Top-25 Matchup on Tap Saturday for #16 Illinois at #19 Iowa

#16 ILLINOIS (12-3, 3-1 B1G) at #16 Iowa (12-2, 2-2 B1G)
Date | Time	Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 | 11 a.m. CT
Location	Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Buy Tickets	SeatGeek.com
TV	FOX (Jason Benetti & Steve Smith)
Live Stream	FoxSports.com/live/FOX
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 162 or 196, SXM APP
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Iowa
Pregame Press Conference	Coach Underwood (Jan. 10)
2025-26 Stats	Illinois | Iowa
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 286-131 (.686), 13th year
At Illinois: 177-104 (.630), 9th year
Big Ten: 95-67 (.586)

Series History vs. Iowa

All-Time Record / Streak: Illinois leads 94-77 / Illinois W-4
Last Meeting: #24 Illinois 106, Iowa 94 (3/132025 in Indianapolis - BTT 2nd Round)
Record at Iowa City / Streak: Iowa leads 57-24 / Illinois W-1
Last Meeting in Iowa City: #12 Illinois 73, Iowa 64 (3/10/2024)
Underwood vs. Iowa: 9-6

OPENING TIPS

• No. 16 Illinois carries a four-game win streak into a ranked-vs.-ranked matchup at No. 19 Iowa on Sunday. 
• Illinois is starting the New Year with three out of four Big Ten games on the road.
• Illinois is 4-2 away from home this season, including 2-0 in road games.
• Illinois is aiming to start 3-0 on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
• Andrej Stojakovic is 28 points away (972) from joining Kylan Boswell (1,156) in the 1,000-career point club. 
• The Fighting Illini are tied for the national lead with four players averaging better than 12.5 points per game: Keaton Wagler (15.5), Kylan Boswell (14.5 ppg), Andrej Stojakovic (14.4) and David Mirkovic (12.7). 
• Illinois is No. 16 in the latest AP and coaches polls. The Illini have reached as high as No. 8 (Nov. 17) this season. Illinois has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons under Brad Underwood.
• Illinois currently ranks third in the nation in offensive efficiency by kenpom (126.7). Offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood has helped Brad Underwood implement a top-15 offense for the third straight season after ranking third in 2024 (125.5) and 14th last year (121.9).
• Illinois is the tallest team in the nation, with an average height of 79.5 inches (kenpom).
• Illinois ranks second in the NCAA in free throw percentage at 79.7%. Last year the Illini shot 76.2% at the free throw line, which was the second-best season mark in school history.
• Illinois is averaging 86.7 points, ranked second in the Big Ten. The Illini led the B1G in scoring last season (83.6 ppg). 
• The Illini feature the No. 3-rated offense in the country (126.7) and No. 18 defense (96.8) by kenpom.
• Illinois ranks second in the nation in defensive free throw rate (20.1) and fourth in fewest fouls per game (13.5).
• Illinois is averaging 15.7 second chance points per game (236), which leads the Big Ten.
• Illinois has made 10+ 3-pointers in 10 games this season, which leads the Big Ten.
• Illinois is 9-1 when making double-digit threes (lone loss to Alabama).
• Illinois is No. 10 in the NCAA NET rankings, the third-best rating in the Big Ten behind Michigan (1) and Purdue (5). Illinois is 5-3 on the season combined in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, and 7-0 combined in Quad 3 and Quad 4 matchups. Sunday's game at Iowa is the team's seventh Quad 1 opportunity of the season based on the NET rankings through games played Jan. 8. 
• Illinois' total of three Quad 1 wins is tied for 11th-most in the NCAA (through games played Jan. 8). 
• Illinois is No. 9 in the kenpom rankings with a net rating of +29.90. 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).
• At its current scoring pace, this year's Illini would become just the sixth team in program history to average more than 86.0 points for a full season. The Illini opened the 2025-26 campaign with seven straight games of 80+ points. It marked the most such games to open a campaign since the 1988-89 Flyin' Illini scored 80+ in each of their first 12 contests.   
• Brad Underwood has led Illinois to 29 wins over top-25 opponents since 2019-20, with 20 of those wins coming in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Illinois' 29 top-25 victories are tied for 10th-most in the NCAA during that span. This season the Illini have ranked wins over No. 11 Texas Tech at home and No. 13 Tennessee in Nashville.  
• Illinois is currently 2-3 this season vs. Top 25 teams. With six ranked Big Ten teams in the most recent AP poll, the Illini's current schedule could feature as many as 10 ranked games during the regular season. 
• Illinois entered 2025-26 as the winningest team in Big Ten Conference play since 2019-20, with 81 league wins (tied with Purdue). The Illini (84 wins) now sit one game behind the Boilermakers (85) in the win column through four conference games this season. The Illini lead the conference with 36 road wins in league play during that span. When including the conference tournament, Illinois is also one game behind Purdue for the most total wins against Big Ten opponents over this span with 91.
