text: Before the 2021–22 season, Ayo Dosunmu was drafted by the Chicago Bulls, and Adam Miller transferred to LSU, leading to André Curbelo being expected to serve as the primary ball handler. Unfortunately, Curbelo suffered a concussion prior to the season opener that would continue to affect him throughout the season. The team was led by fifth-year players Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams. Kofi Cockburn returned for his junior year but was suspended for the first three games for selling his team jerseys during the off-season. The team tied with Wisconsin for a share of the Big Ten regular season title, with a record of 15-5. Due to the tiebreaker rules, the team was seeded first in the Big Ten Tournament but lost its first game to ninth-seeded Indiana. The team was given the #4 seed in the South region of the NCAA tournament. After a 54-53 victory against Chattanooga, the team lost in the second round to Houston. Cockburn was named to the AP All-American 1st-team.
  The roster suffered from some major turnover before the 2022–23 season, with five players transferring out of the program, four players graduating, and Kofi Cockburn electing to stay in the NBA draft (and ultimately going undrafted). Three players transferred into the program and six freshmen were recruited. As a result of the roster changes, the team would be led by Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins. The Illini would secure two major wins in non-conference play, beating #8 UCLA in the Continental Tire Main Event semifinal and #2 Texas in the Jimmy V Classic. Both Zacharie Perrin and Skyy Clark left the program during the season. Ultimately the season was a step back for the program, as due to tiebreaker rules, the team received a seven seed and lost to Penn State in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament. The team then received the #9 seed in the West region and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Arkansas. For the first time since Underwood's second season, the team finished the season unranked in the AP Poll.