Illinois basketball opened its exhibition slate with a win over Cincinnati, and the biggest takeaway wasn’t just the result. It was how Brad Underwood got to that result.
With the game not televised anywhere, plenty of fans missed seeing the Illini in action, but the box score still told a pretty interesting story. Underwood had room to experiment, and he used it. David Mirkovic was out after surgery and is expected back by the start of the season, but he wasn’t the only notable absence or surprise.
Jake Davis was projected to sit, yet he not only played but started. Underwood could have easily rested him, but instead Davis logged 24 minutes and delivered 10 points and five rebounds.
He went 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-5 from three-point range. Illinois is going to need him again this season after his corner three-point role during last year’s Final Four run, so seeing him out there was a good sign.
The other eyebrow-raiser in the starting group was Ethan Brown. With Mirkovic unavailable, a different starter had to step in, and Brown got the nod.
The freshman, a three-star recruit and the No. 227 player in the class of 2026, wasn’t the name many would have pegged for that role. Less than a week ago, he was slotted into a projected third-string spot coming off the bench, but he looked right at home against Cincinnati.
Brown played 25 minutes and finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two assists while shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep. Even more notable: he had zero turnovers.
That kind of line would stand out for any freshman, and it’s especially eye-catching in a group with several new faces. Keaton Wagler “ruined everything for freshmen,” as the source put it, so Brown’s performance naturally invites that kind of comparison. Either way, the experience should matter for him.
The cleanest surprise of the night might have been the team’s overall composure. Exhibition games can get messy fast, especially when freshmen are involved and the roster is still settling.
Illinois, though, kept the turnover total to 15. That’s a number that looks a lot better than what might have been expected in a first real test, especially with two freshmen starting and others in new roles.
The shooting helped, too. Illinois hit 42.4% from three-point range, and that came without one of last season’s leading three-point shooters. For a team still sorting out its pieces, that’s a strong note to leave the exhibition on.
Underwood mixed and matched, gave some unexpected players real minutes, and still came away with a win over Cincinnati. For Illinois, that’s about as encouraging an early sign as you could ask for.
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