Illinois Basketball Scheduling Marquee Game Vs Final Four Team

Illinois Basketball Scheduling Marquee Game Vs Final Four Team

Brad Underwood is not messing around. Per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Illinois basketball is finalizing an agreement to play a game in Birmingham vs the Alabama Crimson Tide. In addition, the agreement would involve a return game in Chicago at the United Center during the 2025-2026 season. This again proves the notion that Brad Underwood is doing a great job of scheduling a strong non-conference schedule. Recently, Rothstein reported that Illinois basketball will also add the Duke Blue Devils to their schedule.

This means that the Illini will be playing Alabama, Duke, Tennessee, and Missouri as part of their non-conference schedule.

Brad vs the SEC?

The Alabama Crimson Tide will be the third SEC team on the non-conference schedule. Regardless, Alabama is a big fish. Nate Oats is considered one of the best coaches in the game and has made Alabama into a yearly contender. Oats and his crew are fresh off of a Final Four trip and are consistently winning out marquee recruitments.

They return a number of strong players such as Grant Nelson and also recently landed Rutgers big man, Cliff Omoruyi. Brad Underwood will have an experienced squad, however, all of his main players will be newcomers. Ty Rodgers and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn are the only returnees from a team that went to the Elite Eight. The newcomers will have to mesh quickly as their non-conference schedule will test them to their limits right off the bat.