The Illinois basketball team is back in action on a rare Monday matinee.
It has been a weird December for the Illini, as it feels like we have just played one game this month. The time off has been good for the team and their health, but man, it has taken me out of the hype of the 2025-26 season.
Getting back to regular play is going to be refreshing. Illinois is set to take on Southern University on Monday, and this shouldn’t be much of a game. The Illini should jump on the Jaguars early and often and put this game away.
Here is the Illinois basketball vs Southern how to watch, series history, and players to watch
- Illinois basketball vs Southern – How to watch
The final non-conference game for the Illinois basketball program tips off at 2:00 p.m. CT/3:00 p.m. ET in Champaign. You can view this game on the Big Ten Network. If you don’t have the Big Ten Network, you can also view it on FuboTV by clicking this link.
- Illinois basketball vs Southern – Series history
There is actually a history with Southern University, despite it being very small. Illinois has played the Jaguars twice in the history of the program. We are 2-0 all-time, and the last matchup came in 2023 when the Illini thrashed Southern, 88-60. The first matchup was in 2017 when, again, Illinois dominated 102-55.
- Illinois basketball vs Southern – Players to watch
This is not a good Southern program. In addition to them being just 4-8 this season, Southern is extremely small.
The Jaguars do have Michael Jacobs getting his, though. He is lighting the place up to the tune of 20.9 points per game on 42.9% shooting from three-point range.
I would also keep an eye on forward Malek Abdelgoward. The 6-foot-10 big man does well in the scoring department at 11.8 points per game, but he is great on the glass, pulling down 7.4 rebounds per game. I could see his athleticism giving Illinois some trouble at times.
For the Illini, look for this to be a collective effort. Southern gives up a ton of points in each game, so Illinois should easily hit the 100-point mark on Monday. I look for Keaton Wagler to snag around 20 points, while the frontcourt should see a dominating performance.