Subscribe
Follow Us
Illinois men's basketball is expected to be in the top 25 conversation when the 2025-26 season starts, but the Illini may be without a key piece.
Guard Ty Rodgers sustained a knee injury during a pickup basketball game, head coach Brad Underwood announced on Monday. The Saginaw, Michigan native will need surgery, according to Underwood.
“We’ll know more as that process goes on,” the ninth-year head coach said. “He’s right now still in Michigan and going through some of that.”
Underwood didn't say specifically what the injury was or how long he would be out for, just that it “will require some time away.”
Rodgers is entering his fourth season with the Illini after redshirting last year. The redshirt wasn't the result of an injury, rather it was so he could take some time to develop his game and adapt to playing point guard, according to Andy Katz. Going back to 2023-24, Rodgers averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He started all 38 games he played.
Article Continues Below
“Ty’s a voice that even last year during his redshirt year, was very dominant,” Underwood added. “We’ll see where the process takes us…unfortunately injuries are part of it.”
Without a timeline for Rodgers' return, Underwood called out freshmen Brandon Lee and Keaton Wagler as players who would need to step up in the meantime, either in practice or once the season starts if Rodgers is still out. Looking ahead, Illinois basketball has several major non-conference matchups on the schedule, highlighted by a trio of games against Alabama, Tennessee and UConn.
Underwood would not commit either way to bringing in an additional player to fill out the roster.
“We’ll see. We’re not just going to fill it to fill it,” he said. “We’ve never stopped, truthfully, looking, but we’re not going to be reckless in terms of what we do. We’re just going to make sure it’s the right fit if there is one.”
