To To subscribe, click here.

Sign up for our daily basketball newsletter here

Welcome to Good Morning, Illini Nation, your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini sportswriter and AP Top 25 pick Scott Richey. Each morning he shares insight on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball in general:

Illinois doesn’t have much to do with the Olympics. At least not when it comes to basketball. Deron Williams is the only former Illini to have played in the Summer Games, which concluded their 33rd edition in Paris on Sunday.

But at least Williams was successful. The former Illinois guard turned first-round draft pick and three-time All-Star won gold with the U.S. national team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. The closest another former Illini came to success was at the FIBA ​​World Championship, where Tal Brody played for the U.S. national team in 1967 and 1970, Rick Schmidt won bronze in 1974, and Kiwane Garris also won bronze in 1998 (during the NBA lockout).

The future of Illinois basketball and the Olympics could be in Los Angeles in 2028. Of course, it’s doubtful the Illini will have anyone on Team USA. Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. are unlikely to be on that roster, at least as things stand.

Will Riley? Kasparas Jakucionis? Tomislav Ivisic? That could be another story.

Canada has a growing wealth of talent to draw from, but Riley, 22, could have a chance to become the “young guy” on this team. That is, if he follows the five-star path he’s currently on.

Jakucionis is already considered one of the best young guards in Europe and has played for Lithuania at every other level. It’s not far-fetched that he could play for “The Boogeyman from the East” should Lithuania qualify (which they didn’t do at the Olympics).

The same goes for Ivisic with Croatia. He already gained senior team experience last year at the FIBA ​​EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers. He will also be 24, turning 25 when the 2028 Games take place, and may be ready to take on a bigger role alongside his twin brother Zvonimir.