| PROBABLE STARTERS (based on previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
215 |
Sr. |
19.2 |
5.0 |
4.4 |
13 consecutive double-digit scoring games |
| G |
23 |
Keaton Wagler |
6-6 |
185 |
Fr. |
15.6 |
5.8 |
2.0 |
Team-leading 3.4 offensive rebounds/game |
| G |
2 |
Andrej Stojakovic |
6-7 |
215 |
Jr. |
16.8 |
3.8 |
1.5 |
24.5 ppg vs. Top 25-ranked opponents |
| F |
0 |
David Mirkovic |
6-9 |
250 |
Fr. |
16.8 |
12.0 |
2.6 |
1st 20-pt, 20-reb game by an Illini since 1972 |
| F/C |
44 |
Zvonimir Ivisic |
7-2 |
250 |
Jr. |
7.4 |
5.8 |
0.4 |
7 blocks vs. FGCU, 2nd most in Illini history |
| OFF THE BENCH |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Brandon Lee |
6-4 |
195 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
2,000-point scorer at The Patrick School |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
235 |
Gr. |
10.8 |
5.4 |
1.0 |
Team-high 2.4 3-pointers per game |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
2.5 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
Former team manager |
| G |
8 |
Blake Fagbemi |
6-0 |
180 |
Fr. |
1.0 |
2.0 |
1.5 |
2 pts, 3 rebs, 2 ast in college debut |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
Jr. |
12.0 |
3.5 |
0.0 |
Returned vs. #11 Alabama after missing 3 games |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
215 |
Jr. |
4.2 |
2.0 |
0.8 |
Hit three 3-pointers in season opener |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
r-Jr. |
- |
- |
- |
Out indefinitely following knee surgery |
| C |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
1.5 |
2.8 |
0.5 |
9 rebounds in Illini debut vs. Jackson St. |
| G |
77 |
Mihailo Petrovic |
6-2 |
180 |
So. |
3.0 |
1.0 |
5.0 |
5 assists in college debut vs. #11 Alabama |
Career Record: 278-129 (.683), 13th year
At Illinois: 169-102 (.624), 9th year
Big Ten: 92-66 (.580)
Series History vs. Long Island
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 1-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: Illinois 126, Long Island 78 (March 10, 1982, NIT First Round)
Underwood vs. Long Island: First meeting
OPENING TIPS
- No. 8 Illinois (4-1) hosts Long Island (3-2) on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. CT / B1G+) in the first of two games in a three-day span at State Farm Center.
- Saturday's contest is also the second game of stretch of five games in 17 days across four cities that includes a trio of marquee nonconference matchups vs. Top 25 opponents. Following the Illini's game vs. #11 Alabama Wednesday, which drew 17,775 fans to the United Center in Chicago, the team hosts LIU and UT Rio Grande Valley at home before facing #3 UConn at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 28 and concluding the gauntlet on Dec. 6 vs. #20 Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
- Illinois carries a six-game home winning streak into Saturday's game vs. LIU. Under head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini have won 33 consecutive nonconference home games against unranked opponents.
- Illinois moved up six spots to No. 8 this week in both the AP Top 25 and the coaches poll, the team's highest November ranking since reaching No. 5 on Nov. 30, 2020. The Illini have been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons under Brad Underwood.
- Through five games, Illinois leads the Big Ten in rebound margin (+17.8 rpg) and total rebounds per game (47.0), ranking fourth and 10th, respectively, in the NCAA. Illinois also ranks second in the conference in scoring offense (95.4 ppg), 3-point attempts per game (31.8), 3-point percentage defense (.286).
- Illinois is No. 7 in the kenpom rankings with a net rating of +26.81. The Illini feature the No. 6-rated offensive (123.4) and the No. 16 defensive rating (96.6) in the country. The Illini have had an overall kenpom rating of 35th or better each of the last six years under Brad Underwood with a high of No. 4 (2020-21). Illinois posted consecutive top-20 rankings in 2023-24 (10th) and 2024-25 (17th).
- After leading the Big Ten in scoring last season (83.6 ppg), Illinois' current scoring average of 95.4 points per game is on pace to surpass the program's top all-time scoring mark (92.2 in 1964-65). Illinois' 477 total points through are the program's second-most all-time to open a season since, just one point behind the five-game output to open 2014-15.
- The Fighting Illini offense features six players – Kylan Boswell (19.2 ppg), David Mirkovic (16.8), Andrej Stojakovic (16.8), Keaton Wagler (15.6), Tomislav Ivisic (12.0), and Ben Humrichous (10.8) – averaging double-figures scoring, tied for the second-most in the nation.
- Freshman F David Mirkovic is the only freshman in the nation averaging better than 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest through games played Nov. 19. He leads the Big Ten and is among the national top 10 in several categories, ranking first in the conference with four double-doubles (second in NCAA), 8.8 defensive rebounds per game (third), and 60 total rebounds (sixth). Mirkovic is also second in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation with a rebounding average of 12.0 rebounds per game.
- Senior G Kylan Boswell ranks first in the Big Ten with 66 field goal attempts on the season, and ranks third in the conference in total points (96) and eighth in scoring average (19.2 ppg). Boswell has posted 13 consecutive games in double-figures scoring and is now the Illini's active leader with 1,034 career points (526 at Illinois) and 29 career double-digit scoring games in Orange and Blue.
- Illinois is 1-1 this season vs. Top 25 teams, with a home win over No. 11 Texas Tech (81-77) on Nov. 11, and a narrow 90-86 loss to #11 Alabama on Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago. With nonconference game remaining against #3 UConn and #20 Tennessee, plus six ranked Big Ten teams, the Illini are currently projected to play as many as nine ranked games during the regular season.
- Expectations are high once again in Champaign, with the Illini returning three starters from last year's team that won 22 games, advanced to the NCAA Round of 32, and finished the year ranked 17th in kenpom.
- Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten Conference play since 2019-20, with 81 league wins over the previous six seasons, tied with Purdue. During that stretch, the Illini lead the conference with 34 road wins in league play. When including the conference tournament, Illinois is also tied with Purdue for the most total wins against Big Ten opponents over this span with 88.
ILLINOIS VS. LONG ISLAND
- Saturday's matchup vs. Long Island is just the second in the series.
- Illinois defeated LIU, 126-78, at State Farm Center in the opening round of the NIT on March 10, 1982.
- In that NIT Round 1 win, the Illini recorded the program team record for field goals (53), while the 126 points scored were the most in program history until Dec. 22, 1988, when the team defeated LSU, 127-100.
- The Illinois men's basketball program is a combined 18-0 all-time against the current 10-team membership of the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Illini are 14-0 vs. Chicago State, 2-0 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, and 1-0 vs. both St. Francis (Pa.) and Long Island.
- Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is 4-0 in his career vs. NEC programs, all during his tenure at Illinois where he has led the Illini to two home wins over Chicago State, as well as victories over Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis (Pa.) at State Farm Center.
ILLINI WHEN TOP-10 RANKED
- Illinois is ranked inside the AP top 10 for the 243rd week in program history and the first time since reaching #6 in the final poll of the 2023-24 season.
- Illinois is 327-108 (.752) all-time in 435 games when ranked in the AP top 10.
- When top-10 ranked, the Illini are 170-11 at home (110-7 at State Farm Center), 82-72 on the road, and 75-25 in neutral-site contests.
- Illinois enters Saturday vs. Long Island looking for its first win of the season as a top-10 ranked team, and the program's first such victory since defeating #4 Iowa State, 72-69, on a neutral floor at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
