Illinois basketball rounded out the exhibition series on Wednesday night.
The Illini faced off against the UIC Flames. This could have easily been a close game, considering Illinois was missing two starters – Andrej Stojakovic and David Mirkovic – and our defensive stalwart off the bench – Zvonimir Ivisic.
Illinois’ freshmen and the rest of the roster met the challenge, though. We came out of the gates not giving the Flames any hope. In the first five minutes, the Illini were up by double digits. By the eight-minute mark, the Illini had extended the lead to 20 points.
This was a good showing for the final game before the regular season starts. Illinois needed to get the freshmen more playing time, and honestly, I haven’t seen a freshman class this prepared in a very long time. This preparation helped the Illini cruise to a 101-66 win over the Flames.
Here are five uplifting observations from the Illinois basketball win over the UIC Flames
1. I love the effort out of Illinois’ upperclassmen
It is an exhibition game, and the last one of the season. Illinois’ upperclassmen could have phoned in the effort, but they didn’t on Wednesday night.
From the jump, I was impressed with the effort by the Illini upperclassmen. They had a lead-by-example mentality, and it showed on the court.
Tomislav Ivisic was active and moving around. He had a great dunk early on, and his play and numbers reflect the effort. I liked what Stefan Vaaks did off the bench, too. He was going hard for rebounds.
Illinois has a lot of young players. They need to see how things are done at the college level. The upperclassmen have a chance to mold these young players, and they are doing so the right way.
2. Don’t sleep on Lucas Morillo
People are high on Quentin Coleman, and rightfully so. When the final game takes place for the 2026-27 season, I think there is a chance that Lucas Morillo is Illinois’ best freshman.
I am high on this kid right now. Morillo has impressed me in the exhibition games. He is one of the most complete players on the roster.
Against UIC, Morillo once again showed off his repertoire of talent. He finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 2-of-5 shooting from the floor. Morillo put up these great numbers in 20 minutes of action.
Every time Morillo enters the game, he does something on the court that makes me go, Wow! I think this kid is special, and I can’t wait to see how his freshman season develops.
3. Quentin Coleman will have a triple-double this season
The Illinois freshman class is so good. I think it could end up going down as one of the greatest freshman classes in program history, right up there with Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and James Augustine.
Coleman was great for Illinois once again. He has so many qualities that Keaton Wagler brought to the court, but I think he is more athletic. That is a dangerous combination.
I love how Coleman set the tone on Wednesday night. He came out firing and buried the Flames quickly. Coleman finished the game playing 24 minutes and tallying 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. By season’s end, it won’t shock me if he has at least one triple-double to his name.
It is impressive that Coleman can put up the numbers he does while still being a true freshman. He has great court vision, and his shot from deep is light-years ahead of his age. This kid is going to have a great year in Champaign.
4. Illinois’ 3-point shooting isn’t a mirage
There was so much talent missing on Wednesday night. David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Zvonimir Ivisic were all on the bench healing up. That didn’t stop Illinois from burying UIC with the three-point shot.
I am waiting for the freshmen to hit a speedbump with shooting. It hasn’t happened yet, though.
Despite so many injuries, the Illini still launched 38 three-point attempts. I would expect a cold night in one of these games, but the ball is always finding the bottom of the net. Illinois managed to make 39.47% of the three-pointers against the Flames.
It feels like every Illinois player is talented at shooting from deep, too. You even had Blake Fagbemi come off the bench and go 2-for-3.
This Illinois roster is built exactly how Brad Underwood wants to play. We have been all about three-and-D, and this season it will be amplified.
5. This might be the deepest bench Brad Underwood has had at Illinois
Kind of piggybacking off the previous section, Illinois is extremely deep this season. Everyone can shoot, and it is going to give Underwood so much flexibility with the roster.
Illinois’ main players, whether they start or not, will be the Ivisic brothers, Coleman, Jake Davis, Stojakovic, Mirkovic, and Stefan Vaaks. That is seven deep right there.
Morillo is going to be a huge part of the Illinois roster. He has proved himself well in the exhibition games. That is eight deep. I love what Lincoln Williams, Zavier Zens, and Jason Jakstys have done, too. I think they could all get time this season. That is legitimately 11 players who could see minutes every night.
This is by far the deepest roster Underwood has had since becoming the head coach at Illinois. I think it might be the deepest we have ever been in program history. It is going to be fun to see how Underwood manages the minutes this season. Let the games begin.
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