Good Morning, Illini Nation: Peak behind the curtain
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 28—The only thing that changes for Illinois now that teams can start official preseason practice for the 2026-27 season is frequency. The Illini have been in de facto practice mode since this new group gathered in June. The shift to preseason prep just means more of it — 20 hours per week, according to NCAA rules.
I'm holding out hope that one day I'll be allowed back in. The closest thing I've seen to an actual Illinois practice that wasn't at the NCAA tournament and therefore more of a glorified shootaround was roughly 5-6 years ago in a pre-football game "practice" at State Farm Center. Long enough ago that Dallas Mavericks forward and Michigan national champion Morez Johnson Jr. was still at St. Rita and an Illini commit.
Visit playerbros.org for more information.
We, i.e., the media, used to be able to watch a little here and there. Maybe it will happen again (even if the hope I'm holding out for is slim).
What I have received in the last few weeks was an insider/outsider perspective from Illinois recruits who got an up-close look at a workout/practice at Ubben Basketball Complex.
"It's a super new group, but they're already so connected with each other as a team," Class of 2027 Illinois commit Mason Martin said. "Everybody is just finding their own roles to help impact the team and win. Being down here and watching practices, I know the culture — how close everybody is as a group. Knowing they all have one goal and everybody is super close on and off the court is something I want to be a part of."
Martin, of course, is viewing what he sees at Ubben through a different lens than other prospective recruits. He's committed. He's envisioning himself on that same court a year from now.
But Martin's sense of the vibe for this particular Illinois team was reinforced by a pair of uncommitted targets high on the Illini coaching staff's list of priorities.
"It's a very disciplined hard workout, but it looks like they're having fun while they're doing it," Class of 2028 five-star center Dylan Betts said. "And they're all friends, which speaks a lot to me, too."
"They have a great energy," added Class of 2027 five-star center Darius Wabbington. "Their whole practice is amazing. They're competing a lot against each other, but they're still a team at the end of the day. Yeah, they go against each other, but you can see at the end of practice they're all dapping each other up and all hugging each other. The camaraderie and the togetherness of this group is real special."
Media day is (tentatively) coming this week. It'll be the first chance to spend some time with the Illinois newcomers and get a sense if that positive vibe permeates off the practice court.