Probably. Tomi was officially cleared Oct. 29th and he played in the Ole Miss exhibition game Oct. 24th. Other factors could be at play here, but it seems that playing an exhibition game before being cleared is okay. Since it doesn’t count, then there is little fear that it would be forfeited.
Pregame: Illinois vs Illinois State (Exhibition), Sunday, October 19th, 2:00pm CT, B1G+
- Status
In addition to the good information you provided, ISU is favored to win its conference title. (I am not the first to report this, and excuse me if you already knew this)Can’t wait for some Fighting Illini basketball to tip off!I haven't logged on here in months, so just wanted to swing by and say hello!
Let's talk about Illinois State for a moment...
I was looking through Illinois State’s current roster and noticed a few key returners from last season who could make things interesting. I’m not aware of any injuries or suspensions for the Redbirds, so I’ll assume everyone is healthy. Outside of Leib, they’ve got a few players who stand out.
Junior forward Chase Walker, at 6-9 and 280 pounds, is back after averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. He led the team in total points last season with 534 and should be a good early test for the Illini’s interior defense and post presence.
Junior guard Johnny Kinziger, 5-11 and 180 pounds, also returns after averaging 15 points per game. He shot 38% from three-point range (78-of-202) and 89% from the free throw line. Kinziger was second on the team in both assists and total points with 510.
Another name to watch is 6-6 junior Ty Pence from St. Joseph-Ogden. He averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game and provides some length on the wing.
In terms of key losses from last year's team, Dalton Banks stood out. Averaged 10 ppg, and finished with 144 assists which topped the team.
I don’t know much yet about the incoming freshmen, but you can find the full roster breakdown on the Redbirds’ men’s basketball site.
Reminder: This will be an exhibition against a really good mid major without multiple key players. Brad will also be experimenting lineups.
Lol i appreciate the attempt to not have the board overreact after we don't stomp on them
I am fully expecting Brandon Lieb to see heavy minutes.
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
This is sort of a scouting report, giving you an idea of each player and what to expect if you go to the game on Sunday or are watching it. Coach Pedon has done a great job recruiting players who are really talented, but also great kids who support the community, and so far are willing to stay. As for this game between us, the most important thing is that BOTH TEAMS STAY HEALTHY for whoever is on the floor. Both fanbases are excited to see what they have, but it's still only an exhibition. Regardless of what happens, and both teams can learn a lot about where they are at and where they need to improve. I hope you guys are able to get healthy, as injuries suck, and that you guys have a good season. If you have any other questions I can respond throughout the week.
Chase Walker- our starting center and the preseason MVC player of the year. Chase is extremely skilled as a lefty low-post scorer, and has great touch for a guy that's 6'9, 280 pounds. Last season, he averaged 15 points as a sophomore on absolutely ridiculous efficiency, and is one of the best big man passers that I've seen in a while at his level. Chase also has a solid jump shot, shooting around 36% from three, although not at a super high clip. He's a slightly above-average athlete who is continuing to work on his defense, but make no mistake about it, he had plenty of offers to go up further if he wanted to.
Johnny Kinzinger- a 5'11 175pd guard who averaged around 14.5 points last season as a sophomore at 38% from three at a high clip, and 90% from the free-throw line. Johnny is a great shooter who probably also has the most national public attention on the team given his heroics against our in-conference rival Bradley. Johnny is the heart and soul of the team and is the leader both the team and the community have fallen in love with here, also has been a great role model for the youth here. On the court, he has been described by his coach as a pitbull, which I definitely agree with. He does not back down from anyone and is multifaceted both as a passer, defender, and even surprisingly a rebounder. He's also the other guy who I was pretty surprised that he stayed, because he definitely had offers to move up if he wanted to. His brother is a freshman at Wisconsin, and many thought he would join him there.
Boden Skunberg- a 6'5 210 graduate who transferred from NDSU two years ago and medically redshirted all of last year due to his knee. Boden was going to be a huge piece for us last year as he was a 1000-point scorer in his career at NDSU, but the injury bug hit us pretty hard last year. He is physical, can shoot really well, defend, and is going to help us a ton as another scorer off the wing. For him, the most important thing is that he stays healthy.
