build towards even greater. TCR’s Zeno Jo was in Rosemont, Illinois for Big Ten Media Days, and spoke with Green and a handful of her Big Ten head coaching colleagues.
This isn’t your parents’ Big Ten conference. This also isn’t the women’s sports landscape that they grew up in, eit...

The Champaign Room • 8th September 2024

‘Routine for him’: Illinois’ receivers showed up when it mattered most

Goooood afternoon, Illini fans. If you’re reading this on Sunday, it’s the one-year anniversary of the Illini’s loss to Kansas in Lawrence. It’s also the one-day anniversary (not sure if that’s a thing) of the win over No. 19 Kansas in Champaign. There were plenty of positives to take away from the game, including but not limited, to our receiving game.
“Holy cow, did you see that catch?”
That’s a question you could’ve asked a handful of times during Illinois’ 23-17 upset win over the Kansas Jay...

The Champaign Room • 8th September 2024

‘Routine for him’: Illinois’ receivers showed up when it mattered most

The Champaign Room • 31st August 2024

Three questions following Illinois’ big win over EIU

What a win, huh Illini fans? TCR’s own Brandt Dolce had a fantastic column this week about Illinois football answering every question in the team’s win over EIU, but here’s a shot at playing devil’s advocate.
Illinois’ dominant 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois answered a lot of questions for fans who were in the dark following a long offseason, but it also left them with a few questions. It can’t all be good, right?
But first, what did we learn? Altmyer is the surefire QB1. An efficient outing sa...

The Champaign Room • 14th August 2024

How EA Sports’ new video game helped an Illinois punter on the field

How many national championships does Illinois have? Five, thanks to some success in the early and mid-20th century, but that number could be much higher if you’re playing EA Sports’ College Football 25 on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.
It’s the developer’s first college football game since NCAA Football 14, released in 2013, bringing much hype to gaming football fans.
While players and fans alike are having fun with the video game, one Illinois player has been using the game to learn mor...

The Champaign Room • 10th August 2024

‘We’re gonna ball in them’: Illini react to Red Grange throwback uniforms

On Wednesday, Illinois football announced that it would honor the legacy of Red Grange and his six-touchdown day for Memorial Stadium’s rededication game on Oct. 19, when the Illini host the Michigan Wolverines.
October’s game will mark exactly 100 years since ‘The Galloping Ghost’ ran for five touchdowns and threw for another against the Wolverines. The game was Memorial Stadium’s “Dedication Game,” which honored those who served the nation in World War I.
In the first game ever played at Memo...

The Champaign Room • 2nd July 2024

Brad Underwood is building an NBA factory in Champaign

Call it an overreaction. Bradley Cole Underwood might go down as the founding father of a great basketball empire in Champaign. A tenure that started slow and with results arguably worse than his predecessor has outgrown and built upon it.
Just under two months ago, Brad Underwood, as he’s more commonly known, was speaking to the media to discuss the signing of Croatian big man Tomislav Ivisic. In the same breath that he touched on the skillset of his new 7-foot-1 Eastern European giant, he ment...

The Champaign Room • 8th May 2024

‘Elite’: Brad Underwood’s analysis of his newest portal pickups

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On Tuesday, Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood spoke to the media for the first time since the program signed Ben Humichrous and Tomislav Ivisic.

In introducing the pair of 6-foot-9-plus players, Underwood dug deep into the skills that both athletes bring to the table and what Illini fans can expect from them when they take the court this fall.

He also discussed the recruiting philosophy behind his six-man class that he’s brought in from the transfer portal and Eur

The Champaign Room • 2nd May 2024

Does Illinois have a culture conundrum on its hands?

Last Tuesday, when head coach Brad Underwood and new associate coach Orlando Antigua were made available to the media, much of the talk would be about the latter’s return to Champaign and the process behind it. As they spoke further, talk shifted towards roster construction and — you guessed it — the transfer portal.

It’s not particularly surprising, as Antigua is a phenomenal developer of talent. Over the years, he’s coached NBA-level talents like Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMarcus

The Champaign Room • 25th April 2024

How Brad Underwood pulled Orlando Antigua back to Champaign

On Tuesday, Orlando Antigua spoke to the media for the first time since being announced as the team’s associate head coach, bringing him back to Champaign for the first time since 2021. Head coach Brad Underwood was also available to the media.

When he left, it was for his then-former employers at Kentucky and to reunite with his then-former boss John Calipari. Antigua chose not to follow Cal to his new job at Arkansas, and despite rumors of him wanting to stay in Lexington to work with new hir

The Champaign Room • 22nd April 2024

Offensive takeaways from Illinois’ 2024 spring game

On an offense that replaces seven starters, there were several questions surrounding how well Illinois could get the ball downfield this fall.

