IlliniNow

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- It appears Kofi Cockburn has played his final game at the University of Illinois. Adam Zagoria was the first to report this news and Andrew Slater of Prospective Insight's had his report retweeted personally by Cockburn on Twitter. On April 18, Cockburn initially announced his decision to...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Geoff Alexander has been officially elevated to assistant coach. Alexander moves to an on-court coaching and recruiting position after spending the last four seasons on the Fighting Illini staff as assistant to the head coach. Alexander has contributed to scouting reports, game and practice preparations, offensive and...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In discussing his newest assistant coach hiring for the first time with local and statewide media, Brad Underwood once again put on display arguably his best attribute. Throughout his four seasons as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Illinois, Underwood continues to prove he...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois head coach Brad Underwood spoke to local and statewide media via Zoom video on May 11 after hiring Chester Frazier as a new assistant coach to his Illini staff. Underwood is the 18th head coach in Illinois history, hired in March 2017. He has won more...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- New Illinois assistant coach Chester Frazier met with local and statewide media on May 11 less than a week after agreeing to join Brad Underwood's coaching staff. Frazier agreed to join the coaching staff at his alma mater after spending two seasons as the associate head coach...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In order to fill one his multiple assistant coach vacancies, Brad Underwood is bringing in a former Illinois player who has established himself in college basketball coaching circles. According to Stadium.com basketball insider Jeff Goodman, Chester Frazier has agreed to join the Illinois coaching staff after spending...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Despite a very active offseason, the University of Illinois football program under new head coach Bret Bielema still has a lot of roster and scholarship flexibility for future seasons. According to the NCAA’s new rule mandating that players are being allowed to return for the 2021 campaign...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Isaiah Williams is no longer a quarterback at Illinois. Illini head coach Bret Bielema confirmed Tuesday in a Zoom media conference that the highly recruited quarterback prospect from St. Louis is permanently moving to wide receiver for the upcoming 2021 season. Bielema seemed more than hesitant to...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Kentucky has taken away two assistants from Brad Underwood's staff at Illinois. Illini Now/Sports Illustrated has been informed by multiple sources close to the University of Illinois men's basketball program that Illini assistant Ronald “Chin” Coleman has informed Underwood that he'll be taking the offer to join Kentucky's coaching staff as an assistant coach.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In a strong and clear denial, the father of Ohio State star forward E.J. Liddell refuted the reporting in a local column suggesting his son was considering a transfer to Illinois. In an exclusive interview with The Columbus Dispatch, Liddell’s father, Eric, refuted the factual claim of...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Two former Illinois players found free agent contracts after going undrafted this weekend in the 2021 NFL Draft. Illinois wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe and linebacker Milo Eifler signed an NFL contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets respectively on Saturday night. Imatorbhebhe started 18...

PEORIA, Ill. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it clear to new draftee Kendrick Green that they’d like him to compete to win the starting center position next season. In order to make its third round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft feel more comfortable, the Steelers quarterback decided to welcome his newest teammate to the organization.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The autumn wind will now permanently be a Raider for Nate Hobbs. With the 167th overall pick, in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs on Saturday. For the first time in five years, Illinois has had multiple players selected in the same draft year.

Kendrick Green is headed to Pittsburgh. The former Illinois offensive guard was selected Friday evening in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the 87th overall pick. For just the second time in the last four years, Illinois football has a player selected in the draft with the last pick being offensive lineman Nick Allegretti being selected in the seventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The silly season of college basketball’s offseason is now involving Brad Underwood’s coaching staff at Illinois. Illini Now/Sports Illustrated was able to confirm Wednesday night via a source close to the situation what multiple outlets had already speculated and reported throughout this week about Orlando Antigua leaving his position as an assistant coach at Illinois in order to join John Calipari’s coaching staff at Kentucky for a second time in his career.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois is reportedly losing an important member of Brad Underwood’s coaching staff. Multiple reports have confirmed Orlando Antigua will be leaving his position as an assistant coach at Illinois in order to join John Calipari’s coaching staff at Kentucky for a second time in his career. WDRB-TV in Louisville sports reporter Rick Bozich reported this movement as a possibility on Monday and Stadium.com reporter Jeff Goodman confirmed the news Wednesday night.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois kept its head wrestling coach position in the family with the announced hiring of Mike Poeta to replace the recently retired Jim Heffernan. Poeta will receive a four-year contract starting at $160,000 annually, with his appointment after his contract is approved by the University of Illinois board of trustees.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The multi-event portion of Illinois’ men’s basketball non-conference schedule has been announced. The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Wednesday morning that Illinois will be a participant in the four-team Hall of Fame Classic tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The field will also include...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Jermaine Hamlin has reportedly become the second player on the 2020-21 Illinois men’s basketball roster to put his name into the transfer portal. According to verbalcommits.com, Hamlin has put his name into the portal after two seasons at Illinois that resulted in him getting on the playing floor for 24 career games but never seeing more than 10 minutes of action in a single game versus a Division I opponent.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- After announcing the signing of Utah graduate transfer guard Alfonso Plummer and confirming the return of guard Trent Frazier for a fifth season, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was asked twice in his last Zoom media conference if his Illini program was at the NCAA limit of 13 scholarship players as of April 19, 2021.