Overview
- Freshman forward David Mirkovic debuted with 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead a balanced Illinois attack.
- Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic scored 21 points apiece, with Keaton Wagler adding 18 and Jake Davis 13.
- Illinois buried 17 three-pointers and surged to a 60–27 halftime lead after an early 17–0 run.
- The Illini dominated the glass 61–19 in their 10th straight season-opening win.
- Four Illini were sidelined with injuries — Brandon Lee, Andrej Stojakovic, Ty Rodgers and Mihailo Petrovic — as Illinois hosts Florida Gulf Coast on Friday before No. 10 Texas Tech on Nov. 10.