| Illinois Probable Starters (Based on last game — player averages listed are from the 2023-24 college season) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
205 |
Jr. |
9.6 |
2.3 |
3.6 |
Arizona transfer |
| G |
32 |
Kasparas Jakucionis |
6-6 |
205 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Lithuanian U18 Team |
| G |
22 |
Tre White |
6-7 |
210 |
Jr. |
12.3 |
5.9 |
1.3 |
Louisville transfer |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
14.7 |
4.7 |
1.9 |
Evansville transfer |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
So. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Twin brother, Zvonimir, plays at Arkansas |
| Off the Bench (Based on last game — player averages listed are from the 2023-24 college season) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
0 |
Carey Booth |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
6.4 |
4.3 |
0.5 |
Notre Dame transfer |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
So. |
2.4 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
Played in 28 games as true freshman |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Jr. |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
Former team manager turned walkon |
| F |
7 |
Will Riley |
6-8 |
195 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Five-star recruit |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
205 |
So. |
9.0 |
4.5 |
1.1 |
Mercer transfer |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
Jr. |
6.2 |
5.3 |
2.0 |
Started all 38 games last season |
| F |
21 |
Morez Johnson Jr. |
6-9 |
255 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2024 Illinois Mr. Basketball |
| G |
24 |
Keaton Kutcher |
6-2 |
195 |
r-Jr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Walkon transfer from South Dakota |
| F |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
210 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Third-Team All-State |
Career Record: 252-115 (.687), 12th year
At Illinois: 143-88 (.619), 8th year
Big Ten: 80-58 (.580)
Series History
All-Time Record vs. Eastern Illinois: Illinois leads 8-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: #25 Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 52 (11/6/2023 at Champaign)
Underwood vs. Eastern Illinois: 2-0
Opening Tips
- Illinois opens its 120th season of men's basketball on Monday, hosting Eastern Illinois (7 p.m. CT, B1G+).
- The Illini have posted an all-time record of 105-14 (.882) in season openers.
- The Fighting Illini have won eight straight openers, a streak that began on Nov. 11, 2016 in an 81-62 victory over Southeast Missouri.
- Illinois has hosted Eastern Illinois for its season opener in each of the last two seasons, defeating the Panthers 80-52 to open the 2023-24 season, and securing an 87-57 win over EIU to open the 2022-23 campaign.
- The Illini are 40-2 all-time (.952) when starting the season at State Farm Center.
- Illinois has won 27 straight games when opening the year at State Farm Center, a run that began on Dec. 1, 1993 with a 99-73 win over La Salle.
- Illinois sits just outside the Top 25 of the preseason AP poll, receiving the most points (92) among unranked teams. The Illini check in at No. 24, meanwhile, in the preseason coaches poll.
- Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last five seasons, registering a 69-31 (.690) mark in league play. The Illini won the 2024 Big Ten Tournament championship as the #2 seed, captured the regular season championship in 2022, and led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021.
- Illinois traveled to Oxford, Miss., to face No. 24 Ole Miss in a charity exhibition game on Oct. 27. The game benefitted CASA of North Mississippi.
- The Illini's preseason began with a closed scrimmage against Butler on Oct. 13 in Champaign.
Illinois-EIU Storylines
- Despite having campuses located 50 miles apart, Illinois will face Eastern Illinois on Monday night for just the third time in the last 22 years, all coming in the last three season openers.
- Monday marks the ninth meeting between the program. Illinois has won the previous eight games, all in Champaign.
- Prior to the start of his first season at Illinois, head coach Brad Underwood and the Illini also played a hurricane relief game in Charleston on Nov. 3, 2017. The sellout crowd at Lantz Arena saw the Panthers roll in the second half to an 80-67 victory.
- Eastern Illinois Athletic Director Tom Michael was a four-year letterwinner for the Fighting Illini from 1991-94. One of the best shooters in program history, Michael still holds Illini records for season (.493) and career (.449) 3-point percentage. Following his playing career, Michael spent 18 years in the U of I's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, rising to senior associate athletic director, before taking over at EIU in 2014.
- Illinois assistant coach Geoff Alexander served on EIU head coach Marty Simmons' staff at Evansville for five seasons (2013-17).
- EIU assistant coach Rich McBride was a four-year letterwinner for the Illini (2004-07), and team co-captain and co-MVP during his senior season.
- Fighting Illini F Ben Humrichous and EIU F Skeou Kalle were teammates in 2023-24 at Evansville. Humrichous started all 24 games he played for the Purple Aces and averaged a team-high 14.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Kalle appeared in 21 games off the bench, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest. .
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
