Basketball

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 10, 2024

The new age of Illinois basketball is upon us and it is an analytics dream. The Illini dominated another inferior opponent and showed a model for what they are going to try and do the entire season. After scoring 112 points with 110 coming from the three areas - “Free, Key and Three” - meaning in the paint, from behind the arc and from the foul line, they backed that up with another 90 points and had 88 from the 3 areas. Let’s look at how they stack up after two games.

Shoot the Three

The Illini are taking a whopping 63% of their shots from behind the arc,

Brad Sturdy, Illini Insider & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio

November 7, 2024

Tier 4 - These teams are rebuilding and have aways to go with many unproven players

- Washington - Danny Sprinkle takes over at Washington after the firing of Mike Hopkins. Sprinkle is a very good coach, but he has a tall task with the Huskies.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood may have found the program’s first true lead guard since he took over the Illini job in the form of 18-year-old Kasparas Jakucionis.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 9, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In just his second game in an Illinois jersey, Kasparas Jakucionis already getting questions from the coaching staff usually reserved for a much older and mature college basketball player.

During a first half media timeout, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood confirmed to media following the Illini’s dominating 90-58 win over Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville that they’re asking their first-year point guard what sets he prefers instead of dictating the calls to the 18-year-old.

“He’s already to the point where during timeouts we’re asking him as coaches what he likes to run and what he’s seeing out there,” Underwood said. “He already has a great maturity of understanding defenses and the matchups of a given opponent. That’s not normal for somebody his age.”

By IlliniGuys Staff November 8, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 8, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – This past summer at the Brookfield-Riverside Shootout, I sat courtside with the Illinois men’s basketball staff as they watched several standout performances from Lincoln Williams, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Kankakee.

The talented junior caught the attention of scouts in every game he played and tonight it's his turn to sit in the stands as he will see the Fighting Illini take on SIU Edwardsville at 7 p.m. CT at the State Farm Center.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 8, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Fighting Illini are back in action on Friday night when the SIUE Cougars invade the State Farm Center. The Illini are coming off of a dismantling of EIU, but the Cougars gave Indiana a run in Bloomington before faltering in the 2nd half. This won’t be as easy as the first game.

Here’s a look at what to expect.

Setting the Stage

#24 Illinois (1-0) vs. SIUE (1-1)
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 // 7 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
Stream: Peacock – Noah Reed (Play-by-Play), Stephen Bardo (Analyst)
Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas

Big Ten Champs

*Fans are encouraged to arrive early and be in their seats by 6:30 p.m. on Friday, as Illinois will hold a pregame ceremony celebrating the 2024 NCAA Elite Eight and Big Ten Tournament Championship before tipoff vs. SIUE. Rings will be presented to returning players, coaches, managers, and staff in recognition of Illinois’ stellar 2023-24 season that ended with 29 victories, the third-winningest season in school history. Illinois claimed its third conference championship in the last four years, capturing the 2024 Big Ten Tournament (BTT) crown in Minneapolis as Brad Underwood became the first Illini coach to win multiple BTT titles. Illinois earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and won three games, including a victory over No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16, to advance to the NCAA East Regional Final, the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 2005. The ceremony will include remarks from Underwood and conclude with the unveiling and raising of the 2024 season banner in recognition of the Elite Eight run and Big Ten Tournament title.

Notable

*Friday’s contest marks just the fourth game in the series between Illinois and SIUE. The Cougars (1-1) are coming off a hard-fought battle at No. 17 Indiana (80-61) on Wednesday. The Fighting Illini are 3-0 all-time vs. the SIUE, with all three victories coming at State Farm Center.

*The Cougars are coming off an 80-61 loss at Indiana Wednesday. Ray’Sean Taylor (17 points) and Arnas Sakenis (career-high 9 rebounds) led SIUE. Myles Thompson added a career-high 10 points in the loss.

*SIUE opened its 57th season of men’s basketball Monday with a 95-42 win over Westminster. The Cougars got points from 13 of 14 players who saw the floor Monday. Ray’Sean Taylor picked up his fourth career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Brian Taylor II scored a career-high 15 points.

*SIUE has nine newcomers to this year’s team. The Cougars were picked for a third-place finish in the OVC by a vote of the league’s coaches and sports information personnel. Little Rock was picked first and earned 20 first-place votes. The Cougars received the other two first-place votes.

*Illinois’ 112 points were the most since scoring 122 vs. North Carolina A&T on Nov. 25, 2020, and marked the ninth time in the Brad Underwood era that the Illini have eclipsed the 100-point mark. Ten players made their Illini debuts, including all five starters. Brad Underwood improves to 8-0 in season openers as head coach at Illinois. Overall Illinois is 106-14 (.883) all-time in season openers, and have won nine straight openers, dating back to 2016.

