Illinois has the pieces to chase another Final Four run, but the road there won’t be simple.
After last season’s 28-9 finish and trip to the Final Four - where the Illini fell to UConn 71-62 in the semifinals - there’s real reason to think this group can get back there. That appearance was Illinois’ first Final Four in 21 years, and the program has only once before reached back-to-back Final Fours, doing it in 1951 and 1952 when the NCAA Tournament had just 16 teams.
This year’s roster looks familiar in some ways and different in others. Illinois brings back a new version of its Balkan Five, with Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, Andrej Stojaković and David Mirkovic all returning, while Stefan Vaaks steps in for Mihailo Petrovic. Jake Davis is also back, though he is out for a while with an injury, and reserve center Jason Jakstys returns as well.
The incoming class adds serious punch. Sports Illustrated ranked it sixth nationally among high school recruiting classes, and it starts with five-star guard Quentin Coleman, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect from St.
Louis, Missouri. Coleman brings scoring and playmaking ability, and he has the kind of profile that could put him on the same early NBA track as Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley and Keaton Wagler.
Illinois also landed two highly regarded shooting guards in 6-foot-7 Lucas Morillo of Boston and 6-foot-7 Zavier Zens of Milwaukee. Zens, at 215 pounds, projects more as a traditional wing, while Morillo adds ballhandling and playmaking to his rebounding.
Lincoln Williams may be the best athlete in the group, bringing leaping ability, lateral quickness and speed at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds. Ethan Brown, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Rolla, Missouri, can score and create for himself and others.
Ladon Davis, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing, gives the roster size and versatility.
Vaaks is another major piece. The 6-foot-7, 206-pound transfer from Providence averaged 15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season and earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors.
Illinois has already dealt with a messy injury stretch. Mirkovic hurt his foot before the season, was initially expected back by opening night, then needed surgery and spent time in a walking boot before being rushed to the hospital late Saturday night for an emergency appendectomy. There is still no official timeline for his return.
The injury list didn’t stop there. Stojaković, Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic were hurt in the exhibition against Baylor.
Tomislav came back for the final exhibition against UIC and posted 14 points, three rebounds and one assist. Zvonimir and Andrej were in concussion protocol and missed that game, but both were cleared for Monday night’s season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Williams also sat out the FDU game after getting hurt in practice.
Even with the lineup shuffling, the exhibition results were encouraging. Illinois went 2-1, scored more than 100 points twice and averaged 99 points per game.
Stojaković led the way at 19.5 points per game despite playing only two contests, and four players finished in double figures during exhibition play. Coleman stood out on the glass and as a distributor, finishing with 22 rebounds, 17 assists and a plus-10 assist-to-turnover margin, the best on the team.
The shot-making was strong too. Illinois hit 50% from the field, 39% from three and 80.6% at the line. Defense was shakier early, with opponents averaging 95.5 points over the first two exhibitions, though the Illini tightened things up against UIC and allowed just 66.
That carried into the opener, a 120-45 win over Fairleigh Dickinson that gave Illinois a fast start to the nonconference slate. The Illini set program records with 51 three-point attempts and 19 made threes.
Six players reached double figures, with Stojaković and Vaaks scoring 20 apiece. Coleman added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Brown finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
One downside: senior Jake Davis appeared to suffer a shoulder injury, and his status is unclear.
The early returns suggest Coleman is living up to the billing, while Brown, Zens and Williams have already shown they can help. Stojaković has picked up where he left off, and Vaaks looks like the kind of transfer who can make an immediate impact.
The schedule should give Illinois chances to prove it. It’s not a brutal slate, but it does offer a range of tests, and a reasonable over/under for the regular season would be 26.5 wins.
November brings trips to Texas Tech and Duke. December includes a rematch with UConn at the United Center and the annual pre-Christmas game against Missouri.
In the middle of Big Ten play, Illinois also heads to Nashville to face North Carolina.
The rest of the nonconference schedule is lighter, with games against Sam Houston, Winthrop and Eastern Illinois. In league play, the Illini meet Purdue, Wisconsin and Northwestern twice, and their key road trips include Indiana, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.
Put it all together, and Illinois has a path that could put it in position for a No. 1 seed. With veteran pieces, a talented freshman class and enough schedule opportunities to build a strong resume, the Illini could be headed back to Ford Field in the first week of April.
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