With 41 points combined by the offensive units, questions were asked and answered on Saturday as the Blue and White teams drew 0-0 in a game that had no official scoring.

Leary was under center for the second-team offense White team, while Luke Altmyer started the game for the first-team offense Blue team. On the first exchange of offensive drives, the

The Champaign Room • 16th April 2024

The Shauna Green Experience: Three words, two years, one trophy

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In only year two, Shauna Green has hoisted a trophy and secured a spot in the rafters of State Farm Center. Using three key words, here’s more about what Green and her staff are building at Illinois, her place in the program’s history, and the heights it could reach.

Just over two years after the retirement of former head coach Nancy Fahey, Shauna Green did something that nine Illinois head coaches b

The Champaign Room • 2nd April 2024

Shauna Green has Illinois playing its best basketball... ever?

Two months ago, Illinois’ season was looking like one of years past.

Years past of course referring to the Dark Ages of Illinois Women’s Basketball. When recording double-digit wins was a milestone and a record above .500 was a once-in-a-blue-moon-type rarity.

To open the month of February, Illinois dropped a game on the road to Purdue. Illinois played some of the worst basketball it had all season long, and checked all of the boxes of a bad Illinois loss. They had a slow start on both ends of

The Champaign Room • 3rd February 2024

‘Whole again’: Underwood, Illinois finally at full strength

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Halfway through his team’s Big Ten season, Brad Underwood is happy with where the Fighting Illini are for more reasons than just their impressive road victory over Ohio State.

“I like where we’re at because we’re whole again. We’re finally back in a position where we have our roster,” Underwood said on Saturday.

On top of Terrence Shannon Jr.’s suspension, Illinois has been without Coleman Hawkins, Amani Hansberry and Niccolo Moretti due to injury this season. “We played a lo

The Champaign Room • 23rd January 2024

Underwood, Harmon on what Shannon’s return means to Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After a well-rounded, team victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Illinois hits the road to take on a team it’s faced victory against in a big way.

Head coach Brad Underwood was available to the media on Tuesday to look ahead at the in-state matchup, reflect on Terrence Shannon Jr.’s return from suspension, and touch on recruiting.

The Fighting Illini (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) sit third in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin and Purdue, and sit just one spot above the Northwestern Wild

The Champaign Room • 10th January 2024

Underwood comments on Shannon’s lawsuit ahead of MSU game

You’ll do hard to walk away from an Illinois basketball loss feeling good, but that’s exactly what happened last week when a comeback at No. 1 Purdue was stopped short in an 83-78 loss.

And they did it without Terrence Shannon Jr.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was available to the media on Wednesday and reflected on the Purdue loss and looked ahead at the Michigan State game.

“Some good, some bad, some ugly, some not-so-ugly,” was how Underwood summed up the loss to the best team in the

The Champaign Room • 4th January 2024

Underwood: Edey and No. 1 Purdue ‘a different animal’

Illinois (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten) is back in the top ten of the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since the star-laden 2020-21 season. They’re ranked ninth in the country and playing their best basketball of the season, without arguably their best player, and step into hostile territory with a matchup against the best team in the nation just a day away.

So, about last week...

Just a day after Terrence Shannon Jr. was suspended, Illinois blew out Fairleigh Dickinson at home, 104-71. Dain Dainja and

The Champaign Room • 25th November 2023

Too little, too late for Illinois Volleyball?

Illinois Volleyball is in a tough spot. After notching nine wins in eleven matches, it seemed like a once-improbably push for postseason play was on the cards... until they met the Golden Gophers. More about Illinois’ once-prospective postseason hopes, the story behind Raina Terry’s return and the murmurs surrounding the RPI.

The story heading into Friday’s match against the Minnesota Golden Gophers was that Illinois had a bad start to the season. They were riddled with injuries and had a few b

The Champaign Room • 25th October 2023

‘Everyone’s tough’: Challenges ahead in homestretch for Illinois Volleyball

It’s been an up-and-down year for Illinois Volleyball. Injuries and the nature of the Big Ten being the toughest volleyball conference in the nation have made the 2023 season tough for the Illini, but following a two-match road trip to the East Coast, they are .500 on the season.

“Everyone’s tough and you’re seeing that with results within our conference,” said head coach Chris Tamas. “The gap is dwindling between the top and the bottom.”

