5. The size Illinois brings to the table is wild
This Illinois team brings a ton of talent to the court. From top to bottom, I am excited about the potential of this program in 2025-26.
With that being said, on multiple occasions on Monday night, I said to myself, Wow, this is a massive team. Illinois just has giants lumbering around out on the court, and we are going to be so tough to deal with this season.
At one time on the court, Brad Underwood did what I was hoping he would do. Both Ivisic brothers were playing together. Tomislav, 7-foot-1, and Zvonimir, 7-foot-2, were both playing in and around the paint for the Illini. That was a fun sight, as they had such a height advantage over Jackson State.
But it was more than just those two towering over the competition. When those two were on the court, Illinois also had Ben Humrichous flying around the court. He is 6-foot-9. I believe David Mirkovic was also out there at 6-foot-9.
It is kind of wild to think that all four of those players I mentioned can also shoot from three-point range. You can’t just expect them to bang around in the paint. They can stretch the floor and make you guard them on the perimeter.
This is the biggest Illinois team I have ever seen. We can throw size at you every night, and I am not sure how teams are going to game plan for multiple seven-footers and wings who are 6-foot-9. Let the games begin.