Illinois doesn’t have the luxury of easing into the season’s next phase. After Friday night’s exhibition against Baylor, the Illini are right back on the floor Wednesday against UIC, and there’s plenty to clean up before the 2026-27 campaign officially begins.
The biggest issue so far has been on the glass. Illinois has been beaten up on the defensive boards in both of its exhibition games, with Cincinnati and Baylor each collecting at least 12 offensive rebounds. Baylor pushed that number all the way to 22, which is a glaring number no matter the opponent.
UIC isn’t exactly a soft landing spot in that area. The Flames bring length and athleticism, and they make a point of crashing the offensive boards.
Last season, UIC posted an offensive rebounding rate of 36.3 percent, which ranked No. 22 nationally. Illinois doesn’t need perfection there, but it does need a much sharper response Wednesday than it has shown so far.
The scoring picture has been just as uneven, with different Illini taking turns showing up. Against Cincinnati, Ethan Brown and Quentin Coleman did the damage.
Against Baylor, it was Lincoln Williams and Coleman again. The question now is who steps forward when UIC comes to town.
A good bet is Coleman once more. Zavier Zens and Lucas Morillo both gave Illinois something against Baylor, while Landon Davis flashed against Cincinnati before fading against the Bears.
With several Illini banged up and UIC expected to make life difficult around the rim, this could turn into a night for shooters. Zens looks like the best candidate to break through, and the call here is that he reaches double figures and carries some momentum into the regular season.
The defensive side of the story has been even louder than the rebounding concerns. Illinois has already given up 95 points to Baylor and 96 to Cincinnati. Baylor had scored 82 points against Florida in its previous exhibition, a game that went to overtime, yet it poured in 63 points by halftime in Champaign.
That wasn’t all pace. The numbers suggest otherwise.
Both opponents shot at least 47 percent from the field and 36 percent from three, which points to more than just a fast tempo. Illinois has also had real trouble containing guards.
Cincinnati’s Tylen Riley went for 31 points and 13 assists, Baylor’s Kayden Mingo scored 24, and Isaac Williams added 28 off the bench.
What it all adds up to is a mix of communication issues, scouting mistakes and shaky on-ball defense. Wednesday offers another chance to show cleaner execution in all three areas.
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Can Blake Fagbemi Force His Way Into Illinois Crowded Backcourt
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The challenge now is simple, if not easy: find a way into a crowded backcourt where minutes will be hard to come by. Fagbemi still brings value with his playmaking and defensive intensity, traits that can help a team even when he is not scoring much, but the next step is convincing the staff that those strengths are enough to carve out a real role in year two. [Read more 🡒]