Illinois men’s basketball built a European pro team in college hoops

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The Illini have gone all-in on Euro players, and it’s something college hoops has never really seen before.

The Illinois Fighting Illini will more closely resemble a European professional squad than a men’s college basketball team for the 2025-26 season. It feels like no program personifies the changing nature of college basketball roster construction than the Fighting Illini, who are going all-in on European talent for next season, with most of the key pieces already having professional experience.