One, two, three, four . . . FIVE BALKANS?! Illinois basketball lands its biggest portal addition of the offseason, adding junior wing Andrej Stojakovic to the team. Mike Carpenter discusses the marquee addition, just two days after Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrovic signed with the Illini. Brad Underwood's 2025-26 roster looks to be (nearly?) complete, so how will all these mostly-veteran new faces gel together?
The European Pipeline continues to produce for Brad Underwood's Illini with the addition of Tomi's twin brother Zvonimir and 6'9" David Mirkovic. Mike Carpenter recaps the last week-plus of offseason craziness, including the returns of Kylan Boswell, Ty Rodgers, and Jake Davis. He also discusses some of the general stupidity with the portal era, including Morez Johnson's commitment to Michigan, and how the non-stop player movement impacts fandom.
Portal season begins inauspiciously for Brad Underwood's program as Morez Johnson Jr. and Tre White are leaving after just one year. Mike Carpenter discusses the importance of retention as evidenced by three of the Final Four team rosters, and how the lack of a returning core makes the offseason even more consequential. He also talks about the significance of losing Morez Johnson Jr., a highly-touted in-state prospect who stayed committed to the program for three years, and how it raises concern...
*** This is an excerpt from The 200 Level: An Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Fan's Journey by Mike Carpenter *** March 26, 2005 is a date etched into Illini basketball lore. Top-seeded Illinois took on a familiar foe in #2 seed Arizona at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Mike Carpenter reflects on the greatest comeback in program history, a 15-point deficit erased with just four minutes to play in regulation. Dee Brown's steal-and-score to bring it within three points, Deron Williams' game-tying...
Brad Underwood's 8th season at Illinois was one of tantalizing highs and frustrating lows. Mike Carpenter recaps the season in the aftermath of a 2nd-round loss to Kentucky, as the Illini finish with a 22-13 overall record after a 12-3 start. He discusses the individual seasons of players, lessons to be learned as Underwood constructs his next roster, and other lingering questions going into the offseason.
The 2024-25 Illini basketball season ends unceremoniously in the second round at the hands of #3 seed Kentucky. The 85-74 defeat saw the Wildcats in control for nearly all forty minutes, as sloppy starts to both halves doomed Brad Underwood's team. Mike Carpenter and Kenton Elmore spend much of the second half contextualizing the season, how it will be remembered, and what needs to happen entering the offseason.
Illini basketball not only survives and advances, but does so with style in an 86-73 win over Xavier. Mike Carpenter, Andrew Wilson, and Kenton Elmore react during the First Round victory, setting up a huge matchup against Kentucky on Sunday. Will Riley drops 22, Tomislav Ivisic grabs a 20-10 double double, Kasparas Jakucionis was one rebound away from a triple-double, and Kylan Boswell added another 15. Look out, Big Blue . . . the Illini are comin'.
Illinois basketball lands a #6 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, awaiting the winner of a play-in game between Xavier and Texas. Mike Carpenter reacts to the Illini's draw, favorable in many respects, and how two wins would completely change how this team is remembered. He discusses the potential matchups against the two #11 seeds and #3 seed Kentucky, and what advantages Brad Underwood's team has in each one.
Illinois basketball finishes the regular season with a 20-11 record (12-8 conference). Up next: the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Mike Carpenter discusses the weekend ahead and why the BTT is always one of his favorite parts of each season. He also opens up the listener mailbag to see what fans' expectations are as Brad Underwood's team enters the conference tourney as the #7 seed.
Illini basketball notches their 20th win of the season in epic fashion, riding a 13-1 closing run to take down Purdue 88-80 (their first win over the Boilers since 2021). Mike Carpenter reacts after attending the game at a raucous State Farm Center. For 30+ minutes, Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn got what they wanted offensively. But, Brad Underwood's team kept plugging away, got crucial stops, and started making shots. Will Riley drops 22, Tre White adds 20, Kylan Boswell with another 15, a...
Mike Carpenter and the hosts of The Board Room join up for a crossover podcast. They start by addressing their Twitter kerfuffle before delving into a conversation about this Illini basketball team, Brad Underwood's tenure, adjusting expectations, fan criticism, and much more! Special thanks to Josh, Jon, and Matty for taking the time to record this episode. You can subscribe to The Board Room wherever you get your podcasts!
