Illinois basketball's 2026-27 schedule came out on Wednesday and included non-conference games against some of the best programs in college basketball including Duke, North Carolina and UConn.
The Fighting Illini announced their return to national prominence with a 28-9 record and Final Four appearance last season and are now in search of bigger and better things.
Coach Brad Underwood's team has a strong chance to win the Big Ten Championship this season, and according to a former Big Ten basketball star they also have a good chance to win the NCAA Tournament.
Davis All in on Fighting Illini
Former Purdue Boilermakers star Raphael Davis spoke on the Big Ten Network during which he revealed that he is bullish on Illinois' NCAA title chances.
"They don't just have a chance to win the conference but you look at the Final Four, they have a chance to win the entire thing," Davis said.
"You look at David Mirkovic, you look at Andrej Stojakovic, that gives you two of the best players in this conference and in the country. You look at how they both performed during the NCAA Tournament, Andrej Stojakovic turned into a different player at the end of the season.
The Fighting Illini could go through an adjustment period with Mirkovic recovering from a foot injury, but Underwood's roster is deep and talented enough to not skip a beat by the time November rolls around.
Coleman, Vaaks Stand Out to Davis
Transfers and freshmen could make a big impact on the 2026-27 Fighting Illini, Davis added.
"And you look at the other guys they're bringing back, you look at Jake Davis, you look at the Ivisic twins, and then you look at some transfers, Stefan Vaaks, he can put that basketball in the bucket," Davis said.
"And then my guy, Quentin Coleman, five-star freshman coming into Champaign, he is going to score at will, it's just about finding the right point guard play."
With the season a little over a month away, Underwood and his coaching staff are working feverishly behind the scenes to put together the pieces of what many people believe is a championship puzzle.
Expect more expert predictions to be shared in favor of the Illini as the preseason hype machine is only now getting started.