Live Game Thread, Updates for Illinois Basketball vs. Baylor Exhibition

Illinois basketball will host Baylor in an exhibition matchup Friday at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. The Illini won their first exhibition last Saturday, a 105-96 road win over the Cincinnati Bearcats. Baylor, too, won its first exhibition, an 82-76 win over preseason No. 1 Florida at a neutral site in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Illini will have to wait at least another game for the 2026-27 debut of preseason All-American forward David Mirkovic (foot), who is expected to key the team's offense. Still, the wealth of individual talent on coach Brad Underwood's roster seems almost endless, as six Illini scored in double figures against a solid defensive club in Cincinnati – including two true freshmen in guards Quentin Coleman and Ethan Brown.

And yet, Baylor represents a step up. Bears guards Kayden and Dylan Mingo and Isaac Williams IV are the type of paint penetrators Illinois has struggled with in recent seasons, and Scott Drew – who led Baylor to a national championship as recently as 2001 – is one of the finest defensive coaches in college basketball. In the Bears' exhibition opener, they held the Gators to 34.7 percent shooting – and 13.8 percent on threes.

Illinois vs. Baylor live score updates

First half

Illinois freshman guard Quentin Coleman drives for a bucket and gets the hoop and the harm, sinking his free throw to cut Baylor's lead to two. Baylor leads 17-15

Isaac Williams IV is torching the Illini right now. On consecutive possessions, Williams twice pulls up for three and hits, then corrals his own miss for a putback to extend Baylor's lead to double digits with 11:25 left in the first half. In just four minutes, Williams has 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Baylor leads 26-15

Baylor is digging in on D, but Quentin Coleman takes a dribble handoff and pulls up for three to break into double digits and close the gap. Baylor leads 26-20

After freshman Lucas Morillo scores his first points in an Illini uniform on a corner three, Andrej Stojakovic answered a pair of Baylor buckets in the paint with a six-point individual run of his own – two free throws and a couple of converted drives to the rim. Baylor leads 33-29

Someone needs to pour some cold water on Baylor guard Isaac Williams IV, who hits another three. Illinois' trouble with dynamic opposing guards continue. Possibly unrelated note: All six Illini freshmen have already checked into the game. Baylor leads 36-29

The Bears are raining fire from three, where theyve gone 9-for-15 (60.0 percent), led by Williams (3-for-3) and Brett Decker Jr. (4-for-7). They're undeniably hot, but the Illini aren't exactly putting up much resistance. Zvonimir Ivisic gives Illinois a spark with a block of Dylan Mingo in the open floor, but Mingo collects it and finishes anyhow with 4:03 on the clock. Baylor leads 53-37

Lucas Morillo hits his second three of the game, and Illinois get a stop on the other end to end the half, but no one on the illini side should be remotely satisfied. Deckert canned another three to bring Baylor's first-half shooting from deep to a blistering 11-for-18 (61.1 percent). Quentin Coleman (14 points) has helped prevent a total blowout, but Illinois' deficiencies on the boards (outrebounded 25-15) and ball security (eight turnovers) are making its preseason No. 3 ranking look like a mirage. Baylor leads at half 63-44

Second half

Freshman Ethan Brown takes it upon himself to change the tone for the Illini, throwing down a dunk and threading a three on back-to-back possessions out of halftime, prompting Baylor coach Scott Drew to call timeout. Baylor leads 63-49

The Bears have slowed down, seemingly deliberately so – though Illinois isn't letting that dictate their pace on the other end. Since an Isaac Celiscar jumper at 16:28 put Baylor up 69-51, the Illini have gone on an 8-0 run, thanks in part to an Andrej Stojakovic dunk. Baylor leads 69-69

At 12:15, Andrej Stojakovic elevates at the rim and takes quite a bit of contact – no foul? – falling to the floor and banging his head on the court. Stojakovic heads to the locker room, on his own power, with a team-leading 15 points. Jason Jakstys rebounds a Quentin Coleman miss, and a determined Coleman hits from the elbow to cut the lead to single digits. Baylor leads 70-61

With 9:01 left, Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic leaps to contest a layup and comes down awkwardly, his knee buckling. Although slow to get up, he walks gingerly to the sideline – and at least temporarily out of the game – on his own. Baylor leads 76-65

Illinois' Jake Davis and Stefan Vaaks sandwich three-pointers around a three-point play by Isaac Williams IV, cutting the Bears' lead to eight. After raining threes on the Illini throughout the first half, Baylor is 0-for-4 from long range with 7:45 remaining. Baylor leads 79-71

Two quick notes: Stojakovic is back in the game, apparently no worse for wear. Somewhat less consequential, the Illini are showing Baylor a zone. With the Bears' shooting having suddenly gone cold, maybe coach Brad Underwood sense an opportunity to clog things inside for Baylor's knifing guards.

So much for that exxperiment. The Illini continue to struggle to stop Baylor's transition and half-court penetration and revert back to man-to-man. Stefan Vaaks knocks down a three with a hand in his face to keep Illinois in striking distance with 6:04 remaining. Baylor leads 83-74

Illinois' Quentin Coleman hits free throws, Lincoln Williams hammers down a halfcourt dunk and Jake Davis strokes a three from the top of the key on consecutive possessions to whittle further into the Bears' advantage. Baylor leads 87-81

After a mad scramble on the other end that ends with the Illini squeezing the loose ball, Stefan Vaaks hits his third three-pointer to spark a 10-0 run and cut what had been an enormous Bears lead to just three with under three minutes to go. Baylor leads 87-84

The Illini force a miss – finally, a stop! – with Baylor up 90-85, and Stefan Vaaks is quickly fouled. But Vaaks makes only one of two free throws. The Bears kill some clock before guard Kayden Mingo (22 points) penetrates and floats in a teardrop two. Quentin Coleman gets the two points back for Illinois on the other end, but the Illini are down four with 25 seconds left in the game. They have no choice but to foul. Baylor leads 92-88

Baylor's Isaac Celiscar leaves the door open by missing one of two free throws, but a long, contested Quentin Coleman three-point attempt from the top of the key draws iron. Kayden Mingo hits his foul shots to put the game out of reach, a last-ditch Stefan Vaaks three only tidying up his own box score line. Baylor wins 95-91

Illinois vs. Baylor stories

• How to Watch Illinois vs. Baylor
• 3 Important Illinois Questions Ahead of Baylor
• Brad Underwood Previews Illinois vs. Baylor
• What Illinois Must Prove Against Baylor

Back like we never left. pic.twitter.com/HYp5BYDefg
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 23, 2026

Starting lineups

Illinois

G: Quentin Coleman
G: Ethan Brown
G: Andrej Stojakovic
F: Zvonimir Ivisic
C: Tomislav Ivisic

Baylor

G: Kayden Mingo
G: Dylan Mingo
G: Brett Decker Jr.
F: Elijah Williams
C: Justin Bodo Bodo

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