Illinois' star transfer from Providence made a bold proclamation at practice.

Oct. 17—CINCINNATI — Illinois topped the century mark in its exhibition opener Saturday, beating Cincinnati 105-96. Andrej Stojakovic scored a team-high 24 points, pacing six Illini in double figures. Stefan Vaaks added 19 points, and Ethan Brown finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Quentin Coleman flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while ...

There is a back-end rotational battle worth monitoring, a player to key in on and more as the 2026-27 Illini finally take the floor

Oct. 10—John Fanta's work with NBC Sports puts him behind the mic for Big Ten and Big East games, but the New Jersey-based broadcaster really is a Big East guy. He's a Seton Hall grad and called Big East games for Fox Sports before moving to NBC. So Fanta's insight into Illinois guard Stefan Vaaks is legitimate. He saw the 6-foot-7 guard several times last season with Providence. "In the gym ...

Brad Underwood is seemingly impressed by Stefan Vaaks' daily growth, but there's an area the Illini continue to emphasize for Vaaks

Oct. 4—Stefan Vaaks made his debut with Estonia's senior national team two months shy of his 20th birthday. The then 19-year-old guard played a small role in a pair of FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers, averaging 4.5 points in limited playing time. Two years later, Vaaks has turned into one of Estonia's top players. The now 21-year-old Illinois guard returned to Europe this summer to play in two FIBA ...

Oct. 3—CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood has used the phrase "home run" to describe Illinois' addition of Stefan Vaaks multiple times since the Providence transfer picked the Illini in April. Underwood used it again Friday during Illinois' on-campus media day, and the phrasing fits because Vaaks fits. Underwood has made his priorities clear on the recruiting trail, whether that's transfer or high ...

Let’s have some fun.

An Illinois transfer will bring some of the best three-pointing shooting in the country to the Fighting Illini.