Illinois wasted no time showing what this new season might look like.
The third-ranked Illini opened 2026-27 with a 120-45 demolition of Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night, setting a program record with 19 made 3-pointers and rolling to the largest home victory in school history. The 75-point margin topped the previous mark of 69, set in a 121-52 win over Chicago State in December 1993.
What made the night even louder was how quickly Illinois put the game away. The Illini burst out to a 21-2 lead, then later ripped off 23 straight points on the way to a 67-20 halftime cushion. By the break, they had already buried 12 shots from deep and never let up.
Landon Davis delivered the record-breaking triple with 1:37 left, knocking down the team’s 19th of the night to pass the previous school standard of 18, set against St. Francis of Pennsylvania in December 2021. Illinois also set a new program mark for three-point attempts, though the source listed the number as “xx.”
Stefan Vaaks set the tone from long range, drilling five threes and finishing with 20 points off the bench in his first game in an Illinois uniform. Andrej Stojakovic matched him with 20 points of his own.
Freshman Quentin Coleman announced himself in a big way, posting a double-double in his college debut with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The star freshman from O’Fallon, Illinois also led the team on the glass.
Illinois got scoring from everywhere. All 13 players who saw the floor scored, and six reached double figures. Ethan Brown and Zavier Zens each added 12, while Tomislav Ivisic chipped in 10 as the Illini pushed the pace and kept the pressure on all night.
The numbers behind the blowout were just as lopsided. Illinois played at a rapid clip with 72 possessions in 40 minutes and dominated the boards 65-21. The Illini also collected 22 offensive rebounds and turned them into 31 second-chance points.
Illinois was already shorthanded before tipoff, with preseason All-American David Mirkovic still out as he recovers from foot surgery in late June and an emergency appendectomy this week. Senior Jake Davis started in his place, but he left in the first half after suffering a shoulder injury while trying to get around a screen and did not return.
The Illini are back at home Thursday night against Penn at 7:30 p.m. CT on FS1. Illinois beat Penn 105-70 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last March.
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Illinois Suddenly Has A Brad Underwood Rotation Problem Fans Will Love
Brad Underwood is still sorting through his early-season rotation as Illinois works to blend newcomers into the lineup and account for the impact of injuries. Freshmen Ethan Brown and Quentin Coleman have both earned meaningful minutes, while Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks has given the Illini a scoring boost off the bench, giving the coaching staff more options than it had just a short time ago.
David Mirkovics return from injury is expected to add another layer to the mix, and that is where the real challenge begins for Underwood. Illinois has enough pieces showing they can help right now, but fitting everyone together without disrupting the rhythm of the group is the kind of problem a coach usually welcomes, even if it forces some difficult decisions in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Already Showed Two Early Changes Fans Will Be Watching
Illinois opened the season against Fairleigh Dickinson with a look that suggested Brad Underwood is still sorting out a few early priorities. The Illini mixed in full-court pressure and zone defense, giving an early glimpse of how they might try to create more disruption without turning every possession into a foul parade. It was the kind of opening-night test that can reveal more about intent than execution, and Illinois seemed eager to show it has multiple ways to defend.
One of the more interesting details came in the frontcourt rotation, where Zvonimir Ivisic, viewed as a top reserve, saw limited minutes and checked in later than some of the other big men. For a team still experimenting with combinations, that kind of usage stands out, especially with the staff trying to find the right balance up front. It may be only one game, but the early rotation choices suggest Illinois is still very much in evaluation mode. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Faces A Telling Test With Bowl Eligibility On The Line
Illinois is walking into a game that feels bigger than the calendar suggests, with bowl eligibility hanging in the balance and Nebraska coming to town after a season that has taken a sharp turn. The Cornhuskers opened 2026 at 5-0, then dropped three straight in tight fashion, which makes this matchup less about records in the abstract and more about who can steady itself first when the pressure rises.
For Illinois, the timing is notable because the Illini have won three in a row and just survived a close one against Maryland with Katin Houser back from injury. Nebraska still brings a dangerous offense led by Anthony Colandrea and a defense that ranks among the nations top units, so this has the feel of a real measuring-stick game for both sides, with the sixth win and a postseason berth on the line. [Read more 🡒]