The full Big Ten men’s basketball conference slate was released recently, which means college basketball season is rapidly approaching.
We know Brad Underwood loves to schedule awesome non-conference games against powerhouse programs, but that doesn’t mean Illinois’ conference schedule is any less intriguing. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting matchups this year’s Big Ten schedule has to offer.
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#5: at Maryland (3/8)
For whatever reason, Maryland has had Brad Underwood’s number during his Illinois tenure. Former Maryland head coaches Mark Turgeon and Kevin Willard both compiled 4-1 records against Brad Underwood and the Illini. Hell, interim head coach Danny Manning even managed to split his two matchups with Illinois in 2021-22.
With a new head coach in Buzz Williams and a brand new roster that includes former Big Ten foes in Myles Rice (Indiana) and Pharrel Payne (Minnesota), Maryland will present an intriguing challenge to Illinois.
This road trip to College Park is the final game of Illinois’ conference schedule and caps off a brutal stretch in February and March. More on that in a bit.
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#4: vs. Indiana (2/15)
Indiana also brings in a new head coach for the 2025-26 season, former Drake and West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries. The Hoosiers were in desperate need of a culture change after enduring the Mike Woodson era for four seasons.
Indiana, like Maryland, reset their entire roster this past offseason. Darian’s son Tucker DeVries figures to be one of the team’s stars, along with transfers Lamar Wilkerson (Sam Houston), Reed Bailey (Davidson), and Conor Enright (DePaul).
Illinois has won their last two matchups against Indiana, including that unbelievable 35 point win in Bloomington in January, but the Illini fanbase is going to need revenge for last weekend’s massacre on the gridiron.
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#3: at UCLA (2/21)
UCLA projects to be one of the better teams in the Big Ten, and the country for that matter. New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent is one of the most electric players in the nation. Pairing him with returners Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. is a scary sight for opposing Big Ten squads.
Illinois will take on both USC and UCLA in mid-February as part of their West Coast trip. That West Coast trip comes after playing Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Indiana and before playing Michigan, Oregon, and Maryland.
This will be the Illini’s first time playing UCLA in Los Angeles since 1997. They’re 0-3 all-time vs. the Bruins in the City of Angels.
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#2: at Purdue (1/24)
Illinois and Purdue have been the class of the conference over the past half-decade or so. Despite that, Purdue had beaten Illinois five straight times until the Illini came away with an 88-80 victory in March at the State Farm Center.
Now, Illinois will have to travel to Mackey Arena and face off against arguably the best team in the country. There may not be a better trio than Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer.
Illinois’ trip to West Lafayette is towards the middle point of their conference slate and after a first half that projects to be relatively light. It will be interesting to see how the veteran Illini look at that point in the year.
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#1: vs. Michigan (2/27)
Illinois versus Michigan at the State Farm Center on Feb. 27 should be a fantastic basketball game. Bart Torvik rates Michigan at No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 3 in the nation, while Illinois slots in at No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 7 in the nation.
This game could drastically affect the Big Ten title race and will give either team a huge boost to their March résumé.
More intriguing than that though is how Michigan transfer Morez Johnson Jr. will be welcomed back to Champaign after leaving for Ann Arbor in the offseason. A former fan favorite, Johnson Jr. averaged 7.0 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Illini.
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There aren’t a ton of marquee home games on Illinois’ Big Ten schedule this year, besides the Michigan matchup. Add in the Morez Johnson Jr. factor, and you’re looking at potentially the most rowdy environment Champaign has seen in quite some time.
