Illinois
UConn vs Illinois live updates, news, predictions, how to watch Final Four game
Billed as the appetizer to this Final Four’s main course, but folks who have been to Indianapolis know the appetizer can oftentimes be the spicier dish.
While many are calling Arizona vs. Michigan the real national championship game, the UConn and Illinois won’t care in Saturday’s first semifinal of the Final Four.
Expect to see a sea of orange at Lucas Oil Stadium (did you see the showing at Friday’s practice?). Champaign’s proximity (two hours) and the program’s first Final Four trip since 2005 have the Illini faithful energized.
They’ll need any advantage they can get facing a team going for its third national title in four years in UConn.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s national semifinal between the Huskies and the Fighting Illini, including predictions and how to watch.
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
Illinois vs UConn live score
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| UConn | — | — | — |
What time is Illinois vs UConn Final Four game?
- Time: 6:09 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 4.
What channel is UConn vs Illinois? How to watch Final Four, streaming info
- The game is airing on TBS, TNT, truTV, streaming via HBO Max.
- Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star: Illinois 67, UConn 64. These two programs met in the 2024 Elite Eight with UConn winning by 25 points including a 30-0 run from the Huskies. This national semifinal meeting is also a rematch of the Fighting Illini’s eighth game of the season. Illinois lost that Nov. 28 game, 74-61 at Madison Square Garden despite 25 points by Kylan Boswell. Freshman phenom Keaton Wagler has been a steady offensive presence, dropping 25 in the Elite 8 win over Iowa. However, Andrej Stojakovic has been the X-factor off the bench. He’s averaging 15 points in the NCAA tournament. UConn is back in the Final Four for a third time in four seasons, winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Huskies senior center Tarris Reed Jr. has been a monster during the Big Dance, averaging 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds.
- Blake Toppmeyer: Illinois. Credit UConn for incredible comeback, but don’t overlook Illinois. The Illini looked dominant coming out of the South, and they have enough offense to turn back a clutch UConn team.
- John Brice: UConn. How could anyone pick against Dan Hurley’s squad at this point? Hurley’s now 18-1 in his past three March Madness appearances. The Huskies will play for a third crown in four seasons.
- Paul Myerberg: UConn. The backcourt play and just enough beef up front to repeat November’s 13-point win against the Illini in MSG. And after the miracle comeback against Duke, the Huskies feel like a team of destiny.
- Jordan Mendoza: UConn. The Huskies ride the high of the Elite Eight comeback and the 3-point shot returns to advanced to the national championship again.
- Eddie Timanus: UConn. I would have to be a complete idiot to pick against UConn at this phase of the Big Dance. We seen ‘team of destiny’ shots in the Elite Eight before, haven’t we?
- Matt Glenesk: Illinois. I originally picked UConn, but have changed my mind. There’s something about Illinois’ offensive firepower and wave of big bodies they can throw at opponents that has me convinced of an All-Big Ten national championship.
- John Leuzzi: UConn. When these two met in late November at Madison Square Garden, UConn won by 13. While the margin of victory may not be like that this time around, the Huskies do get their second win of the season against the Illini. Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban continue to have big games, while Braylon Mullins delivers a big-time shot in front of the home crowd. UConn’s defense is looking like a top 5 unit again.
- Brent Schrotenboer: UConn. That ending against Duke makes it look like destiny is calling again, at least for one more game.
- Craig Meyer: UConn. The Illini haven’t just won on their way to their first Final Four in 21 years, but they’ve been dominant, winning each of their four tournament games by at least 10 points. They’ve only played one team better than a No. 9 seed, though, and the more battle-tested Huskies will be able to lean on Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban to pull out a close win. One thing to keep in mind with Illinois: no team has ever lost its first conference tournament game, like the Illini did against Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament, and gone on to win the national championship.
- Ehsan Kassim: Illinois. UConn has required surviving two scares to reach this point. Illinois on the other hand has been dominant in the South Region. Give me the Illini.
- Moneyline: Illinois (-135); UConn (+110)
- Spread: Illinois (-1.5)
- Over/under total: 139.5
Illinois Final Four bold prediction
- Ehsan Kassim: The Illini are going to win the whole thing this year.
- Austin Curtright: Illinois loses by double digits to UConn.
UConn Final Four bold prediction
- John Leuzzi: Solo Ball has a breakout moment and reminds the country why he was one of the top one of 3-point shooters in the country last season.
- Jordan Mendoza: The Huskies lose their first Final Four game in the Dan Hurley era.
- Austin Curtright: UConn’s 3-pointers start to fall. UConn have only made double-digit 3-pointers in a game once since Feb. 18, but will do it twice in two games at the Final Four.
