Illinois is back under the lights Tuesday night for a ranked showdown with Texas Tech, and the Illini come in riding a wave of offense that’s been hard to miss. Back-to-back games of 100-plus points have turned heads, but this one brings a different kind of test: a Red Raiders team that has opened 2-0 and built its early identity on defense, allowing just 50 points per game.
Brad Underwood will still be shorthanded. David Mirkovic remains out after multiple surgeries, while Jake Davis is also unavailable after injuring his shoulder. The Illini may not get either player back until Big Ten play.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, arrives with plenty of talent and the intent to knock off a top-five Illinois team. The matchup also carries a little recent history, even if the sample size is tiny. These programs have met only once before, in the first game of a home-and-home series last season.
Illinois won that one 81-77, and there were familiar names all over the box score. JT Toppin was huge for Texas Tech, pouring in 35 points on 17-of-25 shooting.
Illinois still found a way to answer with balanced scoring, and Andrej Stojakovic gave the Illini a major lift off the bench with 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He’ll be a player Illinois leans on again in this matchup.
Odds from DraftKings Sports were listed as TBD for the moneyline, spread and total. Texas Tech’s injury report was clean, with no players listed out.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Took Another Painful Hit In The Backfield
Illinois kept rolling with a 24-13 win over Nebraska, extending its conference surge and giving the Illini their first four-game league winning streak since 2022. Katin Houser led the offense with 292 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping Illinois keep control of a game that mattered both in the standings and in the bigger picture of where this team is headed.
Javari Barnetts afternoon ended on a far more troubling note. The freshman running back went down with a lower-leg injury and was carted off the field, leaving Illinois to wait on the extent of the damage to a backfield that has already had to absorb plenty this season. For a team trying to build momentum, the win was important, but the injury cloud hanging over Barnett may linger longer than the celebration. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Chasing An Intriguing Frontcourt Fit With One Big Question
Illinois basketball has spent the recent offseason without adding an international player, but it appears to be keeping an eye on a potentially useful frontcourt piece in Lithuanian forward Ignas Stombergas. He was in attendance for Illinois game against Penn, a small but meaningful sign of interest as the staff continues sorting through options for the future. What makes Stombergas intriguing is the blend of athleticism, defense and rebounding that could translate well in the Big Ten if the rest of his game keeps coming along.
The appeal is obvious enough for Illinois to keep digging, especially with frontcourt depth always a priority for a program trying to stay physical and versatile. The question, as it so often is with young bigs, is whether the shooting can catch up to the rest of the profile. If it does, Stombergas could become a legitimate fit in Illinois system, but for now he remains more of a developmental target than a finished product. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Faces A Huge Frontcourt Recruiting Test With 7-Foot-1 Target
Illinois is getting an early look at one of the more intriguing frontcourt prospects in the 2027 class, with 7-foot-1 center Jack Thelen set for an official visit. The former Wisconsin commit has already been on the move in his recruitment, including a recent trip to UConn that ended with an offer, and Illinois is clearly tracking him as a possible answer to future size needs inside.
The timing matters because the Illini are already thinking ahead to expected roster turnover in the frontcourt, and Thelen fits the kind of long-term reinforcement they may need to keep stacking depth. Illinois has not offered yet, which makes this visit an important evaluation point for both sides as the staff gauges whether he belongs on the board and Thelen gets a closer look at what Champaign could offer. [Read more 🡒]