• As a team, Illinois ranks in the top three in the Big Ten, and among the top programs nationally in 11 categories: The team leads the Big Ten with a .797 free-throw percentage (second in the NCAA) and 13.5 fouls per game (fourth), and is second in the league with a +11.5 rebound margin (eighth in NCAA), a +19.4 scoring margin (14th), 29.3 defensive rebounds per game (15th), and a scoring average of 86.7 points per game (33rd). The Illini are third in the B1G with 42.6 total rebounds per game (14th in the NCAA), 5.5 blocks per game (16th), 29.5 3-point attempts per game (23rd), 10.3 3-pointers made per game (38th), and 13.3 offensive rebounds per game (52nd). 
• Illinois is tied for the NCAA lead with seven players averaging better than 4.0 rebounds per game (minimum five games played): David Mirkovic (8.3 rpg), Zvonimir Ivisic (5.4), Keaton Wagler (5.2), Tomislav Ivisic (4.7), Andrej Stojakovic (4.4), Kylan Boswell (4.3), and Ben Humrichous (4.1).  
• Freshman G Keaton Wagler is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, his second nod of the season.  Wagler averaged 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals in three wins over the previous two weeks while shooting 53.6% from the field, 46.7% from 3-point range and 80% from the free throw line. Wagler scored a game-high 22 points on a career-best 5-6 shooting from 3-point range, with eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals vs. Missouri. He then posted his second career double-double vs. Southern with 11 points and career-high tying 10 assists, to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. He tallied 16 points, three rebounds and three assists and was a game-high +17 vs. Penn State at The Palestra, despite playing only 20 minutes due to foul trouble. 
• Illinois has claimed four of eight Big Ten Freshman of the Week selections this season. Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic have each garnered two nods. 
• Freshman G Keaton Wagler leads the Illini and ranks among the Big Ten leaders with: 69 free-throws made (8th), a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio (11th), 83 free-throw attempts (11th), an .831 free-throw percentage (13th), 232 total points (14th), 56 total assists (15th), 3.7 assists per game (15th), and 15.5 points per game (16th). 
• Among players with at least 20% possessions used, Keaton Wagler ranks 11th nationally in offensive rating at 136.8, while backcourt running mate Kylan Boswell ranks 29th at 131.6 (kenpom).
• Freshman F David Mirkovic, is one of only five freshmen in the nation, along with Duke's Cameron Boozer, Fairfield's Brandon Benjamin, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, and Washington's Hannes Steinbach, averaging at least 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds (through Jan. 8). A two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Mirkovic leads the Illini, ranks inside the top 10 in the Big Ten, and is among the NCAA leaders with: five double-doubles (fifth in B1G, 43rd in NCAA); 125 total rebounds (sixth, 61st); 5.7 defensive rebounds per game (sixth, 61st); 8.3 total rebounds per game (sixth, 59th); and 2.6 offensive rebounds per game (eighth, 133rd); and is second behind Keaton Wagler with an 81.5% free-throw percentage (17th in the Big Ten).
• Senior G Kylan Boswell is the Illini's active career leader with 1,156 career points (648 at Illinois), with eight 20+ point games and 35 career double-digit scoring games in Orange and Blue. Boswell leads the team with five games this season with 20+ points this season, and has eclipsed the 20-point mark eight times over the last two years.
• Junior G Andrej Stojakovic transferred to Illinois with a reputation as a prolific scorer and is averaging 14.4 points on 53.0% shooting. Stojakovic has four 20-point performances, highlighted by a season-high 26 points vs. No. 11 Alabama. Stojakovic also posted 23 points the win over No. 11 Texas Tech, and scored 20 and 24, respectively, in Illinois' wins over LIU and UTRGV. In his Big Ten debut, Stojakovic had 17 points and four rebounds in the win at Ohio State, then posted an 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Illini's B1G home opener vs. No. 23 Nebraska. Stojakovic has led the Illini in scoring in four games this season, tied with Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler for the most on the team.  
• Twin 7-footers Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic rank among the top shooting big men in college basketball. Zvonimir is tied for second in the NCAA among 7-footers with six games this season with multiple 3-pointers, while Tomislav ranks fourth at five contests with multiple treys. Tomislav is second in the NCAA among 7-footers with 1.4 3-pointers per game, while Zvonimir ranks tied for fifth at 1.1 triples per contest.
• Zvonimir Ivisic ranks fourth nationally in block rate at 14.6. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 15th nationally in both total blocks (37) and blocks per game (2.47). His current average would rank second all-time in Illinois' record book behind Derek Holcomb, who averaged 3.0 blocks per game in 1978-79. The last Illini to average more than 2.0 blocks per game was Nnanna Egwu (2.1) in 2013-14.

