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How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Illinois State (Exhibition)

Despite missing some key pieces, the Illini hope to learn a few things about themselves before the games begin to count
Jason Langendorf|
Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) gestures during the second half against the Xavier Musketeers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) gestures during the second half against the Xavier Musketeers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniIllinois State Redbirds

Game details

Illinois (0-0) vs. Illinois State (0-0)

Day and time: Sunday (Oct. 19) at 2 p.m. CT
Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
TV/stream: B1G+
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app

Odds and ends

Illinois vs. Illinois State all time: Illinois leads the series 8-0
Streak: Illinois has won eight in a row against Illinois State
Last meeting: Illinois 63, Illinois State 59 (Nov. 23, 2011, Cancun, Mexico)

Probable Illinois starters:

G Kylan Boswell
G Keaton Wagler
F Ben Humrichous
F David Mirkovic
C Zvonimir Ivisic

Smart-fan stuff

Key stat: Four

Illinois will be missing four rotation players, including three projected starters, from Sunday's exhibition against Illinois State. Not only are wings Ty Rodgers (knee) and Andrej Stojakovic (knee) still on the mend, but center Tomislav Ivisic (tonsillectomy) and point guard Mihailo Petrovic (eligibility/injuries) will also sit out.

What that likely means is that coach Brad Underwood figures to roll out what, under normal circumstances, might have been an experimental big lineup. Expect Boswell to slide down from the 2 to point guard, making room for the 6-foot-6 Wagler to start at shooting guard. 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic will fill in for his twin brother Tomislav (7-foot-1), while Humrichous (6-foot-9) will offer size and mismatch opportunities on the wing alongside the 6-foot-9 Mirkovic (who can play somewhat interchangeably with Humrichous on the floor).

Quick tips:

  • Not to jump too far ahead, but the Illini still have more than two weeks to get healthy before their Nov. 3 regular-season opener against Jackson State. Is that enough time? Expect Tomislav Ivisic to be ready by then. Stojakovic could play but seems less certain. Meanwhile, Petrovic's eligibility remains an open question – "his status is still in process," Underwood said before practice Saturday – and now he is also dealing with a rolled ankle and a tweaked hamstring.
  • Although Underwood has never explicitly described a change in approach or mentality, he has nibbled around the edges of the notion that his Illini need to be a bit more selective about their outside shooting. Illinois shot 31.3 percent from three-point range last season – lousy by any standard, but especially for a group that chucked 30 attempts a game. All five of Sunday's projected starters are capable shooters behind the arc, so it will be interesting to see how the Illini incorporate the long ball into the offense – for one game, at least.

Illinois on SI prediction

The Redbirds are the preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference, a respectable mid-major league, and have experience and talent in all the right places – just not at the moment. Illinois State has already announced that it, too, will be down four players for Sunday's exhibition – including its two stars in big man Chase Walker Jr. and point guard Johnny Kinzinger Jr.

Illinois' size will be a difference-maker in this matchup (especially in light of what each group will be missing), so ISU might just decide to lean into its guard depth and go all-in playing small. Senior Landon Wolf and junior Ty Pence Jr. are solid scorers, and freshman Tyreek Coleman may be ready out of the box, and sophomore Jack Daugherty – who may be ready to make a leap – could create matchup issues for Big Z as a smallball center.

In any case, the talent and depth at Underwood's disposal – even given the Illini's injuries – figures to be too much for the Redbirds. With so many shooters, so many gifted downhill scorers and the ability to body up and re-engage in some classic "Booty Ball" with Humrichous, Mirkovic and perhaps others will give Illinois more weapons than ISU has the ability to account for. Unless the Illini get foolishly trigger-happy and fall into one of last season's patented 5-for-26 abominations from three-point range, they should have the scoring to simply outpace the Redbirds.

Illinois 81, Illinois State 64

Published
Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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