Sturdy's Game Preview: #24 Illini vs. EIU
By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular
November 4, 2024
Setting the Stage
NR/#24 Illinois (0-0) vs. Eastern Illinois (0-0)
Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 // 7 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center
Stream: B1G+ – Peter Hanson (Play-by-Play), Genesis Bryant (Analyst), Alec Gilmore (Sideline) Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas
Notable
*The Illini have posted an all-time record of 105-14 (.882) in season openers. The Fighting Illini have won eight straight openers, a streak that began on Nov. 11, 2016 in an 81-62 victory over Southeast Missouri. • Illinois has hosted Eastern Illinois for its season opener in each of the last two seasons, defeating the Panthers 80-52 to open the 2023-24 season, and securing an 87-57 win over EIU to open the 2022-23 campaign.
*The Illini are 40-2 all-time (.952) when starting the season at State Farm Center. Illinois has won 27 straight games when opening the year at State Farm Center, a run that began on Dec. 1, 1993 with a 99-73 win over La Salle.
*Despite having campuses located 50 miles apart, Illinois will face Eastern Illinois on Monday night for just the third time in the last 22 years, all coming in the last three season openers. Monday marks the ninth meeting between the programs. Illinois has won the previous eight games, all in Champaign.
*Eastern Illinois Athletic Director Tom Michael was a four-year letterwinner for the Fighting Illini from 1991-94. One of the best shooters in program history, Michael still holds Illini records for season (.493) and career (.449) 3-point percentage. Following his playing career, Michael spent 18 years in the U of I’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, rising to senior associate athletic director, before taking over at EIU in 2014. Illinois assistant coach Geoff Alexander served on EIU head coach Marty Simmons’ staff at Evansville for five seasons (2013-17). EIU assistant coach Rich McBride was a four-year letterwinner for the Illini (2004-07), and team co-captain and coMVP during his senior season.
*Fighting Illini F Ben Humrichous and EIU F Skeou Kalle were teammates in 2023-24 at Evansville. Humrichous started all 24 games he played for the Purple Aces and averaged a team-high 14.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Kalle appeared in 21 games off the bench, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest.
*Illinois has a dramatically different roster for the 2024-25 season, returning just one starter in junior Ty Rodgers, a second scholarship player in sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, and a pair of walk-ons. Overall, Illinois returns a total of just 14.2% of its minutes, 9.6% of its points, and 16.2% of its rebounds from last season. After featuring six seniors in its rotation last season, Illinois has just one senior on this year’s roster in graduate student Ben Humrichous.
*EIU is coming off a 14-18 season including a 8-10 mark in the OVC as they advanced to the OVC Tournament for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
*Senior Nakyel Shelton was one of two Eastern Illinois players named to the Ohio Valley Conference preseason players to watch list for the upcoming season. Shelton is the Panthers top returning scorer from last season after averaging 11 points per game. He was the Panthers top rebounder among active players at the end of the season at 4.4 rebounds per contest.
*Kooper Jacobi was the Panthers other player named to the OVC preseason players to watch list for this year. Jacobi missed the final half of the season after starting the first 17 games. Jacobi was EIU’s leading rebounder at the time of his injury at 7.7 rebounds per game which ranked in the top five in the league. He averaged 10.5 points per game for the season. Jacobi, a transfer from Toledo last season, opened his EIU career with a double-double against Illinois with ten points and eleven rebounds.
*ROSTER RETURNING Eastern Illinois returns seven players from last season’s roster with that group combining to start 72 games. Corey Sawyer Jr., Nakyel Shelton, Isaiah Griffin, Carson Prost, Lazar Grbovic, Rodolfo Bolis and Kooper Jacobi all return accounting for 41 percent of EIU’s scoring and 43 percent of EIU’s rebounding last season.
*Blake Goodman looks to provide some offensive punch to the Panthers line-up as the transfer from Fisk University averaged 17.2 points per game last season to lead his NAIA team.
*Guard Zion Fruster joins the Panthers team as a double figure scorer in his last stop at Virginia Wise. A two-year member of the UVA Wise program, Fruster was the team’s leading scorer last year averaging 18 points per game
Keys to the Game
Defensive Connection -
