Illinois Basketball Schedule

Introduction

Looking for the full Illinois basketball schedule for the 2024–25 season? You’re in the right place. This deep‑dive covers every game—from exhibition tune‑ups to Big Ten showdowns and postseason matchups—with dates, venues, broadcast info, results, standout performances, and why each game matters. Structured with SEO‑friendly headings and keyword-rich content, this page aims to be your go‑to resource for Illinois basketball schedule, topped with analysis and fan insights.

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1. Exhibition & Non‑Conference Slate

Exhibition Game

• Oct 27 – At Ole Miss (Exhibition): Season opener in Oxford, MS; aired on SECN. The Illini fell 74‑91, but used the game to assess rotations and redshirt deep bench pieces BT Powerhouse+2University of Illinois Athletics+2University of Illinois Athletics+2.

Non‑Conference Schedule
Illinois faced a mixture of cupcakes and powerhouses before Big Ten play:

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	TV
Nov 4	Eastern Illinois	St. Farm Center, Champaign	W 112‑67	B1G+ (stream) The Champaign RoomWikipedia+2Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2Reddit+13University of Illinois Athletics+13Wikipedia+13
Nov 8	SIU‑Edwardsville	Home	W 90‑58	Peacock
Nov 13	Oakland	Home	W 66‑54	BTN
Nov 20	#8 Alabama (Newton Classic)	Birmingham, AL	L 87‑100	SECN
Nov 23	Maryland–Eastern Shore	Home	W 87‑40	B1G+
Nov 25	Little Rock	Home	W 92‑34	BTN
Nov 28	Arkansas (Turkey Throwdown)	Kansas City, MO (neutral)	W 90‑77	CBS
Dec 14	Tennessee	Home	L 64‑66	B1G+
Dec 22	Missouri (Braggin’ Rights)	St. Louis, MO (neutral)	W 80‑77	BTN
Dec 29	Chicago State	Home	W 117‑64	Local

Schedule Evaluation:
Illinois navigated a balanced non‑conference slate—weaving in top-tier opponents (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee) with easier matchups (Eastern Illinois, Chicago State). It earned a respectable B‑grade for this scheduling strategy Reddit+4Off Tackle Empire+4Reddit+4.

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2. Big Ten Conference Play

Illinois faced 20 conference games—many demanding and pivotal to NCAA hopes:

Date	Opponent	H/A/N	Result	Score	Notes
Dec 6	Northwestern	A	L 66‑70 OT	Close	Rivalry battle University of Illinois Athletics+15BT Powerhouse+15Off Tackle Empire+15Odds Shark+14hoopshype.games.cbssports.com+14Sportskeeda+14
Dec 10	Wisconsin	H	W 86‑80	Strong
Jan 2	Oregon	A	W 109‑77	Historic road blowout
Jan 5	Washington	A	W 81‑77	Tight win
Jan 8	Penn State	H	W 91‑52	Dominant
Jan 11	USC	H	L 72‑82	Tough loss
Jan 14	Indiana	A	W 94‑69	Road thrashing
Jan 19	Michigan State	A	L 78‑80	Close loss
Jan 23	Maryland	H	L 70‑91	Struggles
Jan 26	Northwestern	H	W 83‑74	Rival win
Jan 30	Nebraska	A	L 74‑80
Feb 2	Ohio State	H	W 87‑79
Feb 5	Rutgers	A	L 73‑82
Feb 8	Minnesota	A	W 95‑74
Feb 11	UCLA	H	W 83‑78
Feb 15	Michigan State	H	L 65‑79
Feb 18	Wisconsin	A	L 74‑95
Feb 22	Duke	N (MSG)	L 67‑110	Showcase disappointment
Feb 25	Iowa	H	W 81‑61	Rivalry payoff
Mar 2	Michigan	A	W 93‑73	Strong
Mar 7	Purdue	H	W 88‑80	Big conference win

Season Summary:
Finishing 12‑8 in Big Ten play with notable wins at Oregon and home victories over Wisconsin, UCLA, Michigan, and Purdue. Losses included narrow OT defeats and inconsistency at key road venues .

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3. Postseason: Big Ten & NCAA Tournaments

• Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis, Mar 13–14):
  • Win vs Iowa (106‑94)
  • Quarterfinal loss at Maryland (65‑88) Reddit+6CBSSports.com+6Odds Shark+6Sportskeeda
• NCAA Tournament
  • Earned a No. 6 seed
  • Round 1 win vs Xavier (86‑73)
  • Round 2 loss @ Kentucky (75‑84) Scientia EN+3CBSSports.com+3Odds Shark+3Sportskeeda

Final season record: 22–13 overall, 12–8 Big Ten Wikipedia.

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4. Standout Performances & Milestones

• Historic Road Blowout: 109‑77 win at #9 Oregon marked Illinois’s first-ever 32-point road win at a top-10 program Scientia EN+1Odds Shark+1.
• Freshman Sensation: Kasparas Jakučionis shredded assists records (11 and 13 in opener games), earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice, All‑Freshman Team, and declared for NBA draft in April Sportskeeda+2Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2.
• Rivalry Highlights:
  • Split with Northwestern (OT loss + home win); Illinois leads series 144–46 Wikipedia
  • Held on to Braggin’ Rights over Missouri 80‑77; leads 35–20 all-time Odds Shark+4Wikipedia+4Scientia EN+4
  • Victory vs Iowa in conference tourney highlighted recent dominance — Illinois leads 94–77 University of Illinois Athletics+15Wikipedia+15hoopshype.games.cbssports.com+15.

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5. Analysis: Schedule Strength & Style

• Non‑Conference Game Plan: Balanced approach combining high-level tests and favorable “buy” games. The result: Sweet spot grade of B Off Tackle Empire.
• Late-Season Consistency Woes: Losses at Duke (MSG), Wisconsin, Maryland highlighted depth concerns during crunch time.
• Road vs Home Trends: Impressive road highs (Oregon, Michigan, Indiana) offset by puzzling losses in conference.

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