Overview
- Illinois routed Long Island 98-58 in Champaign to move to 5-1, led by Andrej Stojakovic’s 20 points and Keaton Wagler’s 19.
- The Illini dominated inside with 68 paint points, a 40–22 rebounding edge and 63% shooting while rejecting 11 shots.
- After free-throw struggles in the Alabama loss, Illinois hit 73% at the line as Underwood highlighted late-game execution and demanded cleaner details.
- Depth and rotation continued to develop with Tomislav Ivišić returning to the starting lineup, Mihailo Petrovic logging more minutes and freshman Brandon Lee making his debut.
- Illinois hosts UTRGV on Monday in a schedule designed to mimic NCAA Tournament turns before facing UConn at Madison Square Garden, with UTRGV bringing a 43.2% team three-point rate led by Marvin McGhee.