A mere eight days after a blowout vs. Duke, Illinois basketball wins in emphatic fashion at Michigan 93-73, their ninth straight against the Wolverines. Mike Carpenter reacts after the surprising victory, made even more impressive by how Brad Underwood's team had been struggling the previous month. With two straight wins, the Illini look ahead to their Big Ten finale on Friday night against Purdue in what should be a fantastic home atmosphere. The orange-clad masses are left to ponder . . . are ...
Illinois basketball bounces back against an old foe, beating Iowa 81-61 and all but assuring a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Mike Carpenter reacts to the impressive win, even against a subpar Hawkeyes team, and discusses if Brad Underwood's team can carry over some of the positives into games at Michigan and vs. Purdue. Also, he talks about Underwood's impressive feat of five straight tournaments (six if not for COVID), and how his success as a coach has led to higher expectations for the program...
Illinois basketball suffers its worst loss in program history, a 110-67 embarrassment against #3 Duke at Madison Square Garden. Mike Carpenter reacts the morning after, reflecting on just how this Illini team has fallen so sharply off a cliff. He discusses the fan base's reaction to the loss, and emerging questions about Brad Underwood. How can the coach address the myriad of issues facing his program entering this offseason?
Things just keep getting worse for Brad Underwood's Illini after a 95-74 beatdown at the hands of Greg Gard's Badgers. Mike Carpenter reacts during a thoroughly depressing second half, as a six-point deficit balloons and Illinois basketball looks downright bad. Game commentary aside, where is this thing going? Not just this team, but what is the plan going forward for Underwood's program? Sadly, there are more questions than answers, and the team is literally and figuratively limping to the fini...
A potentially special night at the State Farm Center turns into an outright disaster, as Brad Underwood's Illini lose to Michigan State 79-65. The upside-down banner for Terrence Shannon Jr. was a harbinger of things to come, as a 16-point Illinois lead evaporated and they went scoreless in the last eight minutes of the game. The fan base's concerns about Underwood's in-game coaching have reached a fever pitch, and with a ridiculously tough schedule ahead, it's hard to see how this team rights t...
Illinois basketball gets a much-needed 83-78 home win over UCLA, their first back-to-back victories in over a month. Mike Carpenter discusses the game, featuring another superstar turn from Kaspara Jakucionis and strong support from Tomislav Ivisic, Will Riley, and others. The 16-point lead was whittled down in the final few minutes, but Brad Underwood's team held on to set up a huge Saturday night matchup against Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans.
When they needed a win in the worst way, Illinois basketball got one in style with a 95-74 blowout over Minnesota at the Barn. Freshman Will Riley continued his heater, dropping 27 points in addition to nine rebounds and seven assists. Kasaparas Jakucionis added another 24 of his own, while Tomislav Ivisic grabbed an 18-11 double-double on near-perfect shooting. It's not the first blowout win of the Illini's season, so the question is: can they capitalize on two big opportunites at home vs. UCLA...
Momentum is only good as the next game's opponent, so it's no surprise that Illinois basketball lost to . . . Rutgers? By 9? Mike Carpenter reacts (calmly, then angrily) as Brad Underwood's team again looks like an absolute mess in an 82-73 defeat to the Scarlet Knights in some arena named after oily submarine sandwiches. Will Riley was awesome, but that's about it. Another chance to lose to a Quad 2 opponent awaits on Saturday as the Illini head up to Minnesota.
After a troubling end to January, Illini basketball responds to kick off February with an 87-79 win over Ohio State. Mike Carpenter reacts during the second half, which saw Illinois trailing by as much as 11 before going on a run of their own. A lineup of Tomislav Ivisis, Morez Johnson, Kylan Boswell, Will Riley, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn sealed the deal on a victory that could have ramifications for the rest of the season. Next up: at Rugers on Wednesday.
