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Illini Look to Have Fun, Get Loose in Chicago for Big Ten Tournament
No. 11 Illinois enters postseason with healthy roster, high expectations
Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:53pm
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The Illinois Fighting Illini are heading into the Big Ten Tournament with a healthy roster and a renewed focus on having fun and playing loose. After a successful regular season, head coach Brad Underwood is urging his team to embrace the abruptness of the postseason and give it their all. The Illini are likely to face Wisconsin in the opening round, a team that handed them an overtime loss earlier in the season. With key players like Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic now healthy, Illinois is ready to make a deep run in the tournament.
Why it matters
Illinois is looking to build on its successful regular season and make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament. The team has high expectations and is determined to prove itself against tough conference opponents. A strong performance in the tournament could set the stage for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
The details
The Illini enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 4 seed after tallying 24 regular-season victories, the program's most in 20 years. They are likely to face Wisconsin in the opening round, a team that handed them an overtime loss earlier in the season. Illinois was missing key players Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic in that matchup, and the team is now healthy and ready to get revenge. Head coach Brad Underwood is urging his team to embrace the abruptness of the postseason and "cut it loose" to have fun and play their hardest.
- The Big Ten Tournament is scheduled to take place from March 13-17, 2026.
- Illinois is likely to face Wisconsin in the opening round on Friday, March 14, 2026.
The players
Brad Underwood
The head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team.
Kylan Boswell
A guard for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team.
Andrej Stojakovic
A guard for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team.
John Blackwell
A guard for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team.
Nick Boyd
A guard for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team.
What they’re saying
“Now's the time to cut it loose. Now's the time to go have fun... We want to be the toughest, hardest playing team out there every night. If we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”
— Brad Underwood, Head Coach
“We had a talk after the practice with Ty Rodgers. Coach just asked him how the 2024 run was and he said every day was like the best day ever.”
— David Mirkovic, Freshman
“I think every game you just got to take that mentality of one-and-oh.”
— Kylan Boswell
What’s next
The winner of the Illinois-Wisconsin matchup will advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, March 15, 2026.
The takeaway
Illinois is entering the postseason with a healthy roster, high expectations, and a renewed focus on having fun and playing loose. After a successful regular season, the Illini are determined to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament and prove they are one of the top teams in the conference.