Ty Pence- is a 6'6 210 forward who has had quite the interesting career. Ty was one of ISU's highest-ranked recruits and was even looked at by Illinois, from what I have been able to gather. His freshman year, however, he simply was not ready yet. Last year as a sophomore, he improved a ton and looked like part of a big three with the other members in his recruiting class, Johnny and Chase at the beginning of the year. However, as the season progressed, he became less consistent and eventually came back off the bench. Once our conference tournament began, he started to get back that early-year status going again, and during the CBI tournament, he was our second-best player. Ty is one of our more talented and athletic players, willing to guard the other team's best forward and can shoot really well. He was recruited as a three-level scorer out of high school, and at times last year, showed why. The key for him is to be consistent throughout the year.
Jack Daughtery- a 6'8 210 sophomore forward who is one of the best shooters I've ever seen in person. One word to describe him: Flamethrower. Jack has provided some of the most entertaining moments as a fan because when he's on, it changes how the defense plays. He shot 48% from three last year, and although his minutes per game were extremely limited, I would say around 85% of his shot attempts were from three. He was another guy who definitely had a few offers from other schools just because of his shooting ability. It is that good. He had some moments last year that were absolutely electric, including the Bradley game where he made 7 threes in 24 minutes. The key for him is going to be everything else. Can he rebound, defend, pass, and become a more versatile offensive player? We will see, but I personally think he will this year.
Next is the bench players who are not freshman- ranked top to bottom based on potential for how many minutes they may get
Landon Moore- a player who potentially could start, depending on our coach's philosophy and how players are playing. Landon Moore is a 6'3 205 senior point guard who honestly has some similarities to Kylan Boswell both physically and what his role on the team. Landon transferred from Butler, where he got limited minutes over his tenure there, but he has a lot of experience in a great league. From the offseason, one of the players who has stood out, and will be one of our best defenders who guards the other team's best guard. We had a similar player like him last year in our starting guard Dalton Banks, but from what I have heard, Moore is more talented and a better shooter. Whether he starts or not, he is not going to be asked to be a major scorer, but he could bully smaller guards down low, which we did a ton with Banks last year.
Landon Wolf- Landon is a 6'5 200 prototypical three-and-d player who got some great valuable experience last year as a starter due to injury and had some really solid games for us. He's another guy who can flat out shoot, and is an underrated defender and athlete. I don't expect him to start this year, barring injuries, but it is nice to know he has before, and will be a really nice piece coming off of the bench now.
Brandon Lieb- Your guy's favorite, was the other guy who had to medical redshirt last year, and is back as a graduate and will back up Chase. When I was reading through your guys' previous replies, and saw the one on our starters being Brandon Lieb and 4 others, I chuckled, because Brandon Lieb, I assure you, is not starting. One of the biggest differences with Brandon at ISU compared to when you guys had him is his body. Brandon is now a solid 250 pounds and is not going to get physically bullied as often as he did in his earlier years. One huge problem we had last year as a team was rebounding, and Brandon will certainly help. I don't expect the offense to run through him in bench minutes, but he has worked hard and improved a lot, and his experience, rebounding ability, screening ability, and potential to guard the low post and block shots will help out a lot in an area we simply were lacking in last year.
Cameron Barnes- 6'10 205 redshirt sophomore forward currently in a boot, who most likely will get limited minutes even if healthy. Been here for two years now and was a somewhat high recruit coming out of high school, but has just been inconsistent during his collegiate career so far. He has some talent, but will have to improve his intangibles for him to see playing time.
For the freshman, one of the biggest changes with NIL and the transfer portal regarding our program is that we have been able recruit higher ranked players. Ill do the same thing and list the freshman top to bottom based upon how many minutes they most likely will play. Expect them to play a lot during the exhibition.
