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SB Nation: The Champaign Room

I began covering the Illinois basketball beat in the summer of 2025. I was able to get my feet wet in the first couple of months, which helped me prepare for the first real test of my sports reporting journey: driving up to attend Big Ten Media Days in Rosemont to speak to head coach Brad Underwood and veteran players Kylan Boswell and Ben Humrichous for my first media availability. Since then, I've participated in countless media availabilities and postgame pressers with an increased sense of curiosity, covered many marquee matchups at State Farm Center, and have been lucky enough to cover games at the United Center and Mackey Arena. Additionally, I'm happy to announce that I will also be covering the Illinois football beat for the 2026-27 season. 

Check out some of my favorite articles and tweets below!

The Champaign Room •

No. 10 Illinois fall to No. 3 Michigan behind sold out crowd

Despite a sold out State Farm Center crowd and a sense of hunger to take home a victory, No. 10 Illinois couldn’t hold off the most athletic team in the nation, falling 84-70 to No. 3 Michigan. The Illini faithful did their best to spoil Morez Johnson Jr.’s return to Champaign and delay the Wolverines’ Big Ten regular season title celebration, but Michigan’s defensive intensity and physicality in the paint left Illinois hopeless.Friday night marked the first time in 20 years that two top-10 team...
The Champaign Room •

No. 8 Illinois loses to Wisconsin in overtime after late collapse

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Missing two of its stars in the frontcourt, Illinois needed everyone on the court to do what they do well — with just a little bit more effort.The Illini came up just short, dropping a 92-90 overtime loss to the Wisconsin Badgers at State Farm Center on Tuesday to conclude an exhausting stretch of five games in 13 days. After leading for 24 minutes, the Illini let their guard down at the worst possible time. Illinois missed seven late free throws and turned the ball over eight...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois torches Northwestern, extends win streak to 12

Coming off consecutive top-5 road wins for the first time in program history after taking down No. 4 Purdue and No. 5 Nebraska, Illinois reminded its fans of the depth it has to offer with five Illini in double figures, taking down Northwestern 84-44 Wednesday night at State Farm Center. With the win, the Illini extend their winning streak to 12 and pick up a third consecutive victory over the Wildcats.In a game that saw the Illini hit 11 first-half triples with a different guy seemingly knockin...
The Champaign Room •

How Tyler Underwood helped build Illinois’ historically efficient offense

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini are riding the longest winning streak since head coach Brad Underwood was appointed in 2017, and are searching for their 10th straight win Thursday night at State Farm Center against Washington. But how did they get here?“I value how hard he works on the professional side,” Brad Underwood said. “I have tremendous respect for how he’s grown and how hard he works at it.”After finishing the last two seasons with a top-15 ranked offense, Illinois now owns the No. 1 adjus...
The Champaign Room •

Wagler’s legendary performance lifts Illinois to win over No. 4 Purdue

In Illinois’ second game without its engine, Kylan Boswell, Wagler decided it was the perfect time to step up and show what he can do in a brim-packed Mackey Arena with a historical 46-point performance in a nail-biting 88-82 victory at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette to hand the No. 4 Boilermakers their second straight loss. It marked Illinois’ first win at Mackey Arena since 2020 and ninth straight win this season, the longest win streak in the Underwood era.“He takes the emotion out of it. Wit...
The Champaign Room •

Stojakovic’s all-around performance instills hope in Illini fans following Boswell’s injury

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With Illinois’ senior leader out of the lineup for the first time in his collegiate career, the Illini needed everybody to step up and help fill the void. After veteran guard Kylan Boswell fractured his hand in practice on Monday, head coach Brad Underwood had less than two days to figure out how the Illini could make up for the absence of the engine of their squad. It’s now easy to say Stojakovic was probably one of Underwood’s main focal points, knowing what he’s capable of.“I...
The Champaign Room •

Size mismatch and Big Z lead Illinois to hard-fought win over Minnesota

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Carrying a six-game win streak and all the momentum in the world, head coach Brad Underwood and the Illini prevailed in their first game at State Farm Center in 11 days to make it seven straight victories for this squad and nine wins in a row against the Gophers.After big man Zvonimir Ivisic took advantage of Minnesota’s height in the first half, Illinois were able to pull away from the Gophers in the second, leading them to a 77-67 victory in Champaign that saw seven lead chan...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois’ path to the next level is simple: Win the possession battle