ILLINOIS VS. IOWA

• This is the 172nd meeting in the all-time series between Illinois and Iowa, the eighth-most for the Illini vs. any opponent in program history. The first game, a 46-36 Iowa win, took place Feb. 14, 1908 in Iowa City.
• The Illini are 94-77 all-time vs. Iowa, including an 24-57 mark in road games vs. the Hawkeyes.
• Head coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to a 9-6 record vs. Iowa. The Illini have won four straight and nine of the last 10 meetings against the Hawkeyes.
• Illinois last visited Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 10, 2024, earning a 73-61 victory behind a 25-point effort from Terrence Shannon Jr. 
• Illinois has not won consecutive games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since claiming three wins in a row from March 1, 2008-Dec. 29, 2010.
• Illinois' last win over a ranked Hawkeye team in Iowa City was a 66-63 victory over the No. 24 Hawkeyes on March 8, 2014, on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jon Ekey.
• Illinois is 0-8 all-time in Iowa City in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups against the Hawkeyes.
• The last time these teams met while both were ranked was on March 6, 2022 in Champaign, when No. 20 Illinois prevailed over No. 24 Iowa, 74-72, a win that secured a share of the 2022 Big Ten Championship for Brad Underwood and the Illini.

ILLINI IN THE NET

• Illinois is No. 10 in the NCAA NET ranking though games played Jan. 8. 
• The Illini's No. 10 rating is the third-best mark in the Big Ten Conference behind Michigan (1) and Purdue (5). 
• Through 15 games, the Illini are: 3-3 vs. Quad 1, 2-0 vs. Quad 2, 0-0 vs. Quad 3, and 7-0 vs. Quad 4.
• The Illini's remaining 16-game regular-season schedule would feature 12 games vs. Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents, with three Quad 3 and just one Quad 4 matchup remaining.  
  » Quad 1 (9): at Iowa (18), at Northwestern (74), at Purdue (5), at Nebraska (11), at Michigan State (13), vs. Indiana (30), at USC (47), at UCLA (45), and vs. Michigan (1).  
  » Quad 2 (3): vs. Washington (57), vs. Northwestern (74), and vs. Wisconsin (51).
  » Quad 3 (3): vs. Minnesota (82), vs. Oregon (106), and at Maryland (165). 
  » Quad 4 (1): vs. Maryland (165).

ILLINOIS WHEN RANKED

• Sunday at Iowa marks the 16th game of the season ranked in the Top 25 for the No. 16 Fighting Illini. 
• Illinois is 664-270 (.711) all-time when ranked in the AP Top 25. The program is 363-54 (.871) at home, including a 285-41 (.874) mark at State Farm Center, 162-150 (.519) on the road, and 139-64 (.685) at neutral sites. 
• Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is 102-46 (.689) when ranked.

ILLINOIS IN TOP-25 MATCHUPS

• Entering Sunday's tilt between No. 16 Illinois and No. 19 Iowa, the Fighting Illini have played five ranked-vs.-ranked games with a 2-3 mark including wins over No. 11 Texas Tech and vs. No. 13 Tennessee in Nashville. 
• Illinois is 113-111 (.504) all-time when both teams are ranked, 52-22 (.703) at home including a 41-17 (.707) mark at State Farm Center, 18-51 (.260) on the road, and 43-38 (.531) at neutral sites. 
• Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is 20-24 (.455) in ranked-vs.-ranked contests.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)