Illinois left Cincinnati with a 105-96 exhibition win on Saturday, and while the final score was messy, the numbers around it tell a much clearer story about what this team might be when the games start counting.
The biggest headline is the shooting. Illinois buried 14 threes and connected at a 42.4 percent clip, which is a dangerous place for an offense to live, especially against a Cincinnati defense projected to be top-20 nationally by KenPom.
Seven different Illini knocked down at least one triple, and five players finished with multiple makes. Tomislav Ivisic and freshman guard Ethan Brown led the way with three apiece, a strong early sign that Illinois can spread the floor and make defenses pay from every angle.
The rebounding battle offered another encouraging marker. Cincinnati had already shown in its first exhibition that it could dominate on the glass, so Illinois winning that category by seven matters. At the same time, the Illini gave up 12 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points, which is exactly the kind of detail Brad Underwood will want tightened up before the regular season arrives.
On the other end, Tylen Riley put Illinois through it. He went off for 31 points on 10-for-18 shooting and added 13 assists, leaving the Illini without an answer for him all night.
With Kylan Boswell gone, one of the biggest questions in Champaign is who steps into the role of primary defensive stopper. Quentin Coleman and Andrej Stojakovic are options, but Saturday did not provide a comforting answer on that front.
Illinois also had the expected early-season sloppiness that comes with a first live game and six freshmen on the roster, all of whom saw the floor. The Illini turned it over 15 times, and the ball security issues were spread around enough to merit attention.
Stefan Vaaks and the Ivisic twins were responsible for eight of those turnovers combined, with the twin bigs accounting for five between them. Coleman also had three giveaways.
Vaaks, though, showed why the scouting report on him is built around one word: shooter. He hit two threes, but he also showed he can do more than spot up, going 5-for-7 inside the arc and getting to the line six times. That kind of downhill pressure makes him a much tougher cover in this offense.
Stojakovic was just as impressive in a different way. He finished 8-for-15 from the field, all on two-pointers, and made all eight of his free throws. His ability to attack the rim wasn’t a surprise, but it still stood out as a promising piece of Illinois’ offensive mix.
If Stojakovic and Vaaks can consistently stress defenses off the dribble, Illinois has the makings of a nasty three-headed perimeter problem, with Coleman joining them as another slashing threat. Mix that with the kind of shooting the Illini just showed in Cincinnati, and this offense is going to be a hard one to solve.
In Other News...
Jerrod Calhoun Just Saw Cincinnatis Biggest Early Test Get Harder
Cincinnati has already had to learn a few things early under new head coach Jerrod Calhoun, and the biggest lesson so far has been how quickly a preseason look can change. The Bearcats are 1-1 in exhibition play after a 105-96 home loss to Illinois, and Calhoun said the team is still sorting through where it stands while trying to build habits, piece together rotations and get a feel for who can handle bigger roles.
The more immediate challenge is that the Bearcats are doing it while managing some injury concerns, even as MJ Collins has returned to game action and remains eligible under a recent executive order. Calhoun also had reason to smile about the way the backcourt responded against Illinois, with Eric Mahaffey taking on the point guard duties in a stretch that showed the staff how flexible this roster may need to be if the early-season tests keep getting tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats Get A Massive Homecoming Test With Extra Intrigue Attached
Saturdays homecoming matchup carries plenty of weight before the ball is even kicked, with Cincinnati set to welcome an unbeaten Texas Tech team in the Bearcats 100th Homecoming game. The setting alone gives the afternoon some extra shine, and the timing is even better for the program, with the UC Athletic Hall of Fame also staging its induction ceremony the day before. It should be one of those campus weekends where the game, the alumni buzz and the history all feed into one another.
There is also a layer of intrigue that goes beyond the record books, thanks to the Texas Tech roster connection to former UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby. His presence in the storyline adds a familiar face to an already compelling Big 12 test, even if circumstances will keep him from being part of the on-field drama. For Cincinnati, the assignment is straightforward enough and difficult enough at once: protect home turf on a milestone day and try to turn a celebratory weekend into a meaningful win. [Read more 🡒]
Ty Riley Gave Cincinnati Hope But Exposed An Early Bearcats Concern
Ty Riley offered Cincinnati a real jolt against Illinois, showing exactly why the Bearcats have reason to believe this group can score with more freedom than expected. He was comfortable as both a shooter and a table-setter, and coach Jerrod Calhoun had plenty to like in the way Riley stretched the floor and created for others while the roster's depth still leaves room for optimism.
The concern came at the other end, where Cincinnati had trouble controlling the glass and spent too much of the night chasing Illinois points. Giving up that many clean looks and losing the rebounding battle is the kind of early warning sign that can linger for a team still trying to sort out its identity, even with Calhoun acknowledging the defensive issues and pointing to the Bearcats' long-term potential. [Read more 🡒]