Brad Underwood doesn’t need a reminder that No. 3 Illinois can fill it up. What he wants his team to clean up is everything that sits underneath the scoring.
That message is front and center as the Fighting Illini return home Friday night to face Sam Houston in Champaign, Ill., looking to shake off an 84-78 loss at 16th-ranked Texas Tech. Illinois dug itself a 20-point halftime hole in that one, then played much better after the break but still couldn’t complete the comeback.
“We have to understand what winning looks like,” Underwood said. “Winning is not scoring.
We’ll always score points. We’ll find a way to do that.
We shot 50% (Tuesday). Winning is rebounding, taking care of the ball and making free throws.”
Illinois is 2-1, and the second half in Lubbock offered a clearer picture of what the Illini want to be. Andrej Stojakovic scored 18 points, 14 of them after halftime, and said the film from those final 20 minutes should be the starting point for the next step.
“We played with intensity, with pace,” Stojakovic said. “When that happens in the second half, you go back and look at yourself and say, ‘We could have done that in the first half as well,’ for a possibly different outcome.
You never want to leave the game with a "What if?" and I think there was doubt in the first half.”
Quentin Coleman, who was dealing with an illness, led Illinois with 19 points. Tomislav Ivisic added 14, and Stefan Vaaks chipped in 10.
The Illini also had to manage a night in which several players were checked for injuries or met with the training staff during the game. Only seven players reached at least 20 minutes, a notable shift for a team that usually goes nine or 10 deep.
For Underwood, that kind of game comes down to the margins, and his players echoed that point after the loss.
“We’re going to face a lot of games where teams are this good or better,” Ivisic said. “Some things have got to always be there. Rebounding, turnovers and free throws, no matter who we face, those are things that always have to be on point.
“It’s a long season -- a lot more games to be played. Nothing’s lost. Nothing’s changed.”
Sam Houston arrives with some momentum of its own after winning two straight following a season-opening 22-point loss at then-No. 20 Alabama. The Bearkats beat visiting Pepperdine 85-77 on Wednesday behind 20 points each from Jacobe Coleman and Aidan McDowell.
Free throws were a major factor in that win. Sam Houston went 34-for-38 at the line, though McDowell said his own 8-for-11 night kept the team from posting an even better percentage.
“It’s been a big stressor in practice, obviously, making free throws,” he said. “It’s just nice to knock them down under the lights. But yeah, I’ve got to eliminate those three [misses]; we’ll shoot a lot better.”
McDowell also called the trip to Illinois, the first stop on a four-game road swing, “a great experience for everybody in our program.”
Pepperdine was the only nonconference NCAA Division I opponent Sam Houston will host this season, and McDowell said the early schedule has already shown the Bearkats plenty.
“We go to Alabama for our first game, and you know, they’re Alabama; they’re huge. Then we come back and we play a good Howard Payne team,” McDowell said.
“But it’s just good to see where we kind of stand in regard to teams of our level. The West Coast Conference is a really good conference, and it’s just good to come through and battle through some adversity tonight and just get the job done.”
In Other News...
Illinois Just Learned Which Players Can Handle Tough Road Games
Illinois got a useful snapshot of who can travel well in a hostile environment during its road loss at Texas Tech, even if the result itself was disappointing. The game offered a clear look at which players were able to stay active on defense, make plays through contact and contribute when the offense bogged down, with Lincoln Williams standing out for his defensive impact and Quentin Coleman supplying value on both ends.
The bigger takeaway is less about the final margin than the way different Illini handled the demands of a tough road setting. Some players struggled to find clean looks, others had trouble with turnovers or consistency on defense, and the film from this one should give the staff a better sense of who can be trusted when Illinois leaves home against quality competition. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Needs A Fast Response In A Home Test Fans Can't Ignore
Illinois gets back to work Friday night at State Farm Center, where the Illini will meet Sam Houston in a matchup that brings together two teams sitting at 2-1. It is the first-ever meeting between the programs, and for a home crowd in Champaign, it offers an early chance to see how Illinois handles another nonconference test after an uneven start to the season.
The Illini will have to do it without Jake Davis and David Mirkovic, both sidelined by injuries, which puts a little more pressure on the rest of the rotation to steady things at home. Sam Houston has matched Illinois record for record so far, so this is the kind of November game that can quietly matter for rhythm, depth and confidence before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Just Exposed A Big Early Question About This Team
Illinois first real test of the season offered a reminder that even a top-three team can still have a few loose ends to tighten. Against No. 16 Texas Tech, the Illini were forced to play from behind after a rough first half, then showed more life after the break, but the issues that surfaced were hard to ignore. Defensive rebounding was a problem, and the offense leaned heavily on freshmen guards in a way that underscored how much this group is still sorting itself out.
For Illinois, the bigger concern is not one bad night so much as the pattern forming around it. Injured and returning players will shape how much steadier this team can become as the schedule gets tougher, and recent games have already hinted at how different the Illini look depending on who is available. The talent is obvious, but the consistency question is still very much alive, and Texas Tech put it right in the open. [Read more 🡒]