Illinois basketball is in a precarious position entering the month of February, losing 4 of their last 6. The nadir of the season so far comes in Lincoln, Nebraska as Fred Hoiberg's Huskers never trailed en route to an 80-74 overtime win. Mike Carpenter reacts with plenty of frustration as the Illini played perhaps their sloppiest game yet, topped off by atrocious end-of-regulation coaching by Brad Underwood. It's enough to make any fan wonder where do they go from here?
Illinois basketball bounces back with an 83-74 win over Northwestern thanks to a dominating first half. Mike Carpenter reacts during the second 20 minutes, as the Illini and Wildcats played mostly even until a late-game rally from the away team made it a single digit game. While there were plenty of positive flashes on defense, and balanced scoring on offense, the game summed up an Illinois basketball season with tantalizing highs and confusing lows. Next up: at Nebraska on Thursday night....
Illinois loses an 80-78 heartbreaker to Michigan State in East Lansing, falling to 5-3 in Big Ten play. Mike Carpenter was at the Breslin Center and discusses the frustrations of the game, specifically Kasparas Jakucionis being limited to a mere eight minutes due to foul trouble. Brad Underwood's team does have a favorable stretch coming up, during which they can stack wins and potentially get back in the conference race. At the end of the podcast, Mike talks about an Illini Guys publishing a st...
Kasparas Jakucionis is back, and with him, the good (nay, DOMINANT) side of Illini basketball. They smoke a reeling Indiana Hoosiers team at the Bizarro Assembly Hall 94-69, notching their 13th win of the season. Mike Carpenter reacts during a second half which started off sloppily, but Illinois quickly regained their groove. As the game came towards its conclusion, Tomislav Ivisic had words for Luke Goode after a physical play, leading to a scrum that rekindled some long-lost hatred between the...
Sorry for the title, but if there was a time to do it . . . an uninspired Illinois basketball team loses at home to USC 82-72. Mike Carpenter reacts during a frustratingly sleepy and sloppy second half, as Brad Underwood's team got outscored, outrebounded, and outhustled by the visiting Trojans. The Quad 3 loss may loom large come Selection Sunday and puts a significant dent in the team's chances of a Big Ten Title. Next up: two road games at Indiana and Michigan State.
No Kasparas Jakucionis, no problem for Illini basketball as they rout Penn State 91-52. Mike Carpenter discusses the phenomenal team effort as three players score 20+ points (Ben Humrichous, Tre White, Morez Johnson) while the defensive side of the ball continues to stifle opponents. Of course, the status of Jakucionis looms large for the team going forward. But, it feels as if Brad Underwood's squad is starting to click at its highest level yet.
The 2024 Illinois Football season was one of the most memorable in program history, a 10-3 campaign capped off with a thrilling Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina. Mike Carpenter reflects on Bret Bielema's fourth year at the helm, and how the successes of this team fundamentally changed the perception of program. He discusses the signature moments of the year, and how the high expectations should be going into the 2025 season.
By the skin of their teeth, Illinois basketball holds on for an 81-77 win at Washington. Mike Carpenter reacts (sometimes angrily) during a tense second half, which saw a double-digit Illini lead evaporate. But, clutch plays from the backcourt trio of Kasparas Jakucionis, Kylan Boswell, and Tre White help save the day. With the victory, Brad Underwood's team finishes their lone west coast trip with a perfect 2-0 record. Next up: Wednesday night vs. Penn State.
Illinois basketball makes history with a 109-77 win over #9 Oregon in Eugene. Mike Carpenter discusses the dominant performance, one of (if not the) best of the Brad Underwood era. The 32-point margin is the largest of any road opponent against an AP top ten team ever. Jake Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn combined for 23 first half points to spur on the Illini, while Kasparas Jakucionis, Kylan Boswell, Tre White, and Ben Humrichous (no, seriously!) keyed on a 64-point second half outburst. Next up: ...
Illinois football pulls off the upset against South Carolina with a thrilling 21-17 victory, notching the program's fifth-ever 10-win season. Mike Carpenter reacts from his hotel in Orlando after attending the game, an intense evening with some fireworks between Bret Bielema and Shane Beamer. A solid defensive game plan, effective offense, and yet another 4th quarter comeback propel the Illini to their biggest win yet in a 2024 season chock full of them.
