| PROBABLEÂ STARTERS (projected) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
23 |
Keaton Wagler |
6-6 |
185 |
Fr. |
18.5 |
4.9 |
4.3 |
Last 17G: 20.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 48% FG, 46% 3FG |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
215 |
Jr. |
5.5 |
2.0 |
0.8 |
8.9 ppg &Â 41%Â 3FGÂ in last 7 games as starter |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
235 |
Gr. |
6.1 |
4.0 |
0.8 |
10 pts & 7 reb Tuesday vs. Wisconsin |
| F |
0 |
David Mirkovic |
6-9 |
250 |
Fr. |
12.6 |
8.0 |
2.5 |
13.8 ppg over last 8G, all in double figures |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
Jr. |
10.4 |
5.7 |
1.6 |
91 3FG, most in NCAA by 7-footer since '24-25 |
| OFF THE BENCH |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Brandon Lee |
6-4 |
195 |
Fr. |
1.7 |
0.5 |
0.2 |
Career-high 5 points, 3 rebounds vs. Southern |
| G |
2 |
Andrej Stojakovic |
6-7 |
215 |
Jr. |
13.7 |
4.6 |
1.1 |
DNP (ankle) Tuesday vs. Wisconsin |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
215 |
Sr. |
14.3 |
4.2 |
3.4 |
Missed last 7 games with broken hand |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
1.1 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
Former team manager |
| G |
8 |
Blake Fagbemi |
6-0 |
180 |
Fr. |
0.3 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
Has played in six games |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
r-Jr. |
- |
- |
- |
Out indefinitely following knee surgery |
| C |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
1.3 |
1.9 |
0.2 |
Out for season |
| F/C |
44 |
Zvonimir Ivisic |
7-2 |
250 |
Jr. |
7.2 |
5.4 |
0.4 |
3rd nationally in block rate at 14.0% |
| G |
77 |
Mihailo Petrovic |
6-2 |
180 |
So. |
2.1 |
0.8 |
1.3 |
1st B1G pts, career-high 3 reb vs. Minnesota |
Career Record: 294-133Â (.689), 13th year
At Illinois: 185-106Â (.636), 9th year
Big Ten: 103-69Â (.599)
Series History vs. Indiana
All-Time Record / Streak: Indiana leads 96-93 / Illinois W-2
Last Meeting: #19 Illinois 94, Indiana 69 (1/14/2025 in Bloomington)
Record in Champaign / Streak: Illinois leads 55-35 / Illinois W-1
Last Meeting in Champaign: #10 Illinois 70, Indiana 62 (1/27/2024)
Underwood vs. Indiana: 7-6
OPENING TIPS
- No. 8 Illinois hosts Indiana on Sunday afternoon at sold-out State Farm Center, opening a run of four straight Quad 1 games to close out February.
- Sunday is Illinois' annual Stripe State Farm Center game. Fans with tickets in odd numbered sections are asked to wear orange, while fans sitting in even numbered sections should wear blue. All UI students are to wear orange.
- Illinois is looking to bounce back after a stretch of five games in 13 days that ended with back-to-back overtime losses at No. 10 Michigan State and home vs. Wisconsin. Illinois had previously won 12 consecutive games, the team's longest win streak in the last 13 seasons.Â
- Illinois ranks fifth in the latest NET rankings and is tied for second in the nation with five Quad 1A wins.
- Illinois is 20-5 overall, the program's best start since opening 21-5 in 2008-09.
- Illinois' 11-3 Big Ten record is its best since the 2021-22 team also started 11-3 on its way to the regular-season title.
- Illinois has secured its seventh straight 20-win regular season under Brad Underwood. Illinois, Gonzaga, and Houston are the only three programs to win at least 20 regular season games every year since 2019-20.
- Illinois has also clinched a winning Big Ten record for the seventh straight season. Illinois is the only team to finish above .500 in Big Ten play every year since 2019-20.
- Illinois is 12-2 at home this season, the program's best mark since going 15-2 at State Farm Center in 2022-23. The Illini are averaging 88.7 points at home this season, with an average scoring margin of +22.3 ppg.
KJ AND WILL BACK AT STATE FARM CENTER
- Former Fighting Illini and current NBA rookies Kasparas Jakucionis (Miami Heat) and Will Riley (Washington Wizards) are set to return to campus this weekend during the league's All-Star break and attend Sunday's game vs. Indiana.
- The first ever one-and-done players in program history, Jakucionis and Riley were taken with back-to-back selections – No. 20 and 21, respectively – in the 2025 NBA Draft.
- Jakucionis is averaging 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 29 games with the Heat through the first half of the season.
