Head coach Matt Bollant had a rough second season with Illinois women’s basketball. His team finished 9-21 overall, 2-14 in the Big Ten. Combine that losing record with the Big Ten’s addition of Maryland...

Since taking over the program two years ago, Illinois women’s basketball head coach Matt Bollant has taken his recruiting talents to the next level. Following a poor 2013-14 season, during which the...

At first, Tracy Abrams didn’t think the injury was that bad. He was in shock and a few seconds later he felt the pain. “I knew something was wrong,” Abrams said. As he lay on the court near one of...

Illinois head coach John Groce didn’t recruit Nnanna Egwu to Champaign. Groce was the head man at Ohio when Egwu committed to former Illini coach Bruce Weber in 2009. But now, Groce, beginning his third...

Ahmad Starks is quiet. He always has been. The senior guard for the Illinois men’s basketball team has never been much of a talker. For the most part, he lets his actions speak for themselves, both on...

Aaron Cosby has always been a stellar shooter. But when Cosby arrived at Illinois, there was something that may have stood out to head coach John Groce, other than his shot. “When he came in here, I...

Last season, Illinois basketball was defined by a series of “ifs”. The 2013-14 Illini had nine newcomers on its roster, and head coach John Groce had to throw his unbalanced roster together and do...

The future of Illini basketball might be here already, and its name is “Savage.” Freshman Leron Black — who was given the ferocious nickname for his aggressive rebounding — is expecting to get...

Michael Finke doesn’t have to travel far to get to the State Farm Center. His home in Champaign is only about four miles from Illinois basketball’s home court. The Champaign native is one of two incoming...