The team is on the longest winning streak of its season

Deep Dives

Through spending time combing through statistics to speaking with experts on topics, I've written several articles taking a deeper dive into subjects such as legal matters, opposing team previews and more.

(Men's Basketball)

The Champaign Room • 18th April 2025

Who is Dame Sarr? What Kasparas Jakucionis has to say about the Illinois target

After Illinois’s elimination in the NCAA Tournament last month at the hands of Kentucky, Kasparas Jakucionis spoke to members of the media for the last time as an Illinois player. He’s since declared for the NBA Draft, where he’s projected by most outlets to be a top-ten pick and by some to be a top-five pick.Jakucionis was named to the Big Ten’s Third Team and All-Freshman Team at the end of his lone year in Champaign, but his FC Barcelona-colored shoes will be filled by an ex-teammate of his o...

The Champaign Room • 8th March 2025

Meet college basketball’s air raid offense: Brad Underwood’s Illinois Fighting Illini

Brad Underwood’s offense is the closest thing to a spread, air raid offense that you could put on 94 feet of hardwood. When it works, Illinois can blow teams out of the water with a barrage of three-pointers that exemplify a 400-plus yard afternoon for your gunslinging quarterback. Three different receivers — hell, maybe even a running back — might finish with over 100 receiving yards.On the bad days, if it’s too windy or rainy, or you’re going up against the nation’s best secondary, your quarte...

The Champaign Room • 20th December 2024

Inside Luke Altmyer’s decision to come back to Illinois

The Champaign Room • 24th June 2024

A dive into TSJ’s draft stock, days before the NBA Draft

Just days away from the opening of the NBA Draft, it seems like Terrence Shannon Jr.’s draft stock only continues to rise. With the off-court outside noise quieting to a mute, the headlines surrounding his name are back to being about his play on the court. TCR spoke with SBNation basketball editor Ricky O’Donnell to get a grasp on his draft stock and talk about not TSJ the Illini, but TSJ the NBA prospect.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Jeremy Woo projecting Terrence Shannon Jr. going 27th overal...

The Champaign Room • 29th March 2024

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and a Final Four

If your head is still ringing from Thursday night, here’s the cure: You weren’t dreaming. Illinois is in the Elite Eight. After reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2005, they’re headed to the regional finals for the first time since then.

Thursday’s game lived up to the billing. Illinois fought off Iowa State to continue dancing in what was touted as one of the most exciting matchups of the Sweet 16. The game had everything, a quick Illinois start, an Iowa State rally, Illini in

The Champaign Room • 26th March 2024

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and an Elite 8

As is the case with most matchups from the second weekend onwards, Illinois’ next game will be a clash between two beasts. The best of the best. The best defense against the best offense.

Off the heels of victories over two mid-major conference champs, Illinois will take on the Big 12’s conference champion, the Iowa State Cyclones. It’s Illinois’ first time in the Sweet Sixteen since 2005, the year that Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head reached the national championship game.

If the Il

The Champaign Room • 22nd March 2024

Everything you need to know about the team standing between Illinois and a Sweet 16

It’d be harsh to blame you if you knew little to nothing about Morehead State before Illinois’ 16-point victory on Thursday. With the TSJ and Dain Dainja-inspired Illini escaping the Ohio Valley Conference champs, it’s time to look into another mid-major conference champ that you, in all likeliness, know little about.

The Illini will take on the Duquesne Dukes in the NCAA tournament's round of 32. TCR spoke with Tristan Freeman, a self-proclaimed basketball junkie from Pittsburgh (where Duquesn

The Champaign Room • 19th March 2024

Everything you need to know about Illinois’ first-round opponent

It’s not your fault if you don’t know who the Morehead State Eagles are, so here’s a shot at getting you familiar with the Eagles.

They finished the season 26-8, the same record as Illinois, and clinched the Ohio Valley Conference’s lone bid by winning the tournament as the No. 3 seed.

Preston Spradlin has led his program to four straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Eagles’ 26 wins are also a program-record.

They’ve done all that without Mark Freeman, the reigning

The Champaign Room • 27th February 2024

Where Terrence Shannon Jr.’s legal case stands — and what’s next

In black-and-white basketball terms, Terrence Shannon Jr.’s temporary restraining order suit was the final act of a long legal dispute that allowed him back on the court.

Away from the shining lights of the court, Shannon’s day in court is still yet to come.

The Champaign Room recently spoke with Mitch Gilfillan, an attorney based in Peoria and former basketball player at Lehigh, who has been knee-deep in uncovering key details of TSJ’s legal battle in Kansas on X.

Since his reinstatement to

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