- Riley has played in 45 games for the Wizards, posting averages of 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists..
WAGLER'S WORLD
- Illini star Keaton Wagler's rapid ascent during his freshman season has been remarkable for an unheralded recruit. Now contending for Big Ten Player of the Year and All-America honors, the Shawnee, Kansas native was ranked 150th by 247Sports and 179th by Rivals in the Class of 2025, and he had just two high-major offers before committing to the Fighting Illini.
- Wagler is currently ranked No. 6 in the kenpom national player of the year ratings, and second among B1G players.
- Among players with at least 24% possessions used, Wagler ranks first nationally in offensive rating at 135.8.Â
- Wagler is one of only two power conference freshmen averaging at least 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on the season, alongside Duke's Cameron Boozer.
- Since moving to the point guard position at the beginning of December, Wagler is averaging 20.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists over the last 17 games on 47.5% shooting from the field, 46.3% from three, and 79.6% from the line, while leading the Illini to a 14-3 record during this stretch.
- Wagler has scored in double figures in each of the last 17 games, and team-leading 22 times on the season.
- Wagler ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring during conference play, averaging 21.8 points.
- Wagler leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal shooting at 43.7% (66-151).
- Wagler has netted 462 points, just 32 away from the Illini freshman season record of 494 total points set by Cory Bradford in 1998-99 and equaled by Kasparas Jakucionis last year.Â
- Wagler's overall scoring average of 18.5 points per game is on pace to break the Illini freshman season scoring record set by Kiwane Garris, who averaged 15.9 ppg in 1993-94.
- Wagler has eight 20+-point games this season, closing in on the Illini freshman record of 10 set last year by Kasparas Jakucionis, who is now a rookie with the Miami Heat.
- After scoring 34 on Tuesday vs. Wisconsin to go with his 46 points at Purdue, Wagler joins Kiwane Garris as the only two freshmen in Illini history with multiple 30+-point games.Â
- Wagler earned his fifth B1G Freshman of the Week honor (second straight) on Feb. 2 following his 28-point game in the win at No. 5 Nebraska, which included 23 in the second half on just six shots.Â
- Wagler's five Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards are the second-most in school history behind Kofi Cockburn (7).Â
- Wagler has been added to midseason watch lists for the Wooden Award (top 20) and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award (top 10), and he was named the Oscar Robertson High-Major Player of the Month for January by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
- Wagler earned National Player of the Week honors on Jan. 26 following one of the greatest scoring performances in college basketball history with a record 46 points in the Illini's win at No. 4 Purdue (see p. 3 for full list of Wagler's records set).
ILLINI ITEMS
- Illinois leads the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (130.7), owning what currently stands as the highest offensive rating in the history of the kenpom era (since 1996-97).Â
- 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 ranked No. 6 in kenpom, just short of the highest rating of the Brad Underwood era. The Illini finished the 2020-21 season at No. 4.
- Illinois is No. 8 in the latest AP poll and seventh in the coaches top 25, ranked in the top 10 for the third consecutive week and the fourth week overall this season. Illinois has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons under Brad Underwood, and in every ranking released so far this season.Â
- Illinois has seven Quad 1 wins, tied for fourth in the NCAA (through games played Feb. 13) behind Duke (10), Michigan (10), and Arizona (9). Five of Illinois' six wins in this category are Quad 1A, tied for second-most in the nation behind Duke (6).Â
- Illinois is No. 5 overall in the NET rankings, second in the Big Ten behind Michigan (1). Illinois is 11-5 on the season combined in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, and 9-0 combined in Quad 3 and Quad 4 matchups.
- The Illini have the most wins in Big Ten play since 2019-20 with 92 victories. During that span, Illinois also leads all teams with 40 league road wins.Â
- When including the conference tournament, the Illini have a league-leading 99 wins over Big Ten teams the last seven seasons, and are tied for the lead with three B1G championships during that span. Â
- Illinois is the tallest team in the nation, with an average height of 79.5 inches (kenpom).
- Four Fighting Illini average at least 12 points per game, tied for second nationally: Keaton Wagler (18.5 ppg), Kylan Boswell (14.3), Andrej Stojakovic (13.7), and David Mirkovic (12.6).Â
- Illinois is the only team in the nation with seven players averaging at least 4.0 rebounds (minimum 15 games): David Mirkovic (8.0 rpg), Tomislav Ivisic (5.7), Zvonimir Ivisic (5.4), Keaton Wagler (4.9), Andrej Stojakovic (4.6), Kylan Boswell (4.2), and Ben Humrichous (4.0)Â
- Illinois ranks 10th in the NCAA and third in the Big Ten with a free-throw percentage of 78.4%. Last year the Illini shot 76.2% at the free-throw line, the second-best season mark in school history behind the 2014-15 team that holds the single-season record at 79.4%.Â
- Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 84.7 points. The Illini led the B1G in scoring last season (83.6 ppg).Â
- Along with the No. 1-rated offense (130.7) of the kenpom era, the Illini are No. 30 in defense (98.4) this year.
