Nebraska @ Illinois Game Overview
NEB vs ILLRecords
Head-To-HeadLast 10
| Date | Home | Result | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 30, '25 | NEB |
80 - 74 (OT)
|
NEB 4.5 | u157.0 |
| Mar 16, '24 | ILL |
98 - 87
|
ILL -4.5 | o154.0 |
| Feb 04, '24 | ILL |
87 - 84 (OT)
|
NEB 10.0 | o154.5 |
| Jan 31, '23 | ILL |
72 - 56
|
ILL -14.0 | u135.5 |
| Jan 10, '23 | NEB |
76 - 50
|
ILL -3.5 | u139.0 |
| Jan 11, '22 | NEB |
81 - 71
|
NEB 13.0 | o150.5 |
| Feb 25, '21 | ILL |
86 - 70
|
ILL -15.5 | o145.0 |
| Feb 12, '21 | NEB |
77 - 72 (OT)
|
NEB 14.5 | o148.0 |
| Feb 24, '20 | ILL |
71 - 59
|
NEB 13.5 | u144.0 |
| Feb 02, '19 | ILL |
71 - 64
|
ILL 2.5 | u145.5 |
NEB vs ILL Preview
Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2025 ) Illinois 74, Nebraska 80
The first meeting of ranked Big Ten Conference teams this season is on tap for Saturday afternoon when No. 13 Illinois hosts No. 23 Nebraska in Champaign, Ill.
The visiting Cornhuskers (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) carry a 14-game win streak dating back to last season, the longest active run in college basketball and tied for the longest in school history.
Illinois (8-2, 1-0) is playing its first home game since before Thanksgiving, having just finished a stretch in which it split neutral-site games with No. 5 UConn and No. 20 Tennessee before winning at Ohio State on Tuesday to open Big Ten play.
"It's like stealing gold when you can win on the road in this league," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said of the 88-80 victory at Ohio State.
Nebraska is coming off a 90-60 home win Wednesday over Wisconsin, its largest margin of victory in a conference game since 2016. The Cornhuskers held a team that was averaging more than 87 points per game to 34.4 percent shooting including 7 of 32 from 3-point range.
"I thought our defense was really good after the first five minutes," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We started getting active. We had zero deflections in the first eight minutes of that game. Once we had some activity going, going out on the break, that's what fuels everything with our team."
The Fighting Illini have four players averaging at least 14.6 points per game, led by senior guard Kylan Boswell at 15.7. That group features two freshmen, with guard Keaton Wagler scoring 23 at Ohio State in his Big Ten debut.
"He's not afraid of the moment," Underwood said of Wagler.
Nebraska is led by senior forward Rienk Mast, the team's top scorer (18.0 points per game), while junior forward Pryce Sandfort is second at 15.6. They have combined to make 49 of the Huskers' 111 3-pointers this season.
The 10-0 start has been all at home or in neutral sites with pro-Nebraska crowds, making the trip to Illinois stand out even more. The Cornhuskers haven't won in Champaign since 2016.
"We now have to go into our first fully hostile environment and we'll see what we're made of," Hoiberg said. "I believe in these guys, and I believe in our group. We have experience, we have age, and they're battle-tested."
Maximizing free-throw opportunities will be huge for both teams. Nebraska is allowing 13.1 foul shots per game, while Illinois yields just 14.1. The Illini make 18 free throws per contest and shoot 78.9 percent.
Illinois went 7-3 at home in league play last season and this year have already beaten a ranked Texas Tech team in the State Farm Center. Nebraska is seeking its first 2-0 start in Big Ten play since 2016-17 which was also the last time it won its first conference road game. Last season the Cornhuskers were 3-7 on the road in league action.
--Field Level Media
NEB vs ILLInjury report
Nebraska's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Essegian | G | Out - Ankle( Nov 28, '25) | Nov 28, '25 | |
| Essegian suffered an ankle injury and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. | ||||
| H. Burt | F | Questionable - Undisclosed( Nov 02, '25) | Nov 02, '25 | |
| Burt is battling an undisclosed issue and is uncertain to take the court for the Cornhuskers. | ||||
| U. Jarusevicius | F | Questionable - Back( Nov 02, '25) | Nov 02, '25 | |
| Jarusevicius is battling a back injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Cornhuskers. | ||||
Illinois's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Jakstys | C | Questionable - Undisclosed( Dec 05, '25) | Dec 05, '25 | |
| Jakstys is dealing with a knee injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Fighting Illini. | ||||
| T. Rodgers | G-F | Questionable - Knee( Oct 12, '25) | Oct 12, '25 | |
| Rodgers is dealing with a knee injury and is uncertain to take the court for the Fighting Illini. | ||||
NEB vs ILLStats
Offense vs Defense
Key Stats League ranks in parenthesis
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.2 | (92) | FG% | (72) | 40.5 |
| 29.6 | (147) | FGM | (179) | 26.3 |
| 61.4 | (203) | FGA | (287) | 65.0 |
| 35.0 | (138) | 3P% | (146) | 31.9 |
| 11.1 | (34) | 3PM | (209) | 8.2 |
| 31.7 | (30) | 3PA | (241) | 25.7 |
| 72.7 | (186) | FT% | (80) | 68.1 |
| 13.6 | (272) | FTM | (9) | 9.6 |
| 18.7 | (281) | FTA | (9) | 14.1 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 44.4 |
| 26.7 |
| 60.1 |
| 33.1 |
| 7.9 |
| 24.0 |
| 71.1 |
| 14.6 |
| 20.5 |
More Stats
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.4 | (110) | REB | (60) | 28.8 |
| 8.2 | (312) | OREB | (190) | 9.2 |
| 28.2 | (250) | DREB | (64) | 19.6 |
| 18.7 | (39) | AST | (95) | 12.4 |
| 10.2 | (35) | TO | (362) | 9.0 |
| 1.8 | (17) | AST/TO | (328) | 1.4 |
| 7.0 | (47) | STL | (363) | 6.4 |
| 2.7 | (158) | BLK | (30) | 3.0 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 32.5 |
| 9.4 |
| 23.1 |
| 14.2 |
| 12.8 |
| 1.1 |
| 7.2 |
| 3.4 |
Points
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.9 | (143) | Points | (85) | 70.4 |
| 38.7 | (137) | 1st Half | (136) | 32.6 |
| 45.2 | (137) | 2nd Half | (136) | 37.8 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 75.9 |
| 35.9 |
| 39.5 |