Tyreek Coleman- 6'2 180-pound point guard out of Wabounsie Valley, and was a top 10 senior coming out of Illinois. Tyreek has some physical tools that have not been seen here in a long time. He's got long arms and is ridiculously quick with great passing ability, and is most likely our best athlete even as a freshman. He's dynamic, and from everything I've read, has been one of if not the most, standout players during the offseason for us. He obviously is still a freshman and will have his bumps, but he's going to compete for minutes right away and is one of the players fans here are extremely excited to watch.
Mason Klabo- is a 6'2 180 pound combo guard who was North Dakota Gatorade Player of the year and is the leading point getter in the history of North Dakota. An absolute scorer who has shown that throughout his high school career. I think he averaged around 32 points per game during his senior year, can flat-out shoot and is a solid athlete as well. He's also going to compete for minutes and will most likely come off of screens as a catch-and-shoot player, but down the road has the potential to have the ball in his hands more. He's also going to have his bumps as a freshman and needs to work on his defense but is another player we are extremely excited for here.
Nick Allen- a 6'11 230-pound top ten Illinois senior recruit and top senior Illinois center who at the beginning of the Summer, was most likely going to have a learn it year where he did not see very many minutes. However, as the offseason has continued, its not as clear as it was in the beginning. He is still most likely going to have a learn it year behind Lieb, but Nick is more talented and has competed well against both Brandon and Chase. Nick's game is that of a really skilled low-post scorer, with underrated athleticism, great length, solid defense, and an improving jumpshot. As I said, he will have a learn it year just because of his lack of experience, but down the road has the potential to be a great player.
Issac Erickson- a 6'8 200 pound forward who was a top 15 player out of North Carolina. Was recruited as a Swiss Army Knife kind of player who can also shoot well and has solid athleticism. He most likely will take a year just to learn at this level before seeing minutes, but his talent is there and has potential.
Chase Walker- our starting center and the preseason MVC player of the year. Chase is extremely skilled as a lefty low-post scorer, and has great touch for a guy that's 6'9, 280 pounds. Last season, he averaged 15 points as a sophomore on absolutely ridiculous efficiency, and is one of the best big man passers that I've seen in a while at his level. Chase also has a solid jump shot, shooting around 36% from three, although not at a super high clip. He's a slightly above-average athlete who is continuing to work on his defense, but make no mistake about it, he had plenty of offers to go up further if he wanted to.
Johnny Kinzinger- a 5'11 175pd guard who averaged around 14.5 points last season as a sophomore at 38% from three at a high clip, and 90% from the free-throw line. Johnny is a great shooter who probably also has the most national public attention on the team given his heroics against our in-conference rival Bradley. Johnny is the heart and soul of the team and is the leader both the team and the community have fallen in love with here, also has been a great role model for the youth here. On the court, he has been described by his coach as a pitbull, which I definitely agree with. He does not back down from anyone and is multifaceted both as a passer, defender, and even surprisingly a rebounder. He's also the other guy who I was pretty surprised that he stayed, because he definitely had offers to move up if he wanted to. His brother is a freshman at Wisconsin, and many thought he would join him there.
Boden Skunberg- a 6'5 210 graduate who transferred from NDSU two years ago and medically redshirted all of last year due to his knee. Boden was going to be a huge piece for us last year as he was a 1000-point scorer in his career at NDSU, but the injury bug hit us pretty hard last year. He is physical, can shoot really well, defend, and is going to help us a ton as another scorer off the wing. For him, the most important thing is that he stays healthy.
Ty Pence- is a 6'6 210 forward who has had quite the interesting career. Ty was one of ISU's highest-ranked recruits and was even looked at by Illinois, from what I have been able to gather. His freshman year, however, he simply was not ready yet. Last year as a sophomore, he improved a ton and looked like part of a big three with the other members in his recruiting class, Johnny and Chase at the beginning of the year. However, as the season progressed, he became less consistent and eventually came back off the bench. Once our conference tournament began, he started to get back that early-year status going again, and during the CBI tournament, he was our second-best player. Ty is one of our more talented and athletic players, willing to guard the other team's best forward and can shoot really well. He was recruited as a three-level scorer out of high school, and at times last year, showed why. The key for him is to be consistent throughout the year.
