| PROBABLE STARTERS (Averages from 2024-25 college season | Projected lineup based on exhibition game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
215 |
Sr. |
12.3 |
4.8 |
3.4 |
Averaged 16.9 ppg over last eight games |
| G |
23 |
Keaton Wagler |
6-6 |
185 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
235 |
Gr. |
7.6 |
3.8 |
0.9 |
Led Illini with 62 three-pointers |
| F |
0 |
David Mirkovic |
6-9 |
250 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Played for SC Derby in Adriatic League |
| F/C |
44 |
Zvonimir Ivisic |
7-2 |
250 |
Jr. |
8.5 |
4.3 |
0.8 |
Second in SEC with 66 blocked shots |
| OFF THE BENCH |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Brandon Lee |
6-4 |
195 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
2,000-point scorer at The Patrick School |
| G |
2 |
Andrej Stojakovic |
6-7 |
215 |
Jr. |
17.9 |
4.7 |
1.8 |
ACC All-Tournament First Team |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
0.2 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
Former team manager |
| G |
8 |
Blake Fagbemi |
6-0 |
180 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Won state title at Benet Academy |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
Jr. |
13.0 |
7.7 |
2.3 |
4th in Big Ten with 11 double-doubles |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
215 |
Jr. |
3.0 |
1.4 |
0.3 |
Shot nearly 35% from 3-point range |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
r-Jr. |
- |
- |
- |
Out indefinitely following knee surgery |
| C |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Redshirted last season |
| G |
77 |
Mihailo Petrovic |
6-2 |
180 |
So. |
- |
- |
- |
Played for Mega Superbet in Adriatic League |
Career Record: 274-128 (.682), 13th year
At Illinois: 165-101 (.620), 9th year
Big Ten: 92-66 (.580)
Series History vs. Jackson State
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 5-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: #11 ILL 71, JSU 47 (11/9/2021 in Champaign)
Underwood vs. Jackson State: 1-0
OPENING TIPS
- Illinois opens its 121st season of men's basketball on Monday, hosting Jackson State (7:30 p.m. CT / BTN).
- Expectations are high once again in Champaign, with the Illini returning three starters from last year's team that won 22 games, advanced to the NCAA Round of 32, and finished the year ranked 17th in kenpom.
- Illinois is No. 17 in the Associated Press preseason poll and No. 14 in the preseason coaches poll.
- The Illini have been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 in five of the last six seasons under Brad Underwood.
- No. 8 entering 2020-21
- No. 11 entering 2021-22
- No. 23 entering 2022-23
- No. 24 entering 2023-24
- No. 17 entering 2025-26
- The Fighting Illini rolled to an exhibition win over Illinois State, 92-65, on Oct. 19, and squared off against defending national champion and preseason No. 3 Florida in a closed scrimmage in Orlando on Oct. 25.
- Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play since the start of 2019-20, posting 81 league victories over the last six seasons, tied with Purdue. During that stretch, the Illini own the most road wins in league play with 34. When including the conference tournament, Illinois is also tied with Purdue for the most total wins against Big Ten opponents over the last six seasons with 88.
- Illinois enters 2025-26 ranked No. 6 by kenpom. The Illini have finished 35th or better in each of the past six seasons during the Brad Underwood era with a high of No. 4 in 2020-21. Illinois has had back-to-back top-20 rankings the last two seasons, finishing 10th in 2023-24 and 17th in 2024-25.
Illini in Season Openers
- The Fighting Illini have posted an all-time record of 106-14 (.883) in season openers.
- Illinois has won nine straight openers dating back to 2016, including an 8-0 mark in season openers under head coach Brad Underwood:
- Illinois 81, Southeast Missouri 62 (11/11/2016)
- Illinois 102, Southern 55 (11/10/2017)
- Illinois 99, Evansville 60 (11/7/2018)
- Illinois 78, Nicholls State 70 - OT (11/5/2019)
- #8 Illinois 122, North Carolina A&T 60 (11/25/2020)
- #11 Illinois 71, Jackson State 47 (11/9/2021)
- #23 Illinois 87, Eastern Illinois 57 (11/7/2022)
- #25 Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 52 (11/6/2023)
- Illinois 112, Eastern Illinois 67 (11/4/2024)
- The Illini are 41-2 (.953) when starting the season at State Farm Center.
- Illinois has won 28 straight games when opening the season at State Farm Center dating back to a 99-73 victory over LaSalle on Dec. 1, 1993.
Illinois vs. Jackson State
- Monday's opener marks the Fighting Illini's sixth matchup all-time vs. Jackson State. Illinois is 5-0 in the series, with all five contests played at State Farm Center.
- Brad Underwood is 1-0 vs. Jackson State, having led the Illini to a 71-47 victory to open the program's Big Ten Championship season of 2021-22.
- Two of Lou Henson's program-record 423 victories came against Jackson State, an 85-81 win in the Illini Classic on Dec. 11, 1992, and a 79-63 victory for the 19th-ranked Illini on Dec. 20, 1993.
- Bruce Weber and the Fighting Illini also defeated Jackson State twice, 76-55 in Game 2 of the 2006-07 season and 78-64 in the fourth contest of the 2008-09 campaign.
- Illinois is 17-0 all-time against the current 12-team membership of the SWAC. Underwood is 8-0 vs. SWAC programs in his career, including a 5-0 mark at the helm of the Fighting Illini.
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
