The women’s Illinois basketball team has a big scrimmage on Thursday night against Maryville.
No, it is not a big game due to it counting. In fact, this is an exhibition game. But the Illini have a lot of ironing out to do to see who is going to start and where the minutes will be distributed this season.
Shauna Green, like always, has a plan. She is the best coach Illinois has had in program history, and her legend will only continue to grow. This season is huge for the Orange and Blue, and Thursday night’s exhibition will answer some big questions.
Here are five big questions for the Illinois basketball team vs Maryville
1. What is Illinois going to do in the paint?
Kendall Bostic is a big piece that departed the Illinois roster. Her 10.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, along with great leadership, will be missed dearly. But who is going to step up in her role and dominate the paint?
I think there are multiple options for the Illini in 2025-26. Lety Vasconcelos and Hayven Smith are bigger than Bostic, and they play a more traditional center role. Illinois also has a couple of freshmen in Cearah Parchment and Naomi Benson, who can handle their own in the paint.
2. Is Berry Wallace going to take the leadership role?
Illinois had a five-star recruit come into the program last season. It took some time, but Berry Wallace finally got her feet underneath her in 2024-25. She finished the season averaging 9.0 points and 3.1 rebounds, but you could see her experience and leadership growing by the game.
I want to see where Wallace’s leadership is heading into her sophomore season. In 11 out of the final 16 games of the season, Wallace registered double-digit points. She was also deadly from the wing, shooting 39.8% from three-point range. I think Wallace has a legitimate shot to be an All-American this season. Let’s see if she can take the reins in Champaign.
3. Which freshmen are trusted the most?
You can always tell what freshmen coaches trust by the early playing time to begin the season. The game against Maryville will show where Green is with her freshmen players.
Manuella Alves is out for the season, or she would have logged decent minutes this season. My guess is that Jackson starts at point guard because you can’t have a five-star coming off the bench. She will have a big year. I am curious about Parchment and Benson. Both could be big-time players, as they were both four-star recruits. Illinois has plenty of freshman talent, but let’s see who can step up for this program.
4. How much of an impact is Aaliyah Guyton going to make?
Most of the attention is on the great incoming freshman class for the Illini. But there is one player not many are talking about, and that is transfer Aaliyah Guyton.
Guyton was a four-star coming out of Peoria, but she made a stop at Iowa first. She is now back home, and I believe Guyton could provide a big impact for the Illini this season. I don’t think she starts, but she should have a big role off the bench as a spark plug. My hope was that we would see Guyton on the court against Maryville, but she is being held out for precautionary reasons per Illini Guys.
5. How does Destiny Jackson look as our starting point guard?
Like I said before, I would be shocked if Jackson isn’t Illinois’ starting point guard this entire season. Getting a five-star to come to Champaign is huge, and she can’t ride the pine.
Jackson will be an engine that makes the Illini go. She will get us into the offense and coordinate the defense. How will she handle those point guard duties, though? That is the big question I will be keeping an eye on Thursday night.