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Three Key Stats From Illinois' Win Over Jackson State – and Why They Matter

After the Illini cruised past Jackson State on Monday, we highlight three key numbers from the victory - and what they say about Illinois' future
Jackson Langendorf|
Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) reacts after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) reacts after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniJackson State Tigers

No. 17 Illinois was supposed to dominate in its opener – and it did exactly that Monday night in Champaign. The Illini took down Jackson State by a score of 113-55, controlling the game on both sides of the floor and setting the bar for the 2025-26 season. Here are three telling stats from the game:

Three stats that defined Illinois vs. Jackson State

Illinois’ offensive rebounds compared to Jackson State’s total rebounds: plus-2

After the Illini disappointed coach Brad Underwood with their performance on the glass against Florida in last week's closed-door scrimmage, they clearly understood the assignment against Jackson State.

Obviously, the Tigers are much smaller than the Gators, but the numbers are still otherworldly impressive: 61 total rebounds and 21 offensive boards – two more than Jackson State’s total of 19.

Underwood is quickly getting his guys prepared. Every active Illini hit a body before attacking the ball on the defensive glass, while they all crashed hard offensively. A combination of fundamentals, effort and sheer physical advantages (both size and athleticism) could put Illinois in a position to perhaps lead the country in rebounds yet again (as the Illini did in 2024-2025).

Illinois' three-pointers made: 17

Now, before anyone gets too excited, here’s this noteworthy piece of information: Illinois hit 16 threes in its season opener a year ago, then knocked down 15 in its second outing. Illini fans know the rest of the story – an iconically poor season shooting the deep ball.

That said, Monday night made one thing crystal clear: This Illinois team has shooters on top of shooters. Six Illini made multiple triples, and forward Ben Humrichous hit five while appearing to have achieved new levels of confidence.

Don’t expect the Illini to consistently hit that many threes, but they should be much better from deep in 2025-2026 than they were a year ago – for a handful of reasons.

Jackson State’s field-goal percentage: 30.6

Illinois’ offense stole the show, but it was the defense that really should be making headlines. Realistically, what the Illini did on the offensive end was roughly in line with what had been advertised all offseason. Defensively, though, we didn’t know what to expect from Illinois.

Underwood had stated multiple times that Illinois is further along on that end than the team was last season, but we hadn’t seen the on-court product just yet. If Monday was any sign, though, he’s not wrong.

The individual on-ball ability was there across the board, and Illinois’ off-ball defense was equally impressive. The one-on-one defense holds less value against a lower-level club, but the quick rotations and help defense was quite the encouraging sign for the Illini’s future outlook.

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024. He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.

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