Illinois is hyped for the 2021-2022 college basketball season and the Illini are wanting their fans to do the same.

This upcoming Saturday, the Illini basketball team will have an open door practice for their fans to watch and cheer as the team looks to build on last year’s success. The doors will be open at 8 am with the practice starting at 8:30 am. There is a mask mandate when arriving inside the arena.

Last year, Illinois finished the season with an overall record of 24-7 (16-4 in B1G play). The Illini won their first conference championship tournament since 2013 last season and entered the 2021 NCAA Men’s Tournament as the No. 1 team in the Midwest Regional. Illinois was able to defeat No. 16 Drexel before getting upset by No. 8 Loyola-Chicago in the second round.

Illinois looks to repeat as B1G Conference Tournament champs for a second-consecutive season while attempting to win its first regular-season conference title since 2005. Without point guard Ayo Dosunmu, the team will rely on the leadership of junior center Kofi Cockburn, a 2022 NBA Draft second-round prospect according to NBA Draft Room.