Illinois road to Final Four
- First round: beat No. 14 Penn, 105-70
- Second round: beat No. 11 VCU, 76-55
- Sweet 16: beat No. 2 Houston, 65-55
- Elite Eight: beat No. 9 Iowa, 71-59
UConn road to Final Four
- First round: beat No. 15 Furman, 82-71
- Second round: beat No. 7 UCLA, 73-57
- Sweet 16: beat No. 3 Michigan State, 67-63
- Elite Eight: beat No. 1 Duke, 73-72
Illinois basketball stat leaders
SCORING
- Keaton Wagler, 17.9 ppg
- Andrej Stojakovic, 13.6 ppg
- David Mirkovic, 13.5 ppg
- Kylan Boswell, 12.5 ppg
- Tomislav Ivisic, 10. 2 ppg
REBOUNDING
- David Mirkovic, 8.1 rpg
- Tomislav Ivisic, 5.6 rpg
- Keaton Wagler, 5.0 rpg
ASSISTS
- Keaton Wagler, 4.3 apg
- Kylan Boswell, 3.1 apg
- David Mirkovic, 2.6 apg
UConn basketball stat leaders
SCORING
- Tarris Reed Jr.: 14.7 ppg
- Alex Karaban, 13.2 ppg
- Solo Ball, 12.9 ppg
- Braylon Mullins, 11.9 ppg
- Silas Demary Jr., 10.4 ppg
REBOUNDING
- Tarris Reed Jr., 8.8 rpg
- Alex Karaban, 5.2 rpg
- Silas Demary Jr., 4.5 rpg
ASSISTS
- Silas Demary Jr., 5.9 apg
- Malachi Smith, 3.0 apg
Illinois basketball Final Four history; Has Illinois ever won a national championship?
This is the Illini’s sixth trip to the Final Four and first since 2005. The school has never won an NCAA national championship in men’s basketball.
- 1949: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-47
- 1951: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-74
- 1952: lost semifinal to St. John’s, 61-59
- 1989: lost semifinal to Michigan, 83-81
- 2005: won semifinal vs. Louisville, 72-57; lost in final to North Carolina, 75-70
UConn basketball Final Four history: How many national championships have UConn won?
This is UConn’s eighth trip to the Final Four, all since 1999. The Huskies have won six national titles in their seven previous trips.
- 1999: won semifinal vs. Ohio State, 64-58; won final vs. Duke, 77-74
- 2004: won semifinal vs. Duke, 79-78; won final vs. Georgia Tech, 82-73
- 2009: lost semifinal vs. Michigan State, 82-73
- 2011: won semifinal vs. Kentucky, 56-55; won final vs. Butler, 53-41
- 2014: won semifinal vs. Florida, 63-53; won final vs. Kentucky, 60-54
- 2023: won semifinal vs. Miami, 72-59; won final vs. San Diego State, 76-59
- 2024: won semifinal vs. Alabama, 86-72; won final vs. Purdue, 75-60
Is Andrej Stojakovic related to Peja Stojakovic?
Yes, Peja is his dad. Peja Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Sacramento Kings, and was a three-time All-Star.
Andrej played at Cal and Stanford before transferring to Illinois.
How many Europeans are on Illinois’ team? Why does Illinois have so many Europeans on its roster?
- David Mirkovic is from Montenegro
- Andrej Stojakovic lists Thessaloniki, Greece as his hometown
- Tomislav Ivisic is from Croatia
- Zvonimir Ivisic is from Croatia
- Mihailo Petrovic is from Serbia
- Toni Bilic is from Croatia
“Geoff Alexander, Orlando Antigua deserve most all of the credit in terms of building the relationships in Europe,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “It’s taken years. NIL has obviously helped enhance our abilities to attract some of the best players in Europe. But they’re a great fit for us. It’s not for everybody. I enjoy coaching ’em. They fit our university. We’re a diverse university with a lot of international students, so it’s a perfect fit for them.
“Basketball-wise it’s a great fit for me, and I like coaching them. The way we’re playing with positional size and shooting, it’s just — it’s a great marriage and a great fit. So we’ll continue it. I would think others will continue to migrate over there and keep trying to recruit those guys.”
UConn freshman Braylon Mullins’ game-winner vs Duke gives him a homecoming
No. 1 Duke was leading the Huskies by two when Silas Demary Jr. deflected a pass by Cayden Boozer with six seconds left.
Braylon Mullins scooped up the ball around halfcourt and dished to Alex Karaban, who gave it right back. Mullins then drained the 35-footer with 0.4 seconds left to beat Duke and send UConn to its third Final Four in four years.
“That moment is over. It’s an incredible moment. You’ll have that moment the rest of your life. But we came here for rings, not watches,” Hurley said.
Mullins, the 2025 Indiana Mr. Basketball who played at Greenfield-Central, will be playing in front of plenty of friends and family this weekend. Greenfield is 30 minutes east of Indianapolis.
“It’s unbelievable to be in the position I am,” Mullins said. “I think it just makes everything a little sweeter knowing that I’m playing in front of family and friends. I can’t wait to see everybody in open practice tomorrow and see everybody at the game.”
