Illinois beat Houston in the Sweet 16 by winning the glass, with Keaton Wagler's 12 rebounds bringing Brad Underwood's message to life.

Illinois and Iowa advanced to the Elite Eight with wins at Toyota Center over Houston and Nebraska, respectively.

Illinois gave Houston a taste of its own medicine in the Sweet 16, riding a defensive performance to victory. Here are the highlights:

No. 3 seed Illinois' 17-0 run early in the second half propelled the Fighting Illini to a 65-55 win over No. 2 seed Houston on Thursday in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

An Illinois State recruit was named Gatorade's Illinois high school girls basketball player of the year.

The Illinois Fighting Illini and Iowa Hawkeyes have been playing each other for more than a century. Same region. Same recruits. Same conference. It has always felt like these two programs were going to run into each other when it mattered most.

Illinois Republicans are starting to read the tea leaves — and they don’t exactly like what they’re seeing. As Democrats continue to overperform in legislative races across the country, GOP operatives here are wondering if the same trends could spell trouble closer to home come November.

Between 2021 and 2024, home insurance costs increased by about 50% in Illinois, and this year, the state’s insurance rates are expected to climb about 5%.