The last time Illinois beat UConn was [checks notes … still flipping pages] in 1938 in Huff Hall, back when it was called Huff Gym. And the Illini's last trio of losses to the Huskies have been anything but painless.
Let's go down the list – or, better yet, we'll have coach Brad Underwood do the honors:
Brad Underwood details Illinois' recent struggles against UConn
"Danny [Hurley] wants to play again, we'll play," Underwood said to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. "One of the best college basketball teams I've ever played against was that UConn team that won it, and beat us in the Elite Eight. A game that was close for a half, and we're still trying to score on Donovan [Clingan]. He blocked everything. But just a great, great basketball team."
For the Illinois fans who have somehow managed to block that nightmare of a memory out (kudos to you), that would be the infamous "30-0 run" game Underwood is referring to. Late in the first half, the game was knotted at 23 apiece. Then, the Illini didn't score for a long time. They looked up and the score read 53-23. That was all she wrote for Illinois in 2024.
"And then last year we were finding ourselves," Underwood said. "You look at the box score, I hardly played Keaton [Wagler]. I had no idea what I was doing with [David] Mirkovic at that time. And we weren't a good basketball team."
This was the Black Friday matchup in 2025 in New York City. Save for Kylan Boswell's 25-point, nine-rebound performance, there weren't any redeeming moments or performances in a 74-61 loss.
Wagler and Mirkovic also played just a combined 32 minutes. But the loss sparked changes across the board, many of which resulted in the start of Illinois discovering its ultimate identity – namely the shift to Wagler.
"I thought we were a basketball team that had a chance to win a national championship when we played them in the Final Four," Underwood said. "They beat us. We didn't have our best night. That's not to take anything away from them. We missed nine layups. I give them credit."
In that Black Friday matchup, UConn was the better team. That was abundantly clear. But in the Final Four, the Huskies were not. The Illini probably win that one seven times out of 10. But that's basketball.
And that's where Hurley's experience in March pays dividends. He has the ability to elevate his team's floor to the highest level. That is the next step for Underwood, to ensure his squad wins every game it should.
"Danny … he's at the pinnacle," Underwood said. "He's at the top of the mountain. What he's doing has been quite remarkable. He's got a great staff. They get great players. So why not play them? Let's find out where we are.
"And if they happen to beat us in Chicago this year, I hope we get them in Detroit. We're never going to run from a challenge. We're never going to run from a fight. That's not who I am. And if we're fortunate enough to get them, it's going to be a helluva basketball game and we're going to have to play great to beat them."
Can Illinois basketball finally get UConn's number this time around?
Can the Illini get the Husky off their back this time? They'll get UConn on Dec. 4, but it's not as though they won't be battle-tested. Illinois will already have been on the road at Texas Tech and Duke by the time the Chicago date with UConn rolls around.
Underwood, ideally, will have helped his club form its identity by then. Because we know Hurley will have his group in tip-top shape. Of course, it's all about operating at the ceiling come March. But wouldn't it be nice to see the Illini near it sooner rather than later in 2026-27?
Not only would it give them opportunities to tinker with whichever identity they find, but it'll also give them a much better shot at finally taking down the Huskies.
Today's best reads
- Illinois Basketball's David Mirkovic Gives Injury Update, Details His Summer
- Brad Underwood Explains Why Jake Davis is 'Invaluable' to Illinois Basketball
- Is Andrej Stojakovic Poised for the Illinois Year 2 Leap in 2026-27?
- Illinois or Michigan State: Who Stands Atop the Big Ten Entering 2026-27?
- Illinois Misses on 5-Star Darius Wabbington to Big Ten Rival: Time to Be Concerned?
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Brad Underwood Revisits Illinois' Last Three Losses to UConn – But Isn't Backing Down.