Jack Daughtery- a 6'8 210 sophomore forward who is one of the best shooters I've ever seen in person. One word to describe him: Flamethrower. Jack has provided some of the most entertaining moments as a fan because when he's on, it changes how the defense plays. He shot 48% from three last year, and although his minutes per game were extremely limited, I would say around 85% of his shot attempts were from three. He was another guy who definitely had a few offers from other schools just because of his shooting ability. It is that good. He had some moments last year that were absolutely electric, including the Bradley game where he made 7 threes in 24 minutes. The key for him is going to be everything else. Can he rebound, defend, pass, and become a more versatile offensive player? We will see, but I personally think he will this year.
Next is the bench players who are not freshman- ranked top to bottom based on potential for how many minutes they may get
Landon Moore- a player who potentially could start, depending on our coach's philosophy and how players are playing. Landon Moore is a 6'3 205 senior point guard who honestly has some similarities to Kylan Boswell both physically and what his role on the team. Landon transferred from Butler, where he got limited minutes over his tenure there, but he has a lot of experience in a great league. From the offseason, one of the players who has stood out, and will be one of our best defenders who guards the other team's best guard. We had a similar player like him last year in our starting guard Dalton Banks, but from what I have heard, Moore is more talented and a better shooter. Whether he starts or not, he is not going to be asked to be a major scorer, but he could bully smaller guards down low, which we did a ton with Banks last year.
Landon Wolf- Landon is a 6'5 200 prototypical three-and-d player who got some great valuable experience last year as a starter due to injury and had some really solid games for us. He's another guy who can flat out shoot, and is an underrated defender and athlete. I don't expect him to start this year, barring injuries, but it is nice to know he has before, and will be a really nice piece coming off of the bench now.
Brandon Lieb- Your guy's favorite, was the other guy who had to medical redshirt last year, and is back as a graduate and will back up Chase. When I was reading through your guys' previous replies, and saw the one on our starters being Brandon Lieb and 4 others, I chuckled, because Brandon Lieb, I assure you, is not starting. One of the biggest differences with Brandon at ISU compared to when you guys had him is his body. Brandon is now a solid 250 pounds and is not going to get physically bullied as often as he did in his earlier years. One huge problem we had last year as a team was rebounding, and Brandon will certainly help. I don't expect the offense to run through him in bench minutes, but he has worked hard and improved a lot, and his experience, rebounding ability, screening ability, and potential to guard the low post and block shots will help out a lot in an area we simply were lacking in last year.
Cameron Barnes- 6'10 205 redshirt sophomore forward currently in a boot, who most likely will get limited minutes even if healthy. Been here for two years now and was a somewhat high recruit coming out of high school, but has just been inconsistent during his collegiate career so far. He has some talent, but will have to improve his intangibles for him to see playing time.
For the freshman, one of the biggest changes with NIL and the transfer portal regarding our program is that we have been able recruit higher ranked players. Ill do the same thing and list the freshman top to bottom based upon how many minutes they most likely will play. Expect them to play a lot during the exhibition.
Tyreek Coleman- 6'2 180-pound point guard out of Wabounsie Valley, and was a top 10 senior coming out of Illinois. Tyreek has some physical tools that have not been seen here in a long time. He's got long arms and is ridiculously quick with great passing ability, and is most likely our best athlete even as a freshman. He's dynamic, and from everything I've read, has been one of if not the most, standout players during the offseason for us. He obviously is still a freshman and will have his bumps, but he's going to compete for minutes right away and is one of the players fans here are extremely excited to watch.
Mason Klabo- is a 6'2 180 pound combo guard who was North Dakota Gatorade Player of the year and is the leading point getter in the history of North Dakota. An absolute scorer who has shown that throughout his high school career. I think he averaged around 32 points per game during his senior year, can flat-out shoot and is a solid athlete as well. He's also going to compete for minutes and will most likely come off of screens as a catch-and-shoot player, but down the road has the potential to have the ball in his hands more. He's also going to have his bumps as a freshman and needs to work on his defense but is another player we are extremely excited for here.
