How to Watch: Illinois Basketball vs. Eastern Illinois in Game 1

The Illini open their 2024-25 season at the State Farm Center on Monday against the Panthers

University of Illinois basketball players cheer on teammates in last week's exhibition game against Ole Miss at Oxford, Mississippi. Illinois' 2024-25 regular season begins Monday at home against Eastern Illinois. / University of Illinois

"Here we go."

Illinois coach Brad Underwood took the words right out of our mouths in his final preseason press conference ahead of Monday's tipoff to the 2024-25 NCAA basketball season. Fans, most of whom were shut out of catching even a glimpse of the new-look Illini in an exhibition loss to Ole Miss last week (even Twitter had nothing!), finally get to feast their eyes on a young but preposterously gifted squad – one that some experts believe could be Illinois' most talented ever.

Eastern Illinois is coming off a 14-18 season (including 8-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play), and the Panthers aren't expected to have much for their big-bro neighbors up the road a piece along I-57 (pro tip: take Route 130 instead). At any rate, it's time to break the seal on the season and find out what's inside.

How to Watch

Day and time: Monday (Nov. 4) at 7 p.m. CT
Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
Local: No TV
Stream: B1G+ app
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app
SiriusXM 138 or 195
SXM app 957

Odds and Ends

Favorite: Illinois (-25.5 points)*
Over/under: 145 points*
Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois all time: Illinois leads the series 8-0
Streak: Illinois has won eight in a row against Eastern Illinois
Last meeting: No. 25 Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 52 (Nov. 6, 2023 at the State Farm Center)

Probable Illinois starters:

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

(*Figures as of Sunday, Nov. 3)

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 92

Unofficially, the Illini enter the 2024-25 season as college basketball's No. 26 team, afterIllinois was left off the AP Preseason Top 25. But the Illini received 92 points in the AP voting system – the highest figure among unranked teams.

Quick tips:

• Illinois is 105-14 (.882) in season openers and has won eight straight openers – including last year's, against the Panthers (above).
• Panthers assistant Rich McBride is a former Illini (2004-07) who started his last two seasons in Champaign and was named team co-MVP (9.6 poinrs and 2.3 assists per game) as a senior in 2006-07.
• EIU athletic director Tom Michael – Tommy! – is another former Illini (1991-94) who was a stretch 4 before it was cool. Michael still owns the Illinois records for 3-point shooting in a season (49.3 percent) and a career (44.9 percent), and has been the Panthers' AD since 2014, after leaving his position as senior associate athletic director at the U of I.

Illinois on SI Prediction

You've got the odds from the real sharps above, so this is strictly for fun. We imagine Underwood has already gotten some of the kinks straightened out from last week's exhibition loss to No. 20 Ole Miss. And given that EIU is playing on Illini turf and rates as a far cry from a top-25 squad, expect the Illini to put on another high-scoring home-opening showcase against the Panthers.

Illinois 91, Panthers 66

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Center Tomislav Ivisic Officially Eligible for 2024-25 Season

Five Takeaways From Illinois Basketball's Exhibition Loss to Ole Miss

Illinois Freshman Forward Will Riley Named to Preseason Watch List