The Illinois men’s basketball team’s game against Alabama State on Friday to tip off the regular season is pivotal, even if the outcome isn’t in doubt.

Let’s be honest, we all know who’s going to win. Illinois hasn’t lost its first game of the season since 1998. That streak isn’t going to end Friday. Alabama State finished 10-22 last season, which was actually the middle of the pack in a SWAC conference that included a 0-28 Grambling State team.

This game is not pivotal because Alabama State provides a challenge for Illinois. Rather, this game is pivotal because the Illini need to not only win, but win big.

Illinois already has enough doubts heading into this season. The roster changeover has created plenty of uncertainty surrounding this group, and a troublesome start would only add to the team’s already modest expectations heading into this season.

A shaky start for the Illini against Alabama State isn’t out of the question, even in this one-sided affair. Illinois struggled out the gate just a couple weeks ago in Illinois’ first exhibition game of the season against Division-II McKendree.

McKendree started the game on an 11-3 run and were up by double digits with 7 minutes, 13 seconds left in the first half. Illinois eventually cruised to a 101-66 win, but the first 13 minutes of the game were unsettling as the fans at State Farm Center grew restless.

Illinois once again fell flat in its second exhibition game against Northwood as they trailed at one point in the second half.

Illinois can’t come out slow on Friday, not against a Division-I opponent. Illinois needs to obliterate Alabama State from the onset of the game. Even if Illinois’ shots aren’t falling, they need to drive the ball down the Hornets’ throats.

The fresh faces on this Illini squad need to flash their potential from the get-go. Rayvonte Rice has the makings of becoming the best player on this team, and he needs to show it on Friday.

The freshman will play right away, and they need to be ready for the call. Which freshmen will play is yet to be determined, but John Groce is certainly going to tinker with the lineup. Like Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, who Groce talks about on occasion, Groce will play the hot hand during any given game. Whoever comes off the bench with steady play will get a chance in this system. A big game against Alabama State could give one of the freshmen an upper hand in the rotation.

The first-game jitters will be there. The new players are still getting adjusted to the system, and the holdovers need to learn how to play with their new teammates. That’s where leadership comes in.

Joseph Bertrand, Tracy Abrams and Nnanna Egwu need to prove they can be relied on as the leaders of this team. Communication is the key. Naturally, with it being the first game players are going to be in the wrong positions at times and not yet know their teammates’ strengths. The three upperclassmen will need to step up and provide a direction for the less experienced players whenever play is stagnant.

Illinois is fortunate in that it has a pillow-soft stretch to begin the season. After Alabama State there’s Jacksonville State, Valparaiso, Bradley and then Chicago State, with all games being played in the friendly confines of State Farm Center. But Illinois needs to treat this schedule as if Kentucky’s coming to town.

If not, this could be a long season.

Michael is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected].