Illinois finished its exhibition slate the way it wanted to Wednesday night, rolling past UIC 101-66 and doing it without Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, or Zvonimir Ivisic in the lineup.
That kind of missing firepower could have made things awkward. Instead, Illinois came out flying.
The Illini were already in double figures by the five-minute mark and had pushed the margin to 20 by the eight-minute mark. With the regular season looming, it was the kind of performance that showed just how ready this roster is - especially the freshmen.
The first thing that stood out was the tone set by Illinois’ upperclassmen. Even in an exhibition, they played like they were determined to show the younger guys how it’s done.
Tomislav Ivisic brought energy from the start, including an early dunk, while Stefan Vaaks made his presence felt off the bench by going after rebounds. That kind of example matters on a roster with so many young pieces.
And there are a lot of young pieces worth watching.
Lucas Morillo keeps making noise, and it’s getting harder to ignore him. While Quentin Coleman has drawn plenty of buzz - and deservedly so - Morillo continues to look like one of the most complete players on the team.
Against UIC, he posted 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes while shooting 2-of-5 from the field. Every time he checks in, he seems to leave behind one of those “Wow!”
moments.
Coleman was strong again, too, and he did it by setting the pace early. The freshman played 24 minutes and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
He has a lot of the same traits Keaton Wagler brought to the floor, but with more athleticism, and that combination keeps jumping out. The idea of him getting to a triple-double at some point this season doesn’t sound far-fetched at all.
Illinois’ shooting from deep keeps backing up the hype as well. Even with key players sidelined, the Illini took 38 three-pointers against UIC and hit 39.47% of them.
That’s not a one-night fluke if the exhibition games are any indication. Blake Fagbemi got in on it, too, knocking down 2 of 3 from beyond the arc off the bench.
That all points to something bigger: this roster has real depth. Underwood has a group that can go multiple ways, and the list of players who could matter this season is long.
The Ivisic brothers, Coleman, Jake Davis, Stojakovic, Mirkovic and Vaaks already give Illinois seven strong rotation options. Add Morillo into the mix, and that’s eight.
Lincoln Williams, Zavier Zens and Jason Jakstys may also factor in, which puts the number of possible contributors at 11.
That kind of depth gives Illinois a different look heading into the season. It also gives Underwood a lot of room to work with when the games start counting for real.
In Other News...
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Michigan State is pegged as the nearest challenger, which only sharpens the spotlight on Illinois as the rest of the league gets sorted into performance tiers and NCAA Tournament possibilities. The projections are still just that, projections, but they give the Illini a prominent place in a conference picture that also includes a handful of teams expected to be in the mix and others bracing for a tougher spring. [Read more 🡒]
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For Shauna Greens team, the selection is more than a nod to one players progress. Wallace is the first Illinois player under Green to land on this watchlist, a sign that her impact is reaching beyond the Big Ten after earning First Team all-conference honors last season. It also gives Illini fans another reason to believe the ceiling for this group could be even higher if Wallace keeps building on what she showed a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
Can Blake Fagbemi Force His Way Into Illinois Crowded Backcourt
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The challenge now is finding a path into a crowded backcourt where minutes will be hard to come by. Fagbemi brings quickness, basketball IQ and a defensive edge that Illinois values, along with enough playmaking ability to keep him in the conversation, but he still has to turn that behind-the-scenes promise into something more visible when the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]