5 Key Takeaways From Illinois Basketball’s Early Fall Highlights

Illinois athletics’ social media team on Monday released some early fall highlights from the men’s basketball squad – the latest glimpse of what many in Champaign could be a national title contender.

The Illini, who – believe it or not – have an exhibition game coming up soon (at Cincinnati on Oct. 17), appear to be in full swing. All the usual caveats apply – it’s early, these are hand-picked highlights, etc. – but we had some takeaways from the clips nonetheless.

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Reactions to Illinois basketball’s early fall highlights

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots against Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Andrej Stojakovic shows he may be ready to add the final component?

Andrej Stojakovic loves to get into transition – something he should do often in 2026-27 – but he got a bit ahead of himself on this one. Trying to dunk on Zvonimir Ivisic is a choice (albeit one a fellow Illini successfully made back in the summer), but it proved to be an unwise one on this occasion. (On the flip side, it’s always nice to see Big Z has still got it.)

Still, it showed Stojakovic’s trademark aggression and fearlessness attacking the cup. Later in the highlight, he also canned a three – which is an encouraging sign. But being a consistent shooter under the bright lights is a different story. We’ll find out if Stojakovic actually improved in that facet in due time.

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July 19, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; Brad Beal Elite Quentin Coleman (1) gestures to a teammate as Team Durant Evans Barning Jr. (7) defends during the Brad Beal Elite and Team Durant game at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activity Center. Brad Beal Elite won 91-59. Mandatory Credit:…

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Publish date : 2026-09-30 11:43:00

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