Illinois basketball notches best season in program history with 2026-27 season prediction

It is going to be a fun basketball season to see which program, the men’s or women’s Illinois basketball team, has a better year.

The Illini women start their 2026-27 season with Detroit Mercy on November 4. We are poised for a big season, as we start ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25.

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Shauna Green continues to do wonders with the Orange and Blue. Not only did we bring back nearly everyone from last season, but Illinois also added some quality talent to give this program tremendous depth.

Here is the Illinois basketball game-by-game prediction for the 2026-27 season

#23 Illinois basketball vs. Detroit Mercy – November 4

This is a bad Detroit Mercy squad. They won seven games last season, so I think this could be a pretty ugly contest. With Illinois at full health for the start of the season, give me a blowout win to start 2026-27.

Final: Illinois 82 – Detroit Mercy 50 (W) (1-0 Overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

#23 Illinois basketball vs. Southern – November 7

Southern shouldn’t be a problem for Illinois despite being a better team than Detroit Mercy. The Jaguars won 20 games and were victorious in the First Four in the NCAA tournament. They were trounced by No. 1 South Carolina, 103-34, though. I expect Illinois to do the same.

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Final: Illinois 91 – Southern 40 (W) (2-0 Overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

#23 Illinois basketball vs. Southeast Missouri State – November 15

The start of the season for Illinois is filled with cupcakes. Southeast Missouri State fits into that billing. They aren’t very good, winning just 14 games last season and finishing below .500 in the Ohio Valley. This team can’t keep up with Illinois’ scoring, and that will show greatly on November 15.

Final: Illinois 85 – Southeast Missouri State 58 (W) (3-0 Overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

#23 Illinois basketball at Ball State – November 18

Illinois’ first road game of the season is going to be a test. We travel to Muncie, Indiana, to take on Ball State. The Cardinals won 26 games last season and were the MAC regular season champs….

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Publish date : 2026-11-01 17:32:00

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