Illinois basketball is coming off another 20-win season and trip to the NCAA Tournament. They lost two players to the NBA, but have restocked and reloaded to compete again for the Big Ten Conference title.

The Fighting Illini and coach Brad Underwood have a solid bedrock of returnees, but have surrounded them with impact players from both the international and high school ranks.

The Illini are picked to finish third in the Big Ten by the USA Today Sports Network, and they sit at No. 14 in the coaches poll and at No. 17 in The Associated Press rankings.

Here’s a breakdown of the Illinois 2025-26 schedule by month, including a prediction of some of what are likely to be the season’s key points.

NovemberNov. 3: Jackson StateNov. 7: Florida Gulf CoastNov. 11: Texas TechNov. 14: ColgateNov. 19: Alabama (at Chicago)Nov. 22: Long IslandNov. 24: Rio Grande ValleyNov. 28: UConn (at New York)

Nice mix to start. Games against No. 4 UConn and No. 16 Alabama on neutral floors and No. 11 Texas Tech at home will test the Illini the first month. Illinois surrounds those elite matchups with relatively easy home games that should allow newcomers to settle into roles. The Illini should be no worse than 5-3 headed into December.

DecemberDec. 6: vs. Tennessee (at Nashville)Dec. 9: at Ohio StateDec. 13: NebraskaDec. 22: vs. Missouri at St. Louis, Mo. (Enterprise Center)Dec. 29: Southern

A pair of SEC games — including the No. 17 Vols in Nashville and the Braggin’ Rights game — highlights the end of the noncon season. Illinois’ early two-game Big Ten slate is modest, so that should benefit a team that will take come time to come together. Illinois can weather this stretch with a 4-1 mark.

JanuaryJan. 3: at Penn StateJan. 8: RutgersJan. 11: at IowaJan. 14: at NorthwesternJan. 17: MinnesotaJan. 21: MarylandJan. 24: at PurdueJan. 29: Washington

This is a eight-game stretch that will allow the Illini to ease into the Big Ten sechedule. They have road tests at No. 1 Purdue and at Iowa, but beyond that play six teams picked 12th or worse in the Big Ten. Illinois should come out of this stretch 6-2.

FebruaryFeb. 1: at NebraskaFeb. 4: NorthwesternFeb. 7: at Michigan StateFeb. 10: WisconsinFeb. 15: IndianaFeb. 18: at USCFeb. 21: at UCLAFeb. 27: Michigan

After a soft start to the league schedule, this is a tough stretch. The Illini face four top-six Big Ten teams and have a two-game west coast swing mixed in to USC and UCLA. Illinois should be able to go at least .500 in this brutal month, but should steal another game for a 5-3 finish to February.

MarchMarch 3: OregonMarch 8: at MarylandMarch 10-15: Big Ten Tournament, Chicago

Illinois will ease into the Big Ten Tournament with a pair of games against middle-of-the-pack Big Ten picks, one each and home and the road. Conservatively, Illinois splits these games and is in the mix for a top seed in Chicago. The Big Ten regular-season champ has ended with five or more losses three times in the last five seasons — and we should expect that again in a league that last season had nine schools with 19 or more wins.

Final Illinois basketball 2025-26 record prediction

Record: 21-10, 14-6

This regular-season projection is a little on the high side for Illinois, which has the depth and talent to weather a very rugged Big Ten Conference schedule — and a run of tough noncon tests. Expect Illinois’ international transfers to jell and turn the Illini into a league contender and a force come NCAA Tournament time.