Illinois’ Jake Davis gets to play at home for Final Four, too
The Illini forward is from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, and played at Indy’s Cathedral High School. He began his college career at Mercer before transferring to Illinois after the 2024 season. At Cathedral, Davis was known as “the guy who takes charges.”
Illinois forward Ben Humrichous is also from Indiana, from nearby Tipton, about an hour north. He began his college career at Indiana’s Huntington University (NAIA) and then transferred to Evansville.
Brad Underwood says Illinois will ‘turn Indy orange’, ‘kick everybody’s ass there’
On Sunday, Brad Underwood addressed a crowd of fans on campus:
“We had a huge group in Houston. I know we’re going to turn it out in Indy. That’s the story. We’re going to turn Indy orange.. and blue. And kick everybody’s ass there.”
Keaton Wagler 2026 NBA Draft mock draft prediction
Atlanta Hawks, pick No. 7.
Kalbrosky’s Analysis:
After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could find their point guard of the future in Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard scored 46 points while shooting 9-of-11 on 3-pointers against No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 24. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman this year. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.
∎ Read more about Keaton Wagler’s rise from unknown for freshman superstar.
Illinois
Residents, lawmakers oppose proposed Illinois American Water rate increase at Bolingbrook hearing
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (WLS) — Dozens of southwest suburban residents and lawmakers voiced opposition Tuesday night to Illinois American Water’s proposed $142 million rate increase during an Illinois Commerce Commission hearing in Bolingbrook.
Nearly every speaker during the first hour of the hearing spoke against the proposal, with many concerns centered on affordability and the impact of higher utility costs on families and seniors.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta urged regulators to reject the request.
“Water is not a luxury. It is not optional. It is a basic human necessity,” Alexander-Basta said.
Illinois American Water President Rebecca Losli defended the proposal, saying additional revenue is needed to support infrastructure improvements.
“We do this because of our customers. We are investing in this because of you. We want less water main breaks, and less constructions, less water boil orders. Simply put, continuing to invest in our water infrastructure is critical to ensuring that we provide reliable service to all of you,” Losli said.
According to Illinois American Water, the proposed increase would add about $14 per month for a typical customer using 3,500 gallons of water. Wastewater customers would see an increase of about $28 per month.
Several residents told regulators they are still feeling the effects of the utility’s previous rate increase. Pat Smith described changes she has made to reduce water use.
“I bathe twice a week now, instead of every day. I wear my clothes multiple times before washing,” Smith said. She later added, “This is unacceptable and the longer it goes the worse it’s going to get.”
Bolingbrook resident Michael Boyd also expressed concern about the proposal’s impact on customers.
“What concerns me is the frequency and size of the proposed increase and what it means for ordinary families who are already struggling,” Boyd said.
Several elected officials also called on the Illinois Commerce Commission to deny the request.
Illinois state Rep. Natalie Manley told attendees, “Just because it’s legal does not make it right.”
Alexander-Basta echoed that sentiment, saying, “Today, Bolingbrook is taking the lead in saying what people across the state have been saying for years: Enough is enough.”
Additional hearings in the case are scheduled for August. The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to issue a final decision by Dec. 18.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Illinois
2 teens hospitalized after being rescued by bystanders from Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park near Zion
Two teenage boys were transported to the hospital after they were rescued by friends and bystanders from Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park near Zion Monday evening.
The Beach Park Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 6:15 p.m. Monday to Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park, 1 Lake Front Drive in unincorporated Zion, for a report of a water rescue.
911 callers reported two people in Lake Michigan struggling approximately 100 yards from shore.
Beach Park Fire Department Battalion Chief Thomas Hopkins said crews arrived and learned two teenage males had been in distress in the water.
They were rescued by friends and bystanders and were on shore when emergency crews arrived.
A significant response was initially dispatched but was downgraded after it was determined that no one was still in need of rescue, Hopkins said.
The incident happened at the main beach while the victims were swimming with their friends.
Hopkins said paramedics provided medical care to both of the victims and transported them to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
One of the victims, who was doing worse than the other, seemed to improve by the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Hopkins said.
Both were awake and talking. Their exact conditions were not known but they were both expected to survive.
Hopkins said visitors at the state park should be cautious and aware. The state provides life preservers at the beach for patrons to use.
Hopkins also said that the state has made safety improvements but Lake Michigan still can be “very dangerous.”
The Zion Fire/Rescue Department assisted the Beach Park Fire Department during the incident.
-
Los Angeles, Ca49 minutes agoRemains of murder victim identified as missing Southern California millionaire
-
Detroit, MI1 hour ago4Warn Weather Alert: Wildfire smoke leading to ‘unhealthy’ air quality in Metro Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoSan Francisco fishermen recount harrowing rescue after boat capsizes near Alcatraz
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoTimothée Chalamet ‘Starstruck’ by Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoWives of detained men allege inhumane conditions at federal detention center in Miami
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoDriver charged in Norwood pedestrian crash that left man seriously injured
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoBoys, 12 and 14, arrested in deadly shooting in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoOutreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
