The No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini return to Champaign on Friday to make their home debut, hosting Baylor in an exhibition game scheduled for 7 p.m. at the State Farm Center. Head coach Brad Underwood enters the matchup guiding a squad that blends established talent with notable newcomers as the team prepares for the upcoming college basketball campaign.
Illinois opened its exhibition schedule on the road, securing a high-scoring 105-96 victory against Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Baylor enters Friday’s contest following an impressive 82-76 overtime win over top-ranked Florida in its own exhibition opener.
Underwood’s roster features several key returners and high-profile transfers. Center Tomislav Ivisic, a fifth-year player standing 7-foot-1 and 270 pounds, anchors the frontcourt after draining 105 three-pointers over the last two seasons—ranking first in the NCAA among 7-footers. He is joined by fellow fifth-year big man Zvonimir Ivisic, who stands 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds and already ranks third in Illinois history with 72 career blocked shots. Sophomore forward David Mirkovic, listed at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, comes in as a CBS Sports Preseason All-American after averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds last season. Senior guard Andrej Stojakovic, an NCAA South All-Region Team selection, adds veteran scoring presence alongside senior forward Jake Davis, who led the Illini last season by shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc on 54-of-133 shooting.
The roster also incorporates notable collegiate transfers and a decorated freshman class. Junior guard Quentin McCoy arrives after spending the past two seasons at Arizona State, while sophomore guard Stefan Vaaks joins the program following a Big East All-Freshman Team campaign at Providence where he averaged 15.8 points per game. The incoming freshman cohort is highlighted by several decorated high school standouts, including Lincoln Williams, the career scoring leader at Kankakee High; MaxPreps first-team All-American Quentin Coleman; Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year Zavier Zens; New England Prep Player of the Year Lucas Morillo; Iowa first-team All-State selection Landon Davis; and Missouri first-team All-State selection Ethan Brown.
Underwood holds a career record of 302-137 (.688) in his 14th year as a head coach, including a 193-110 (.637) mark over 10 seasons at Illinois and a 107-71 (.601) record in Big Ten play. Friday’s exhibition gives the Illini a final opportunity to test their rotations against top-tier competition before regular-season action gets underway.
