The biggest surprise in Illinois’ exhibition win over Cincinnati wasn’t the result. It was the starting five.
Freshman Ethan Brown got the nod ahead of standout transfer Stefan Vaaks, the move catching plenty of eyes after many expected Vaaks to open in the Illini’s first group. Brad Underwood said the decision came down to a daily practice chart and who had been stacking up the best work.
“I started a group today - we have a chart every day [with] Superman, Iron Man, most explosions in practice,” Underwood said. “And they go up on our board in the weight room before workouts every day. And so those were [who started]."
Tomislav Ivisic and Jake Davis were the exceptions. Underwood called Ivisic Illinois’ most experienced performer and most dynamic big man, while Davis’ ankle was part of the equation.
"I wasn’t sure about Jake with his ankle," Underwood said. "And he’s tougher than heck, by the way. His ankle is as black and blue as you can get."
From there, Underwood framed the rest of the lineup around effort and production in practice. Brown, Andrej Stojakovic and Quentin Coleman had been among the most frequent names near the top of those daily leaderboards, while Ivisic and Davis essentially held their spots as the veterans who had earned that trust.
“Those guys were veterans," Underwood said. "But those were also the guys that were at the top of those leaderboards the most days. And I was going to reward their effort in practice.”
Brown then backed up the choice in a big way. In 25 minutes, he scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out two assists and didn’t turn the ball over once. Vaaks, meanwhile, still made his presence felt with 19 points off the bench.
“Yeah, Ethan has been really good,” Underwood said. “And the ball moves with him in.
It doesn’t stick. He’s an elite shooter.
I think he led us in offensive rebounding in the first half. He has a nose for the ball, and he’s very deserving.”
That kind of debut is exactly what Illinois needed, especially with guard depth one of the clearest offseason questions. Brown’s showing offered an immediate answer, or at least part of one.
Still, the performance doesn’t erase the bigger picture. Vaaks is a gifted scorer and a strong playmaker, and there’s a strong case that he belongs in the starting lineup.
Brown gives Illinois a different look because he can fit in without needing the ball to dominate possessions, and he can also bring value as a connector. That kind of role could make him a dangerous option off the bench if Illinois wants a scoring spark.
Coleman’s outing only complicates the picture further. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, which makes him hard to pull from the starting five as well.
So yes, Brown looked the part and then some. But Illinois still has reasons to keep Vaaks in the first group, including his size, his playmaking and the fact that he brings more overall ability right now.
Brown’s first live action was eye-opening, and he looks ready to be one of the better freshmen in the Big Ten. Even so, the most likely outcome is still the simplest one: Vaaks should, and probably will, be starting for Illinois.
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