No. 3 Illinois closes out its preseason slate on Wednesday by hosting UIC at State Farm Center

Fighting Illini Host Flames in Rare Champaign Meeting

No. 3 Illinois closes out its preseason slate on Wednesday by hosting UIC at State Farm Center, marking the first time the Flames have traveled to Champaign since 1997. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Underwood Prepares Team Following Exhibition Slate

Brad Underwood enters his 10th season leading the program with a 193-110 record at Illinois and a 302-137 overall career mark. His squad opened exhibition play on October 17 with a 105-96 victory on the road against Cincinnati before dropping a tight 95-91 decision at home to Baylor last Friday.

Frontcourt Anchored by Veteran Ivisic Twins and Mirkovic

Wednesday’s test against UIC offers a final look at an upgraded rotation blending established frontcourt size with fresh backcourt pieces. Leading the returners is fifth-year center Tomislav Ivisic, who stands 7-foot-1 and 270 pounds. Ivisic averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists last year while sinking 105 three-pointers over the last two seasons—the most by any 7-footer in the NCAA.

He is joined in the frontcourt by Zvonimir Ivisic, a 7-foot-2, 250-pound fifth-year player who blocked 72 shots last season, good for third-most in UI history. Sophomore forward David Mirkovic, a preseason All-American standing 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, also anchors the interior after putting up 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last year.

New Backcourt Pieces Complement Returning Sharpshooters

The backcourt features senior guard Andrej Stojakovic, an NCAA South All-Region selection who averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last season, alongside Stefan Vaaks. Vaaks earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors last year after posting 15.8 points and 3.2 assists per contest. Senior forward Jake Davis, who led the Illini by shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc last year on 54-of-133 shooting, rounds out the veteran core.

Freshmen and Transfers Deepen the Roster

A deep freshman class enters the mix alongside several transfers, including Lincoln Williams, the career scoring leader at Kankakee High; Quentin Coleman, named to the Jerry West Award preseason watch list; and Zavier Zens, the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year. Lucas Morillo arrives as the New England Prep Player of the Year, while Landon Davis and Ethan Brown earned first-team All-State honors in Iowa and Missouri, respectively. Junior guard Quentin McCoy also joins the roster after spending the last two seasons at Arizona State.