They need to be violent where it counts. And that’s the stuff that doesn’t always make the highlight reel, but will exhaust teams and help win you games: offensive rebounds, tipped balls, second efforts, blocks that turn into downhill transitions. Illinois put on a masterclass in possession control against Missouri in St. Louis, turning a rivalry game with tons of hype into a cakewalk by the end of the first half. They won the second-chance point battle 29-5, finished +19 on the glass and rejecte...
The Champaign Room •

‘We needed practice’: How Illinois bullied Mizzou in historic beating

During their nine-day practice week, Illinois stressed what Underwood calls their “daily vitamins,” consisting of defensive communication, attention to the small details and relentless work on the glass, especially the offensive side. The Illini took advantage of the first extended week of practice they had before the win at Tennessee, and this time they showcased the immediate results at an even higher level. Illinois showed out in St. Louis with a 91-48 victory, holding Missouri to under 50 po...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois emphasizes fundamentals ahead of Braggin’ Rights

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With nine days to practice after the buzzer-beating loss to Nebraska, head coach Brad Underwood stressed defensive and rebounding fundamentals to get the Illini back on the right track.Illinois faces Missouri on Monday night at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis in the annual Braggin’ Rights game, looking to secure its third straight win in the rivalry. The No. 18 Illini enter their first game in nine days emphasizing defensive fundamentals, offensive rebounding, conditioning a...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois ramps up conditioning before physical test at No. 13 Tennessee

Following back-to-back ranked losses against Alabama and UCONN, the No. 14 Illini traded rest for intensity this week to prepare for Saturday’s 7 p.m. tip at Bridgestone Arena against the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers.Underwood’s focus in practice this week was on conditioning and mental toughness, two of the same issues that surfaced late in Sunday’s loss to UConn. With the Vols’ trademark physicality, Illinois ramped up the running, rebounding drills and competitive scrimmages to “play through f...
The Champaign Room •

Three-point struggles spoil Illinois’ afternoon at MSG vs. UCONN

After going cold from deep and letting a late comeback slip away, No. 13 Illinois fell 74-61 to No. 5 UCONN at Madison Square Garden in New York Friday afternoon despite another standout performance from senior guard Kylan Boswell. The defeat marks Illinois’ second straight ranked defeat and fifth straight ranked defeat at a neutral site following the loss to Alabama in Chicago at the United Center last week.The stage was set for redemption after UConn’s Elite Eight blowout victory against Illin...
The Champaign Room •

Free throws doom Illinois in United Center loss to Alabama

CHICAGO — In Illinois’ first regular season game at the United Center in seven years, the Illini felt the love from thousands of fans dressed in orange and blue.But Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon had other plans as he took over late in a back-and-forth battle that ended with the Crimson Tide winning 90-86 on Wednesday night in Chicago as Illinois lost its first game of the season.Doomed by late free-throw trouble and failing to get crucial stops, the Illini couldn’t quite finish the late...
The Champaign Room •

Stojaković leads Illinois to statement win over No. 11 Texas Tech

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois narrowly passed its first major test of the season Tuesday night, outlasting No. 11 Texas Tech in a back-and-forth 81-77 battle at State Farm Center that marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.Tuesday night’s matchup at State Farm Center in Champaign marked the Illini’s first true test of the 2025-26 season, coming off two comfortable wins versus Jackson State and Florida Gulf Coast. Illinois leaned on sophomore guard Andrej Stojaković and veteran guard...
The Champaign Room •

‘A natural leader’: Kylan Boswell ready to run the show for the Illini

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Last season, Kylan Boswell helped stabilize a young roster. Now he’s ready to conduct that same group after just one season with the Illini. Teammates and coaches keep pointing to the same thing: the louder his voice gets in the locker room, the more his game develops.Now entering his second season under head coach Brad Underwood, Boswell has evolved into both Illinois’ loudest leader and engine on the court. The point guard who spent years perfecting his game is now the one se...