By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular
January 3, 2026
(Cover photo courtesy Brent Zinkmann/IlliniGuys)
The Illini are back in action Saturday evening when they travel to Philadelphia for the annual ‘Palestra Game’ for Penn State. It’s not a secret that Brad Underwood has always wanted to play a game at the Palestra and the Illini relish the opportunity to play in big events and storied venues. Now, they get their chance.
Here's a look at the particulars:
Setting the Stage
#19 Illinois (10-3, 1-1 B1G) vs. Penn State (9-4, 0-2 B1G) Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 // 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) // Philadelphia, Pa. // The Palestra TV: BTN – Cory Provus (Play-by-Play) & LaPhonso Ellis (Analyst) Radio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network – Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play) & Deon Thomas (Analyst)
Notable
*No. 20 Illinois opens the 2026 calendar year with its return to Big Ten play, beginning with a Saturday night matchup in an historic venue vs. Penn State at The Palestra in Philadelphia (6 p.m. CT / BTN). Illinois is making its first appearance at The Palestra since Nov. 29, 2003, a 75-60 win over Temple.
*Saturday's contest opens a 12-day stretch in which the will Illini face three of four Big Ten opponents on the road. Illinois is 3-2 away from home this season, including a 2-2 mark at neutral venues - wins vs. #13 Tennessee in Nashville and vs. Missouri in the annual Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis - and a road win at Ohio State in the team's Big Ten opener on Dec. 9.
*The game vs. Penn State is the second of seven road-only matchups on the Illini's Big Ten schedule this season. The Fighting Illini offense features five players averaging double figures in scoring – Keaton Wagler (15.3), Andrej Stojakovic (14.8), Kylan Boswell (14.7 ppg), David Mirkovic (13.1), and Tomislav Ivisic (10.5) – tied for the third-most in the nation behind Baylor and Louisville (six each).
As a team, Illinois ranks in the top three in the Big Ten, and among the top programs nationally in 10 categories: The team leads the Big Ten with 13.6 fouls per game (sixth in the NCAA) and a free-throw percentage of 79.0 (sixth), and are second in the league with 28.5 defensive rebounds per game (26th) and 10.5 3-pointers made per game (33rd). The Illini are third in the B1G in with a +11.5 rebound margin (11th in NCAA), 5.5 blocks per game (18th), 42.0 total rebounds per game (23rd), 29.6 3-point attempts per game (24th), a scoring average of 88.2 points per game (32nd), and 13.5 offensive rebounds per game (49th),
*Illinois is tied for the NCAA lead with six players averaging better than 4.0 rebounds per game over a minimum of five games played: David Mirkovic (8.3 rpg), Keaton Wagler (5.2), Zvonimir Ivisic (5.2), Tomislav Ivisic (5.0), Ben Humrichous (4.4), and Kylan Boswell (4.2). Andrej Stojakovic is just off that pace at 3.9 rebounds per contest.
*The Nittany Lions return to Big Ten play and the historic Palestra in Philadelphia Saturday night to host #20/19 Illinois inside "The Cathedral of College Basketball". The Nittany Lions are 9-4 on the season and will be searching for their first Big Ten win of the year.
*Rookie guard Kayden Mingo leads the Nittany Lions in points (14.8 ppg), rebounds (4.1 rpg), assists (4.5 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). Freddie Dilione V (14.5 ppg) and Melih Tunca (11.0 ppg) are also averaging double-digit points.
*Penn State's young squad has shown tremendous discipline as the Nittany Lions rank fifth in the country in fewest turnovers per game (9.2)....The Nittany Lions have showcased their depth through the first 13 games of the season, as Penn State's 33.23 bench points per game ranks second in the Big Ten and is a top-50 mark in the country. The Penn State bench has outscored the opponent bench by a total of 432-251 through 13 games this season…..The Nittany Lions rank second in the Big Ten with 8.4 steals per game. Penn State has led the conference in steals per game in each of Mike Rhoades' two full seasons at the helm. Individually, Kayden Mingo leads the conference and ranks 23rd nationally with 2.38 steals per game…..Rookie guard Kayden Mingo is the ONLY freshman in the country averaging 14+ points (14.8 ppg), 4+ assists (4.5 apg), 4.0+ rebounds (4.1 rpg) and 2+ steals (2.4 spg) per game through games on Dec. 29.
Keys to the Game
- Don’t Settle - Penn State lacks rim protection and teams have been feasting inside the paint. They will go for steals and leave guys open for 3’s as well, and Illinois can’t fall into the trap of quick 3’s. Get to the rim and play inside out.
- Turnovers - The Nittany Lions force turnovers on 21% of possessions and only turn it over on roughly 13% of possessions. They are also one of the top teams at getting steals. If they can get steals and easy runouts, it can be a difference maker for them.
- Early Recognition - Look for Penn State to switch up defenses, even applying some full court pressure. Illinois can’t lose focus and must make quick recognition to get into their offense in a timely fashion.
Prediction
Penn State looked good at home against Michigan State, battling to the end, but this is a team that has not beaten a top 175 team yet. Illinois should weather the storm and win it 84-73 in a game that is closer than it should be.