- Illinois is first in the nation in defensive free throw rate (18.8), and second in fewest fouls per game (13.0).
- Illinois is averaging 15.6 second chance points per game (389), which leads the Big Ten.
- Illinois leads the Big Ten averaging 11.3 three-pointers and has made 10+ 3-pointers in a Big Ten-leading 19 games this season with a 15-4 record.Â
- The Illini have knocked down at least 10 triples in 15 of the last 17 games, highlighted by school-record tying 18 treys in the win at No. 4 Purdue (Jan. 24), and 17 threes in the team's home win vs. Northwestern (Feb. 4).Â
- Illinois has outrebounded its opponent in 21 of 25 games this season and ranks second in the Big Ten (sixth nationally) in rebound margin at +10.3 rpg. Illinois is 18-3 when it wins the battle on the glass.
- Eight different players have been the Illini's leading scorer in a game this season. That leads the Big Ten and is tied for fourth nationally behind VCU, George Washington, and Tarleton State (9).
- Illinois is No. 6 in the kenpom rankings with an adjusted efficiency margin +32.26. The Illini have had a kenpom rating of 35th or better each of the last six years under Brad Underwood, and are two spots short of the team's high ranking of No. 4 to close out the 2020-21 season. Illinois posted consecutive top-20 rankings the last two seasons: 10th in 2023-24 and 17th in 2024-25.
- At its current scoring pace (84.7 ppg), this year's Illini are challenging to become just the sixth team in program history to average at least 85.0 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.Â
- Brad Underwood has led Illinois to 32 wins over top-25 opponents since 2019-20, with 23 of those wins coming in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Illinois' 32 top-25 victories are ninth-most in the NCAA during that span. This season the Illini have ranked wins over No. 11 Texas Tech at home, vs. No. 13 Tennessee in Nashville, at No. 19 Iowa, at No. 4 Purdue, and at No. 5 Nebraska. Â
- Illinois is 5-4 this season vs. AP Top 25 teams and faces its next ranked opponent Feb. 27 vs. No. 2 Michigan.
- As a team, Illinois ranks in the top three in the Big Ten, and among the top 50 programs nationally in 11 categories: The Illini lead the Big Ten with 13.0 fouls per game (second in the NCAA), and 11.3 3-pointers per game (9th), and rank second in the league with a +10.3 rebound margin (sixth in the NCAA), a +15.8 scoring margin (11th), 31.4 3-point attempts per game (12th), a scoring offense of 84.7 points per game (27th), and 13.1 offensive rebounds per game (33rd), The Illini are third in the B1G with a .784 free-throw percentage (10th in the NCAA), 41.3 total rebounds per game (13th), 28.2 defensive rebounds per game (15th), and 4.9 blocks per game (24th). Â
- Andrej Stojakovic is the second active Illini to reach 1,000 career points, reaching the milestone Jan. 17 vs. Minnesota. Stojakovic now has 1,085 points to rank behind Kylan Boswell (1,195) in the 1,000-point club.
