Illini Basketball 2025-2026
- Status
Michigan's built a lot like our team this year, but people generally agree their ceiling's higher. If their experienced guards falter, they have a borderline 4/5-star backing them up. We have borderline 3/4-stars. They have a projected first-round pick in Yaxel who could've gone second-round this year. They also have 16 players on their roster to our 14 (including Ty Rodgers, so really 13), so their depth is also more encouraging. (Yes, it's three walk-ons to our one, but Blake Fagbemi is effectively a walk-on on a scholarship, so it's really a disparity of one.)
That is your identity bro
I'd imagine Kylan and Stojakovic shoulder the burden on D. Obviously the hope was for Ty to slot in, but two very capable perimeter defenders is something we did not have last year.
Had Rodgers played very possibly could've been a good team on that end (maybe not elite, but very good). Of your five "perimeter" guys (Jake, Ty, Ky, Stoj, Mihailo) three of them would have been plus defenders. Then you got Tomi and Z cleaning up the inside.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Hey kid, don’t sell yourself short. You might miss a lot of shots, but you lead the league in turnover rate
I don't really think "stars" apply to many of our top Euro players. They were not even on boards except for Stojackovic who was a McDAA. I would not trade Tomi and Z our 40 minutes of them at tge 5 shooting with really anyone. Kylan was also a highly rated guard who played as well as anyone in the NCAA Tournament last season. I'll take him
A lot will be counted on by our Euros that we're not rated at all like many players from around the world. How many stars was the Joker? He is the best player in the world. How many stars is the top pg guard in the nation in Smith? I wouldn't trade ourcstarting guards for theirs or our 40bminutes we haveat thev5 for Mara and Rez.Now i know Michigan is good and has talent but I do think the shooting. Is questionable and we have more experienced players that are deing slept on in our starting line up. Yaxel is a more talented 4 but let's wait and see what we have in Mirk at the 4 who was in the world hoop summit and Stojackvic at the 3
Last edited:
Well, Brad has said he's extremely fast.
For the 4 and 5 spots it's would you rather have Yaxel and Morez starting with Mara and Tschetter backing them up or Mirk and Tomi with Ben and Z backing them up.
MIchigan is much more of a known quality and easier to gauge while we have questions here but good depth at these spots. I don't know how Mirk will do, I don't know if Ben will make the jump he needs to, and I don't know if Z can catch up on development he's clearly missed out on.
i actually like our starters better in the other three positions compared to Michigan, but our depth just disappears, on paper at least.
They do not necessarily have that guy on the wing like Stojakovic. Both frontcourts are impressive, but Illinois has the better backcourt. "Depth" is certainly what Michigan will be hanging their hat on this year.
FightinIllini30
Future insider
Boswell will be guarding Braden…
I realize they are much more if a known for us here in the states. That's kind if my point with them not having stars.So it really not relevant. I mean how many stars for Luigi who is being recruited by us, Duke and Purdue? Did Dame have stars? Our media doesn't rate young talent not playing here the states with stars do they?. I also realize they possibly may have an edge at the 4 . However, am not so sure that they do yet. Is Morez > Mirk. Rez is an awesome rebounder but outside of that is Rez as nearly as balanced a player as Mirk? I don't think so. It seems Mirk has much better handles, shooting, passing, and showed he can bang od D when Mirk played in the World Nike Summit. Rez is not big enough to guard 5s that bang. Mirk bang well vs Boozer at the Summit. Im not worried in the least about Tschetter. Mara may start at the 5 over Rez and likely will with Yaxel coming to SCUM. Rez can't guard 5s with a post game.
Last edited:
I watched that highlight too, and I'm not sure how anyone can draw any conclusions about Mihailo's D from it. What was clear from watching the highlight in question is that Mihailo has EXTREMELY quick feet and acceleration, and both tend to translate very well on the defensive end. I feel we should give him a chance to perform before we decide he's going to be a defensive liability.
I would assume the same...but it is pretty easy to get a switch to whomever you want to go against. Smith is one of the best at that.
Braden Smith himself isn't exactly known to light the world on fire defensively.
I wouldn't write off Iowa that early. McCollum is a very good coach and imo Stirtz was the best player in the transfer portal and legitimately might be the best PG in the conference(I don't mean that as a slight at Smith or even Petrovic, I just think Stirtz is that good though I don't think he will put up the raw volume stats because he won't dominate ball as much in the offense and they will play a very deliberate pace).
Stirtz is a legitimate killer and I'm probably gonna get some heat for saying this but if you had to give me one player in the entire NCAA to put the ball in their hands for a last second play I would seriously consider Stirtz as my pick.
Folgueiras is a really skilled stretch big that can even put the ball on the floor a bit. He was a probably the best player on Robert Morris(though I liked Dickerson a lot) and was a huge reason they played with and had a chance to beat Alabama.
Hausen is a sharpshooter who was one of the few bright spots for K-state, Banks and Manyawu are tough physical players that he brought from Drake, then Koch was a top 100 recruit who redshirted last year and I know a lot of people wanted him to come here.
I don't think they are the most talented team but I think they will be kind of like the basketball version of what the Bielema lead Illini football has been. They are going to drag more talented teams down into the mud, execute better than you and beat you.
I'm not as sold on Ohio states coaching staff but I'm also not writing off any team returning a trio of guys like Thornton, Royal, and Mobley. Tilly was very good for a good Santa Clara team and will be joined by another German guard in Grujicic. Brandon Noel has been fantastic in the horizon since he was a freshman and is a quality stretch big. Ojianwuna is a quality bench big who can provide some minutes and did so at Baylor, Bynum is a top 50 recruit, and they even got Tyler Herro's little brother incoming.
Thornton, Mobley, Royal, Noel, and Tilly is a very good and experienced starting 5 on paper and there is a chance some of those other guys breakout.
Last edited:
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Never mind! Tomi done answered the question. He’s here ya’ll!
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Toilet paper has more value than pre-season polls/rankings. 
But I agree. Don’t ever count out Izzo!
But I agree. Don’t ever count out Izzo!
Last edited:
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
Yes, Lee’s D is E-lite!
Noblesville Illini
- Nappanee, IN
So, you’re saying Petrovic is gonna light him up?
Boswell is guarding Smith no question.
- Status