Nick Allen- a 6'11 230-pound top ten Illinois senior recruit and top senior Illinois center who at the beginning of the Summer, was most likely going to have a learn it year where he did not see very many minutes. However, as the offseason has continued, its not as clear as it was in the beginning. He is still most likely going to have a learn it year behind Lieb, but Nick is more talented and has competed well against both Brandon and Chase. Nick's game is that of a really skilled low-post scorer, with underrated athleticism, great length, solid defense, and an improving jumpshot. As I said, he will have a learn it year just because of his lack of experience, but down the road has the potential to be a great player.
Issac Erickson- a 6'8 200 pound forward who was a top 15 player out of North Carolina. Was recruited as a Swiss Army Knife kind of player who can also shoot well and has solid athleticism. He most likely will take a year just to learn at this level before seeing minutes, but his talent is there and has potential.
Bam and big Z should be enough to win, but I'm expecting this to be fairly close. Which is totally fine.
This game will b much closer than many are expecting. ISU is very solid and has real talent at most spots. It will b their Final Four game and it will b hotly contested.
Right, but I think Illini4Christ was thinking AS might need more rest time for his severe knee sprain. Let me review the dates I have on that issue:
Approx date of AS severe knee sprain: About 9/1
Estimate Duration: Out two months, so fully back on about 11/1 (but light practice possible in week or two leading up to that, so starting practice on around 10/18 or 10/25)
Since this is an exhibition on 10/19, then this seems a little early for AS's return to competition play. Yeah, I figure Illini4Christ had BH starting for a still recovering AS, in a game which is any an exhibition anyway. I definitely have AS starting for the official season opener on 11/3 though. Obviously, if AS only plays low minutes on 10/19, then it might not matter. Here, Coach Underwood may be thinking about the painful broken foot of Luke Goode in that exhibition game against Kansas a few years back. If he is, then he might sit AS just for safety, to give him more time to get his knee back to full strength, for when it really counts. That's the thinking.
Don't get us wrong regarding Brandon Lieb. Everyone who watched him is a Brandon Lieb fan. He was pretty solid physically when he was here. He was to all appearances a fine young gentleman. He worked hard and gave it all he had. He didn't get pushed around. Heck, we wouldn't be upset if he made the NBA.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
This board would go NUTS. It’d be Podz all over again.
DIDNT BRAD KNOW WHAT HE HAD IN BRANDON LIEB HE WAS OBVIOUSLY A FUTURE NBA ALL STAR WHAT AN IDIOT!!!!!!! /s
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
Yup. Nailed it!
The Galloping Ghost
- Washington, DC
If you asked me at the beginning of the summer what I'd be most fascinated by coming into the first exhibition, I would not have had anything about Wagler in my top 10 list. But here we are. The hype is pretty darn wild. Good decision-maker who plays at his own speed is about the highest compliment you can give a freshman. I'm excited to see him in action.
We might stand a fighting chance!
dang kind of wanted them full go
Yeah, we know, yet it will give all of our bench-players a chance to get out there and show their skills and abilities - what we want to see - plus, it's the beginning of the 2025-2026 season - how great is that!
God help us if by some strange chance we get beat.....this board would be like
The Wagler hype is interesting, but I think it's because he was relatively unheralded coming in.
How you say I havent watched a second of tape without saying I haven't watched a second of tape
A loss wouldn't shock me if we find ourselves playing without Stojakovic, Rodgers, Ivisic and Petrovic.God help us if by some strange chance we get beat.....this board would be like
That's not really what I mean. 247 has him as the #150th-ranked player in the class. Yet he's more hyped once the ball hits the court than either Riley or KJ?
And yes I have watched tape. In fact, I was one of the few people around here reminding the board that we have two solid four-stars coming when people like Dame Sarr were playing footsie with the coaches and causing everyone panic.
- Status