- Illinois has claimed seven of 13 Big Ten Freshman of the Week selections this season. Keaton Wagler leads the Big Ten with five honors, while David Mirkovic has garnered two nods.Â
- Freshman G Keaton Wagler has scored in double-figures in 17 consecutive games dating back to the Illini's win over No. 13 Tennessee on Dec. 6, including an historic 46-point outburst in a win at No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24 (more on p. 3). During that stretch, Wagler is averaging a team-leading 20.8 points per game, and ranks fifth in rebounding at 4.8 boards per contest, while shooting 47.5% (104-219) overall, 46.3% (56-121) from 3-point range, and 79.6% (90-113) from the free-throw line. Wagler also leads the team with 92 assists and 12 steals during that stretch.Â
- Keaton Wagler leads the Illini and ranks among the Big Ten leaders with: a .437 3-point percentage (1st), 160 free-throw attempts (4th), 66 3-pointers made (4th), 2.64 3-pointers per game (4th), 128 free-throws made (5th), 462 total points (6th), 18.5 points per game (8th), 151 3-point attempts (9th), 108 total assists (9th), 134 field goals made (10th), a 2.51 assist-to-turnover ratio (11th), 4.3 assists per game (11th), and 289 field goal attempts (11th). Wagler also ranks 12th in the Big Ten minutes per game at 33:00. Â
- Freshman F David Mirkovic is one of only three freshmen in the nation, along with Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, averaging at least 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.Â
- A two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, David Mirkovic leads the Illini and ranks among the Big Ten leaders with: 200 total rebounds (4th), 5.6 defensive rebounds per game (5th), 8.0 total rebounds per game (5th), 2.4 offensive rebounds per game (7th), five double-doubles (10th). Mirkovic is also third on the team with a .790 free-throw percentage (26th in B1G), and a scoring average of 12.6 ppg (37th).Â
- Senior G Kylan Boswell is the Illini's active career leader with 1,195 career points (687 at Illinois), with eight 20+ point games and 36 career double-digit scoring games in Orange and Blue. Boswell is tied for the team lead 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 13.5 points on 48.7% shooting. Stojakovic has five games this season with 20+ points, highlighted 30 points vs. Maryland and 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 six games this season.Â
- Twin 7-footers Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic rank among the top shooting big men in college basketball. Tomislav ranks first in the NCAA among 7-footers with 12 games this season with multiple 3-pointers, while Zvonimir is second with nine such games. Tomislav also leads the NCAA among 7-footers at 1.7 3-pointers per game, while Zvonimir ranks fourth at 1.0 triples per contest.
- Zvonimir Ivisic, a member of the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watch list, ranks third nationally in block rate at 14.0%. He is second in the Big Ten in total blocks (58) and blocks per game (2.32), 13th and 15th in the nation, respectively. His average would rank second all-time in Illinois' record book behind Derek Holcomb (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.
ILLINOISÂ VS. INDIANA
- Tuesday marks the 190th meeting in the series between Illinois and Indiana dating back 120 seasons to Jan. 20, 1906.Â
- Head coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to a 7-6 mark vs. Indiana. The Illini have won two straight, a 70-62 home win in 2024 and a 94-69 road win last season.Â
- The Illini have won six of the last nine meetings the previous seven seasons including a run of four straight wins between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 5, 2022.Â
- In Indiana's last visit to Champaign on Jan. 27, 2024, the 10th-ranked Fighting Illini closed the game on an 8-0 run to fend off the Hoosiers, 70-62, in front of a Orange-and-Blue stripe out crowd at State Farm Center. Four Illini scored in double-figures led by Marcus Domask with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. Terrence Shannon Jr. added 12 points, including the team's final four from the free-throw line, while Coleman Hawkins and Luke Goode each scored 11.Â
- Last year in Bloomington, the 19th-ranked Illini recorded their largest road win in the series with a 94-69 victory at IU's Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Kylan Boswell (22 points) and Kasparas Jakucionis (21) led the way offensively, while Tomislav Ivisic tallied a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
- Illinois is 35-18 (.660) all-time as a Top 25 team when facing Indiana, including wins in the last two meetings vs. the Badgers when ranked.Â
ILLINI IN THE NET
- Illinois is No. 5 in the NCAA NET ranking though games played Feb. 12.Â
- The Illini's No. 5 rating ranks second in the Big Ten behind Michigan (1).Â
- The Illini are 7-4 vs. Quad 1, 5-1 vs. Quad 2, 3-0 vs. Quad 3, and 6-0 vs. Quad 4.
- Illinois' seven Quad 1 wins are tied for fourth nationally behind co-leaders Duke and Michigan (10), and Arizona (9).Â
- The Illini's remaining six-game regular-season schedule breaks down to for consecutive Quad 1s, followed by a pair of Quad 3s to close:Â
» Quad 1 (4): vs. Indiana (30), at USC (49), at UCLA (39), and vs. Michigan (1). Â
» Quad 3 (2): vs. Oregon (111), and at Maryland (149). Â
ILLINOIS WHEN RANKED
- The No. 8 Illini have played all 25 games this season ranked in the Top 25.Â
- Illinois is 672-272 (.712) all-time in 944 games when ranked in the AP Top 25. The program is 367-55 at home, including a 289-42 mark at State Farm Center, 165-151 on the road, and 140-64 at neutral sites.Â
- Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is 110-48 (.696) when ranked.
ILLINI WHEN TOP-10 RANKED
- Illinois is ranked in the AP top 10 for the 246th week in program history, including four weeks this season.Â
- Illinois is 331-110 (.751) all-time in 441 games when ranked in the AP top 10.Â
- When top-10 ranked, the Illini are 173-12 at home (113-8 at State Farm Center), 83-73 on the road, and 75-25 in neutral-site contests.
- Under Brad Underwood, Illinois is 25-13 (.658) when ranked in the top 10.