It’s a multi-game week to start the season for Illinois (1-0) and its first Friday night game. After a week full of classes and work, Illinois fans can start their weekend with another taste of the 2024-25 squad.

Last time out

Many Illinois fans likely had Monday night’s performance on replay in their heads this week following the dominant 45-point win. While the opponent was just Eastern Illinois (0-1), Illinois has plenty to be excited about heading into their second matchup.

The Illini were slow out of the gate, committing several turnovers and hesitating with shot selection, both normal for a team with little experience together. The chemistry quickly grew as the lone returner, sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, stepped up. 

He was the second leading scorer on the day, knocking down four threes and totaling 21 points off the bench. They’ll need his leadership down the stretch as the younger guys adjust to this higher level of basketball.

Freshman Will Riley didn’t take long to adjust in his first game, lighting up the scoreboard in the second half. It seemed like only a blink of an eye when Riley knocked down four consecutive threes in the second, finishing with 31.

“I’d like to see him on the court a lot,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “I think we had tremendous productivity, obviously from him. He’s efficient … I think as the games move up in caliber, so to speak, I think we’ll see increased opportunities for him.”

Both Gibbs-Lawhorn and Riley came off the bench, showing Illinois’ depth. Other players are sure to have big games, but having two bench scorers like that provides a glimpse into the offensive potential of this year’s Illini. 

Friday’s opponent

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars (1-1) are the next team standing in Illinois’ way and aren’t to be taken lightly. It was also a slow start for the Cougars in their last game, but they played 28 minutes of competitive basketball with Indiana (1-0) on Wednesday.  

Two Cougars stand out from the box score, with the first being senior guard Ray’Sean Taylor. The Illinois native has averaged 13.6 points or more throughout his four seasons and is an accomplished scorer. 

He managed 17 against Indiana on Wednesday despite an inefficient outing. He has experience against tougher competition in the non-conference schedule over the years, dropping some good games against Marquette, Missouri and Creighton as well. 

Efficiency will be key for the Cougars, and their top two shot takers were not against the Hoosiers. Taylor was just 7-22 from the field, while junior forward Ring Malith was 1-12. The community college transfer has good size at 6-foot-9, and they hope he plays a big role in the rotation this year. Malith is still adjusting to the college game, similar to the Illinois first-years. It explains his early 4-21 start shooting the basketball. 

What to look for

First, it’s time to celebrate last year’s successes. The Illini are holding a ring and banner ceremony 30 minutes before the game to recognize the achievements of last year’s team. The Big Ten tournament championship and Elite Eight run were major steps for the program and will be remembered on Friday. 

“When I came here, I guess I’m in year eight now, the idea of raising banners, cutting down nets and handing out rings was the goal, was the dream,” Underwood said. “We dream really big in this program.”

The ceremony will mean a lot to the fans who watched the postseason run in the spring but not much to the current roster. Only Gibbs-Lawhorn was a factor in the team being celebrated. The rest of the players should not be too attached to the ceremony and be locked in and ready to go at tipoff. Redshirt guard/forward Ty Rodgers, walk-on juniors AJ Redd and Keaton Kutcher and former guard Max Williams will be the only other players from last year’s roster to receive their rings at the ceremony.

Three-point shot selection is one thing to watch. Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis and junior guard Kylan Boswell arrived in Champaign with a shooter label to their name, but both seemed slightly uncomfortable in the opener. 

“I thought we missed nine open threes,” Underwood said. “That we should have taken. And we didn’t. We drove it, and we don’t want to do that. I think we can be a really good shooting team.”

The starting backcourt duo played great defense and distributed the ball well, but only took five threes combined. There were plenty of open chances for them too. Underwood wants to shoot a ton of long-range shots this year, so their shot selection is something to watch. 

“We’re playing different,” Underwood said of Boswell’s transition to the Illinois offense. “With two bigs, the paint was a little more congested. The opportunities in the paint are a little different here, so I think he’s adjusting to the style.”

Where and when

The Illini remain in Champaign for game two of their opening homestand. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Peacock. 

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