*Illinois outrebounded EIU, 58-28, starting the season with a +30 margin after winning the battle of the boards 31 times last season. The +30 rebounding margin marked the most since a +33 margin on Nov. 19, 2023, vs. Southern. The Illini went 34-for-46 from the free-throw line, the program’s most makes in a game since also recording 34 on Nov. 10, 2017, against Southern (34-for-37). • Illinois’ 63 bench points were the most in a single game since at least 2019-20.

*Will Riley (31 points) and Kasparas Jakucionis (11 points) are the first freshman duo since at least 2010-11 to score in double figures in the Illini’s season opener. Riley’s 31-point effort set the program record for points by a freshman in an Illini debut. In addition to his 11 points, Jakucionis dished out seven assists in his first collegiate game, setting the Illinois program record for assists in a freshman debut.

*Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a career-high 21 points, eclipsing his previous high of 18 set in his Illinois debut last season vs. Eastern Illinois. Gibbs-Lawhorn also connected on a career-most four 3-pointers. Tomislav Ivisic (14 points, 14 rebounds) became the first Illini to register a double-double in an Illini debut since Dain Dainja (17 points, 10 rebounds) did so against EIU on Nov. 7, 2022. Ivisic is also the first Illini to post totals of at least 14 points and 14 rebounds in a game since Dainja (20 points, 15 rebounds) vs. UMKC on Nov. 11, 2022. Morez Johnson Jr. tied the Illinois program freshman record with six blocks vs. EIU.

Keys to the Game

Handle It -

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 8, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, IL. – Illinois basketball is steeped in tradition, and over the years, many talented freshmen have made their marks on the program. Deon Thomas, Kiwane Garris, Adam Miller, Kofi Cockburn, Dee Brown, Bruce Douglas, Derek Harper, Ayo Dosunmu, Deron Williams and Brian Cook are just a few examples. Now, fans may have another name to add to that list: Will Riley, a five-star recruit from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Illinois fourth-year wing Adalia McKenzie has been hearing from her head coach for two years that she’s an All-Big Ten talent and McKenzie showed it in a 83-74 win over No. 19 Florida State.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 7, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach Shauna Green is seeing another version of Adalia McKenzie that she’s been hoping, praying, prodding and believing was in the fourth-year forward.

On Thursday, McKenzie showed that new, confident and efficient player to the world and an announced crowd of 3,741 inside State Farm Center in a 83-74 upset win over No. 19 Florida State to open the 2024-25 season.

“I saw it all summer. I saw it all preseason. She’s on another level right now,” Green said following her team’s third victory over a ranked opponent since she took over the Illini job in March 2022.

By IlliniGuys Staff November 7, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 7, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The end-of-summer meetings in college athletics always have a newfound dynamic now with the transfer portal looming over every conversation.

In June there was a women’s basketball media availability after Illinois head coach Shauna Green had conducted an end-of-season meeting with veteran forward Brynn Shoup-Hill. The meeting could’ve ended with both coach and player wanting to part ways. After the 6-foot-3 forward wasn’t a rotational piece in the Illini lineup from Jan. 20 to the end of the 2023-24 season, not many would’ve likely blamed either party for wanting to find a fresh start for Shoup-Hill’s final season of college basketball. However, the opposite happened.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 7, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, IL. — Shauna Green, Illinois women's basketball head coach, recently received a contract extension, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting. The new six-year agreement is set to keep her through at least the 2029-30 season. With more options possible.

Brad Sturdy, IlliniGuys Insider & Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio

November 6, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy USA Today)

Tier 3 - They have a shot an NCAA bid, but they have more questions than answers right now. 

USC-The Muss bus is now in LA, and they have a completely overhauled roster. They have added 11 transfers and two freshmen, with 8 of the transfer being grad students. Muss loves him some wings with size and length.

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

November 5, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Ilini cruised to a 112-67 win over EIU in the opener as freshman Will Riley had 31 and lone returnee Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn added 21 to fuel the Illini. Tomislav Ivisic added a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, Ben Humrichous had a quiet 14 points and 5 rebounds, and Kasparas Jakucionis had a strong 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds line. 

But the story of the night was Riley, who went on a heater and scored 26 points in the second half in just 11 minutes, finishing with a freshman debut record 31 points on 10-13 shooting, including 5-6 from 3, and grabbing 7 rebounds. 

These 3 Things

A Perfect Distribution -

Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic shows his full skills and survives second-half injury scare in a dominating season-opening win over Eastern Illinois. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The college basketball debut of 21-year-old Tomislav Ivisic had just about everything on Monday night.

The 7-foot-1 center, who announced his eligibility had been cleared last week at the end of October, showed why he was a prized European signee when assistant coach Orlando Antigua returned to Champaign-Urbana for the second time in his coaching career. Ivisic finished the first half with 10 points, despite missing all three of his attempts beyond the three-point arc, nine rebounds and two assists in just 13 minutes of action.