Five days after Baylor embarrassed them on their own floor, the Illini needed a response. They got one.
Illinois closed its exhibition schedule Wednesday night with a 101-66 rout of UIC at State Farm Center, and it did it without three of its best players. David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Zvonimir Ivisic all sat. So the freshmen took over. Four of them scored in double figures, seven Illini overall reached 10 points, and Illinois led 59-24 at halftime.
Brad Underwood didn't hide how much he enjoyed it.
"The first half was just about as fun to watch as anything I've seen in a long time."
— Brad Underwood, to The Daily IlliniThe First Half: Everything Baylor Wasn't
This one was over early. Illinois raced out to a 28-6 lead in the first nine minutes. The ball moved, the Illini pushed the pace off every rebound, and the shots fell. They shot about 60% in the first half, put together 13-0 and 16-0 runs, and took a 35-point lead into the locker room.
Most importantly, the defense showed up. After the Baylor game, Underwood said about 90 percent of the team's mistakes were communication. This week the focus was talking and guarding, and it showed. UIC shot 39.7% for the game and went just 5-for-27 from three.
Then there was the glass. Against Baylor, Illinois gave up 22 offensive rebounds and 20 second-chance points. Against UIC, the Illini grabbed 32 defensive rebounds, won the boards 44-30, and held the Flames to 10 second-chance points.
That assist number is the one to remember: 28 assists on 37 made baskets. After the game, Underwood made a surprising admission, as SI reported: "We truly don't run plays." Illinois has ditched its set-play offense for a motion system his son Tyler, the offensive coordinator, pitched him. Spread the floor, get into the paint, collapse the defense, and find the open man. On Wednesday, it worked beautifully.
The second half was sloppier. Illinois went 6-for-18 from three after making nine in the first half, and UIC scored 28 points in the paint after the break. The Flames even put together an 11-0 run. But by then Illinois had led 74-28, and it never got close.
The Freshmen Take Over
With three veterans out, this was the young guys' night. Underwood said that's exactly what the staff planned for when it built this class.
"This group of freshmen, we knew that we were going to count on them."
— Brad Underwood, after the UIC winEthan Brown led the freshmen with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, plus five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Asked about his game, he said he isn't there to score, and his stat line backed that up. Quentin Coleman added 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. The day before, he was named to the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List. Together, the starting freshman backcourt combined for 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Lucas Morillo nearly had a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 8 rebounds, and he went 5-for-5 at the line. Zavier Zens scored 10 on 4-of-7 shooting with three assists. That's four of six freshmen in double figures in a single game.
Lincoln Williams — 9 PTS · 4/4 FG · 5 MINUTES
The best story of the night might be the shortest. Williams slipped and fell in practice on Tuesday and was questionable. He made his first career Illini start anyway, went 4-for-4 with a three and two steals, and helped spark the early blitz before his night ended after five minutes because of the lingering injury.
Underwood's review was simple: "Lincoln has been phenomenal."
The Full Lineup
The Rest of the Box
Lincoln Williams 9 pts, 2 stl (4-4 FG, 5 min) · Blake Fagbemi 6 pts, 4 reb (2-3 3PT, 12 min) · Jason Jakstys 4 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk (20 min) · Landon Davis 4 pts, 1 blk (16 min) · Quentin McCoy 2 pts (4 min) · David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Zvonimir Ivisic DNP (injury)
A few notes. Tomislav Ivisic shook off the bruised knee from the Baylor game and led the team in scoring. Jakstys played 20 minutes with the twins short-handed and grabbed five boards for the second straight game. And Vaaks, who came off the bench again, summed up this team's attitude: "We will score the ball."
The Injury Report
Where Things Stand Before the Opener
Andrej Stojakovic: Out vs. UIC after hitting his head on the floor against Baylor. No return timeline has been given.
Zvonimir Ivisic: Out vs. UIC after also hitting his head against Baylor. No return timeline has been given.
David Mirkovic: Still out recovering from August foot surgery. Underwood said the boot is precautionary and the screw is "absolutely perfect," but he's expected to miss some regular-season games.
Tomislav Ivisic: Back. Underwood said he just had "a little bruise" on his knee, and he scored a team-high 14.
Lincoln Williams: Played five minutes after slipping in practice the day before. Worth watching this week.
Underwood didn't offer much more after the game: "It's unfortunate we've got some injuries, but we'll keep monitoring those." None of the reports we've seen have used the word "concussion" for Stojakovic or Zvonimir, so we won't either until there's an official update.
Exhibition Season Report Card
Three games. Two wins. A 105-96 win at Cincinnati, a 95-91 loss to Baylor, and a 101-66 blowout of UIC. Here's what we learned:
The offense is legit. Illinois scored 105, 91, and 101 points without Mirkovic in any of them, and the 101 came without Stojakovic too. Even without set plays, this team can score from everywhere.
The freshmen are ready. Coleman scored 14, 20, and 10 and looks like a starter. Brown started all three games. Morillo, Zens, Lincoln Williams, and Landon Davis all had real moments. Nobody expected this much this early.
The defense is the question. Illinois gave up 96 and 95 in the first two games before tightening up against UIC. Against FDU and Penn that may not matter much. Against Texas Tech and Duke later this month, it will.
Up Next: It's Real Now
The regular season tips off Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m. CT against Fairleigh Dickinson at State Farm Center on BTN. FDU brings back seven players, including reigning NEC Rookie of the Year David Jevtic. Then Penn comes to town Thursday, November 5, a rematch of last March's NCAA Tournament opener, with Fran McCaffery now on the Quakers' bench.
Underwood knows what being No. 3 means: "We know we're going to get everybody's best shot." Road tests at Texas Tech and Duke are coming fast. For now, watch the injury report, and enjoy one more look at the freshmen. They've earned it.
I-L-L. 🧡Reporting compiled from the official box score and FightingIllini.com recap, The News-Gazette, The Daily Illini, 247Sports (Illini Inquirer), Sports Illustrated (Illinois on SI), The Champaign Room, and WCIA.