How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. SIU-Edwardsville (Game 2)

The Illini will try to stifle another in-state opponent on their home floor Friday at State Farm Center

Nov 4, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2) tries to block the shot of Eastern Illinois Panthers guard Nakyel Shelton (3) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

How to Watch

Illinois (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (0-1, 0-0 OVC)

Day and time: Friday (Nov. 8) at 7 p.m. CT
Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
Local: No TV
Stream: Peacock
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app
SiriusXM 388
SXM app 978

Odds and Ends

Favorite: Illinois (-26.5 points)*
Over/under: 155.5 points*
Illinois vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville all time: Illinois leads the series 3-0
Streak: Illinois has won three in a row against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Last meeting: Illinois 66, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 46 (Nov. 14, 2011 at Assembly Hall)

(*Figures as of Thursday, Nov. 7)

Probable Illinois starters:

G Kasparas Jakucionis
G Kylan Boswell
G Tre White
F Ben Humrichous
C Tomislav Ivisic

Ready for the rings.

📅 Nov. 8
🆚 SIU Edwardsville
💍 6:30 p.m. CT B1G Tournament Championship and Elite Eight Celebration
⏰ 7 p.m. CT tipoff
📍 @statefarmcenter
📺 @peacock
🎟 https://t.co/6alodNPbJj#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/xpH0zdsApt

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 7, 2024

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 2.9

That's the percentage of player minutes, with Monday's redshirt of junior Ty Rodgers, that Illinois returns from last season's team. Guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is now the Illini's only scholarship player back from 2024-25, and he averaged just 7.1 minutes per game as a freshman last season. Judging from the eye test between their exhibition loss to Ole Miss and Monday's season-opening win over Eastern Illinois, the Illini are developing team cohesion at warp speed. But expect some stumbles as the schedule gets thornier.

Quick tips:

• Jakucionis is currently Illinois' all-time single-season leader in assist percentage (42.7). OK, the stat only dates back to the 2002-03 season, and to be fair, Jakucionis has played exactly one career game for the Illini. But if it looked like he had the ball on a string and a Vulcan mind meld with each of his teammates against EIU, you aren't wrong.
• In 35 games played against Ohio Valley Conference teams in program history, Illinois has lost only one. The Illini beat the OVC's Panthers 112-67 on Monday, and they will face Little Rock Arkansas on Nov. 25.
• Illinois will celebrate its 2023-24 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance and Big Ten Championship with a ring and banner ceremony before the SIUE game, beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Illinois on SI Prediction

Illini coach Brad Underwood had a lot of positive things to say about SIU-Edwardsville ahead of tipoff, and in this case it wasn't the usual "we respect all our opponents" platitudes. The Cougars hung tough into the second half at Indiana before bowing out Wednesday night, and they have real size – not just the good-for-a-mid-major variety. They hammered the boards on the Hoosiers, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. But the glass has been Illinois' domain during the Underwood era, and bigs Ivisic, Morez Johnson Jr. and Carey Booth are the superior athletes in this matchup. Unless the chemistry the Illini appear to be blending suddenly blows up in their faces, this should be another smooth lab session.

Illinois 95, Cougars 66

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Scouting Illinois' Next Opponent: What to Expect From SIU Edwardsville

10 Key Storylines to Follow for Illinois Basketball's 2024-25 Season

Talented Illinois Basketball Trio Make Their Marks in Freshman Debuts

5 Best Freshmen in Illinois Basketball History: Where Do They Rank?