Good Morning, Illini Nation: Looking ahead to power conference showdowns

Jul. 5—Yesterday's morning basketball missive centered on Illinois' strong yet entirely devoid of high-level home games 2026-27 schedule. At least so far. Now, we'll take a look at the five power conference opponents that highlight the Illini's slate and where they stand four months out from the start of the season:

Texas Tech — Nov. 11

How fast JT Toppin's surgically-repaired right knee heals will be the deciding factor in just how competitive the Red Raiders will be when Illinois makes the trip to Lubbock, Texas. Toppin suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Feb. 17 and had surgery roughly a month later. Whether or not his rehab will have him on the court in November is the question — a timetable that would have him inside the average nine-month recovery period for a torn ACL. Texas Tech without its All-American big man is a different team with no one-for-one replacement. The same is true with Christian Anderson now part of the Charlotte Hornets organization. The Red Raiders are counting on the combination of former Illini Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn — last year's Mountain West scoring leader at UNLV — and Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis to make up for losing the latter.

Duke — Nov. 17

The last time Illinois played Duke it didn't go well. As in biggest margin of defeat in program history not well. But that was at Madison Square Garden. The last time the Illini played at Cameron Indoor Stadium they posted a major victory ... in front of basically no one because of COVID restrictions. A full house this season between a pair of likely top five teams early in the season has "Game of the Year" potential. The Blue Devils certainly won't be lacking for talent, with Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell a major addition alongside several returning rotation players and the No. 2-ranked freshman class in the country anchored by a trio of five-star recruits in Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Joaquin Boumtje Boumtje. Duke won't be hurting for talent this season, but figuring out a workable rotation with a plethora of options will be the challenge.

Connecticut — Dec. 4

Dan Hurley has, to date, quite clearly had Brad Underwood's number. There was the Elite Eight blowout in 2024, a clear cut victory in the rematch at MSG in 2025 and just four months later another win in the Final Four in Indianapolis. Will the fourth time be the charm for Underwood and Illinois? Home court advantage will be in the Illini's favor in Chicago, and the Huskies lost several key players from their national runner-up team. But Braylon Mullins and his three-point jump shot came back in a backcourt that will also feature veteran guard Silas Demary Jr. Four-star freshman Colben Landrew is an intriguing option on the wing, and Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia was a McDonald's All-American before his lone season in Durham, N.C. How well Najai Hines can replace Tarris Reed Jr. in the UConn frontcourt, though, could be a major factor for the Huskies.

Missouri — TBA

No date has been set for the annual Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis, but the last five have all been held on Dec. 22. That's a Tuesday this year, and tracks as a legitimate date for the rivalry game. Illinois has won three in a row against Missouri and four of five, with last year's 91-48 victory the most lopsided in the history of the rivalry. The Illini returned five key rotation players from that team. The Tigers? They're basically in full-on rebuild mode after losing the bulk of last year's roster. The replacements Missouri coach Dennis Gates managed to land are intriguing, though. Transfers Jaylen Carey (Tennessee), Kennard Davis Jr. (BYU), Jamier Jones (Providence) and Bryson Tiller (Kansas) provide some experience, but it's freshman guard Jason Crowe Jr. that will be handed the keys to the offense. Crowe was a top five prospect in the 2026 class and projects as a 2027 lottery pick.

North Carolina — Jan. 30

A nonconference game in the thick of the Big Ten schedule didn't work out all that well for Illinois the last time it had such an undertaking (the Duke loss in New York) but it's a concept Underwood supports. So the Illini will give it a try again this season against the new-look Tar Heels in Nashville, Tenn. North Carolina didn't just turn over most of its roster from last year's NCAA tournament team. It also made a coaching change, firing Hubert Davis after five seasons and surprising everyone by replacing him with former NBA champion coach Mike Malone. Just two rotation players return — Jarin Stevenson and Jaydon Young — with the transfer portal providing a trio of guards in Terrence Brown (Utah), Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech) and Matt Able (N.C. State). Freshmen Maximo Adams and Sayon Keita should also contribute, with the latter coming off a three-year stint at FC Barcelona.