| PROBABLE STARTERS (Based on previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
32 |
Kasparas Jakucionis |
6-6 |
205 |
Fr. |
11.0 |
5.0 |
7.0 |
Illini frosh debut assists record (7) vs EIU |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
205 |
Jr. |
5.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
Arizona transfer |
| G |
22 |
Tre White |
6-7 |
210 |
Jr. |
5.0 |
5.0 |
0.0 |
Louisville transfer |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
14.0 |
5.0 |
1.0 |
Evansville transfer |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
So. |
14.0 |
14.0 |
2.0 |
Double-double (14 p, 14 r) vs EIU in Illini debut |
| OFF THE BENCH |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
0 |
Carey Booth |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
6.0 |
5.0 |
0.0 |
Notre Dame transfer |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
So. |
21.0 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
Career-high 21 points vs EIU |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Jr. |
2.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Former team manager turned walkon |
| F |
7 |
Will Riley |
6-8 |
195 |
Fr. |
31.0 |
7.0 |
3.0 |
Illini frosh debut scoring record (31) vs EIU |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
205 |
So. |
0.0 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
Mercer transfer |
| F |
21 |
Morez Johnson Jr. |
6-9 |
255 |
Fr. |
3.0 |
8.0 |
0.0 |
Tied Illini frosh blocks record (6) vs EIU |
| G |
24 |
Keaton Kutcher |
6-2 |
195 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
Walkon transfer from South Dakota |
| REDSHIRT (Averages from 2023-24 season) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
Jr. |
6.2 |
5.3 |
2.0 |
Started all 38 games last season |
| F |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
210 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Third-Team All-State |
Career Record: 253-115 (.688), 12th year
At Illinois: 144-88 (.621), 8th year
Big Ten: 80-58 (.580)
Series History
All-Time Record vs. SIUE: Illinois leads 3-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: Illinois 66, SIUE 46 (11/14/2011 at Champaign)
Underwood vs. SIUE: 0-0
Opening Tips
- Illinois hosts the second contest of a three-game, season-opening homestand on Friday Night, welcoming SIUE to State Farm Center (7 p.m. CT/Peacock).
- The Illini will celebrate the 2023-24 team's NCAA Elite Eight and Big Ten Tournament Championship with a pregame ring and banner ceremony, beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT.
- The Fighting Illini are coming off a 112-67 season-opening victory over Eastern Illinois on Monday night.
- Illinois enters Friday's contest having won six consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents.
- Illinois is looking to start 2-0 or better for the sixth straight season.
- Illinois will face SIUE for just the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2011. The Illini are 3-0 all-time vs. SIUE, with all three wins coming at State Farm Center.
- Illinois sits just outside the Top 25 of the preseason AP poll, receiving the most points (92) among unranked teams. The Illini check in at No. 24, meanwhile, in the preseason coaches poll.
- Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last five seasons, registering a 69-31 (.690) mark in league play. The Illini won the 2024 Big Ten Tournament championship as the #2 seed, captured the regular season championship in 2022, and led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021.
- Illinois traveled to Oxford, Miss., to face No. 24 Ole Miss in a charity exhibition game on Oct. 27. The game benefited CASA of North Mississippi.
- The Illini's preseason began with a closed scrimmage against Butler on Oct. 13 in Champaign.
Illinois-SIUE Storylines
- Friday's contest marks just the fourth game in the series between Illinois and SIUE.
- The Cougars (1-1) are coming off a hard-fought battle at No. 17 Indiana (80-61) on Wednesday.
- The Fighting Illini are 3-0 all-time vs. the SIUE, with all three victories coming at State Farm Center.
- The first matchup in the series was a 104-68 victory for Lou Henson's 16th-ranked Illini on Jan. 3, 1981. The Orange and Blue, ranked No. 23 nationally under Bruce Weber, opened the 2009-10 season with a 96-69 victory over SIUE, Nov. 13, 2009. The most recent matchup in the series came two seasons later when Weber led the Illini to a 66-46 win in Game 2 of the 2011-12 season, Nov. 14, 2011. Illinois vs. the OVC
- The Illinois men's basketball program is 34-1 all-time against the current 11-team membership of the Ohio Valley Conference.
- Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is 8-0 in his career vs. OVC programs.
- Illinois' season-opening win over Eastern Illinois on Monday marked the first of three nonconference games for the Illini vs. OVC members in the first month of the 2024-25 season. Following Friday's game vs. SIUE, the Illini will also host OVC member Little Rock on Nov. 25 (8 p.m. CT / BTN).
- Last season, the Illini opened up their run to the Elite Eight with a victory over OVC member Morehead State (85-69) in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament.
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
