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Social Media Reacts to Illinois Basketball's Annihilation of Fairleigh Dickinson

The Illini started the season in explosive fashion, pulverizing FDU, and social media had was predictably chatty about the results
Pranav Hegde|
Nov 2, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Fairleigh Dickinson Knights guard David Jevtic (35) pulls a rebound away from Illinois Fighting Illini guard Lucas Morillo (23) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Fairleigh Dickinson Knights guard David Jevtic (35) pulls a rebound away from Illinois Fighting Illini guard Lucas Morillo (23) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Illinois Fighting IlliniFairleigh Dickinson Knights

Illinois could not have asked for a much better start to the 2026-27 season, absolutely dismantling Fairleigh Dickinson 120-45 on Monday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.

The Illini didn't just beat the Knights. They put together one of the most dominant performances in program history, setting school records for both three-pointers made (19) and margin of victory (75 points).

The Illini entered the season with sky-high expectations following last year's Final Four appearance, and if Monday night's offensive explosion was any indication, Brad Underwood may have another offensive juggernaut on his hands.

Illinois wasted absolutely no time asserting its dominance, jumping out to a commanding lead and never looking back. By halftime, the Illini had already poured in 67 points, taking a ridiculous 47-point advantage into the locker room.

Andrej Stojakovic and Stefan Vaaks led the scoring charge with 20 points apiece, while the Illini received contributions from up and down the roster. Perhaps even more encouraging was the team's ability to generate offense without relying on one individual player. Remember: Illinois did all this with Preseason All-American forward David Mirkovic still on the shelf (foot, appendectomy), not to mention Lincoln Williams, who sat out the FDU game because of a groin injury.

Of course, it's important to acknowledge the competition. Fairleigh Dickinson is far from a Big Ten powerhouse, and Illinois was expected to win comfortably. But there's a difference between handling an inferior opponent and completely running it out of the gym.

Illinois landed on the latter.

The one concerning development came in the first half, when senior Jake Davis suffered a left shoulder injury and did not return. Davis is expected to be an important piece of Illinois' rotation this season, and his status moving forward will certainly be worth monitoring.

Outside of that unfortunate development, there was very little for Illini fans to complain about. The offense came in waves, the ball movement was a joy to watch and Illinois' sheer number of emerging scoring options will be enough to keep most opponents up at night. Even with the obvious mismatch in talent, putting up 120 points and winning by 75 is a wildly impressive feat.

The real tests will come soon enough, with matchups against Texas Tech and Duke looming. For now, Illinois has sent an emphatic message to open its season: The Illini are back, and their offense looks downright terrifying.

The opposite of a nail-biter

Is that good?

Time to go

This Vaaks fella can play

A very entertaining night

Elite freshman ... again

And the journey begins

Tell 'em, Jon

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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