The first game of the season for the Illinois basketball program is on Sunday.
No, it doesn’t count against the record, but the Illini will at least be on the court playing against some decent competition in an exhibition game.
With so many new pieces, it would have been nice to see Illinois altogether on the court trying to gel. That won’t be the case on Sunday, though. The Illini will be missing some pretty important pieces.
In the Saturday press conference, Brad Underwood started things off with some bad news. Illinois will be without incumbents Ty Rodgers and Tomislav Ivisic, and we won’t have newcomers Andrej Stojakovic and Mihailo Petrovic.
When I look at the missing pieces, I see three starters who won’t be suiting up for the Illini. Underwood talked mainly about Petrovic missing time, saying that he has been dealing with a rolled ankle, and he also tweaked his hamstring. His status is still in process.
The major downfall in not having those four players is that the chemistry will likely be a little off to start the 2025-26 season. That on-court experience together would be invaluable for the program.
It will be full steam ahead for the Illinois basketball team with the incoming freshmen
On the flip side of things, the positive that Illinois can draw from having so many key players out is that the incoming freshmen who haven’t seen the court can get a chance to play against some good competition.
Underwood was pressed on what Illinois can expect from freshman Keaton Wagler, and with a grin on his face, he answered it truthfully.
“I don’t know. That is the beauty of freshmen.”
Freshmen should get plenty of playing time against Illinois State. Underwood mentions in the press briefing to expect the freshmen to play a lot and start gaining that much-needed experience.
Along with Wagler, the Kansas Player of the Year, Illinois also has the likes of Brandon Lee and David Mirkovic suiting up for the first time in the college ranks. Lee is a big-time scorer who will play more of the No. 2 or No. 3 spot. Mirkovic is a big, strong forward who can bang around in the paint. Look for him to command the No. 4 spot for the Orange and Blue.
Finally, basketball is back. While we do have to wait a few weeks to see the full repertoire of Illinois power on the court, at least we get a sample size of what is to come.