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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood looks on during the college basketball game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the USC Trojans on February 18, 2026 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How to Watch Illinois vs. Michigan
Game Time: 7 p.m. Friday
TV Channel: Fox
Online Streaming: FoxSportsGO
Odds: N/A (Illinois 50.5% Chance To Win – ESPN Matchup Predictor)
Quick Hits:
Illinois Fighting Illini (22-6, 13-4 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (9th season)
Last Game: UCLA 95, Illinois 94
Gameday Reading:
TCR Bracketology 9.0: What the committee reveal says about Illinois
Illinois left shellshocked in historic collapse at UCLA
Michigan Wolverines (25-2, 15-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: MSU 82, UCLA 59
What Happened the Last Time These Two Teams Played?
- Illinois leads the all-time series 96-85.
- Illinois has won nine straight dating back to Jan. 10, 2019.
March 2, 2025: Illinois 93, Michigan 73
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — That’s nine straight against the Wolverines.
The Illini ran away with the game Sunday afternoon in the second half thanks to a dominant performance on the glass, beating Michigan 93-73 for their second straight win. The win helps Illinois establish some sense of momentum with just one game left in the regular season (Friday vs. a scuffling Purdue) ahead of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
Illinois (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) had lost three of its last four games heading into its matchup with Michigan (22-7, 14-4 Big Ten), and the Illini were out-rebounded in three of those four contests. The Illini looked much different in Sunday afternoon’s game at the Crisler Center, as they out-rebounded Michigan, 43-32, in an incredibly impressive physical effort.
“I couldn’t be prouder of a group of guys than I am this group,“ said Brad Underwood after the win. “After New York, it would’ve been very easy to pitch a tent and say ‘we’re done’. This group has done just the opposite…I think today was everything we talk about in our culture.”
Illinois’ lethal second half shooting helped blow the game open, which has been the case in several games this season. In the second half alone, Illinois went 11-23 from deep and tallied 20 second chance points.
Four different Illini reached double-digit points on the day, with Tre White’s 19 points leading the way. White’s 15 points and 6 rebounds in the second half were crucial in Illinois’ winning effort.
Despite shooting just 32.4% from the floor in the first half, Illinois went into the locker room with a 31-30 lead over Michigan. The Illini played a gritty first twenty minutes in enemy territory, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds and forcing nine turnovers.
Kylan Boswell was everywhere for Illinois in the first half. He scored 13 points on 5-for-9 FG, grabbed four rebounds, and blocked two shots.
Illinois continued to out-hustle Michigan in the second half, imposing their will physically. The Illini finally managed to hit their shots from deep, looking like the team fans had seen earlier in the year.
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“It’s what we’ve been doing all year,” said Underwood. “It’s what our whole system is based on…the ability to go rebound the basketball when you miss it. We’re really, really good at shooting two’s, but we’re not good at shooting two’s if we don’t shoot threes. And we have to go rebound those things.”
Michigan had absolutely zero answer for Illinois’ effort on the glass and struggled to keep up with Illinois offensively. Illinois had no answer for Vlad Goldin, however, as the big man totaled 22 points (11-for-15 FG) and 7 rebounds on the day.
“One thing in March…you’re only as good as your last game,” said Underwood. “You want to be playing your best and tonight was a good one. We got a couple days where we can get better again in practice and finish the regular season off against a defending league champ.”
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