3 Things to Know Ahead of Illinois vs. Texas Tech

No. 17 Illinois (2-0) and No. 11 Texas Tech (2-0) face off on Tuesday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign (7:30 p.m. CT, FS1) in an early-season non-conference showdown that should pay dividends for one program further down the road in March.

But it's also an opportunity for both clubs to not only strengthen their resume, build confidence and work out more early-season kinks – this time, however, against a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender. It isn't too early to get hyped for a massive non-conference matchup. Here are three things to know ahead of it:

What to know before Illinois takes on Texas Tech

Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) attempts to score as Xavier forward Zach Freemantle goes for a block during the first half of their first round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jovanny Hernandez/USA Today Network via Imagn Images | Jovanny Hernandez-Imagn Images

3. Illinois continues to battle a handful of injuries

On Monday, Illinois coach Brad Underwood provided an update on the injured Illini in his pregame press conference. Here’s where things stand, and how it’ll impact Illinois on Tuesday: Swingman Ty Rodgers (knee) remains sidelined, freshman guard Brandon Lee (ankle) is out, guard Mihailo Petrovic (hamstring) is questionable, and if he suits up, would be quite limited, while big man Tomislav Ivisic is out because of a knee injury and wing Andrej Stojakovic remains day-to-day while continuing to recover from his own knee injury.

The list is quite long considering it’s so early in the season, but Illinois has no choice but to adapt. Without Tomislav, it’ll be his twin brother, Zvonimir, who will fill the void in the lineup.

Although he may not be able to match Tomislav’s dynamic impact on offense, Zvonimir may be a slight upgrade on defense (more on that later) and will be at least as potent a long-distance-shooting threat as his brother.

As for Stojakovic, even if he is a go, he’s clearly not at 100 percent just yet, and figures to play limited minutes. At the very least, the backcourt should operate without a hitch, as Kylan Boswell and freshman Keaton Wagler have been a surprisingly connected duo through two games.

2. JT Toppin vs. Zvonimir Ivisic is the matchup to watch

Zvonimir registered seven blocks against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday, and even before that showing, he had already established himself as one of the top shot blockers in college basketball. The question remains, though: Can he do it against the best of the best?

#Illini highlights: 7'2 center Zvonimir Ivisic

16 points, 9 rebounds & 7 BLOCKS

Tomislav's twin brother dominated. Last year at Arkansas, Big Z scored 8 ppg on 37% from deep

He may be Brad Underwood's best shot blocker yet

Illinois could use him heavily as Tomislav could be… pic.twitter.com/N0c5pbwroH
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) November 8, 2025

Because that’s exactly what he’ll be facing in JT Toppin – the most gifted forward in the nation – on Tuesday. More importantly than sending back shots, Zvonimir must limit Toppin’s paint touches and consistently disrupt his rhythm when he inevitably gets the rock down low and in his preferred spots.

This outing is a test for the Illini as a whole, but it’s arguably the single biggest individual challenge Zvonimir will face to this point in his college career.

1. The Illini need to sustain their hot shooting

Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) shoots a three point basket against the Xavier Musketeers during the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

For Illinois fans who don’t remember 2024-25, let us refresh your memory: Sixteen threes in the season opener, followed by 15 threes in the second outing. Then, in their third game – facing a respectable defense (vs. Oakland) – the bottom dropped out on the Illini, to the tune of a 7-for-25 (28.0 percent) three-point-shooting night.

Admittedly, this Illinois club appears more confident and seemingly has the tools – including superior ball movement – to more consistently create good looks from deep. But these Illini still have to go out and prove it.

Highlights of our 113-70 victory at State Farm Center over Florida Gulf Coast. pic.twitter.com/kyLTxFlAwM
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 8, 2025

Even if Zvonimir puts the clamps down on Toppin, the Red Raiders are going to get theirs. One of the most explosive scoring units in the nation, Texas Tech has enough talent sprinkled across the roster to get it done on offense, one way or another.

Can Illinois keep up? Through two games, the answer appears to be a resounding yes. So far, the question is almost certainly the opposite: Can the Red Raiders keep up with the Illini? But given Illinois' occasional flakiness last season (with some of these same key contributors involved), we’ll have to wait a few more games before fully buying into this group on the offensive side of the ball – specifically in terms of its shooting efficiency.