What to Know About Illinois Basketball’s Exhibition Opponent Cincinnati

Illinois takes on Cincinnati in an exhibition game Saturday (4 p.m. CT), the first opportunity of the 2026-27 season for the Illini to match up against a different squad. The contest will take place in Cincinnati and won’t be televised. Here’s what else you should know about the game:

3 things to know about Illinois’ exhibition opponent Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Jerrod Calhoun looks on from the sideline in the second half of the CareSource Invitational exhibition game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The Bearcats won 79-68. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cincinnati’s new head coach and transfer haul

The Wes Miller era, which lasted five years and failed to yield a single NCAA Tournament appearance, came to an end last season. Now, Jerrod Calhoun, former Utah State head coach and a Cincinnati graduate himself, has taken over the program.

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Calhoun led Utah State to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments during his two seasons with the Aggies, and he was the head coach at Youngstown State for seven seasons prior to that.

Joining Calhoun at Cincinnati is a transfer class consisting of 13 players, headlined by four Utah State players who followed Calhoun out of Logan – including star guard MJ Collins (17.5 points per game last season) and sophomore guard Elijah Perryman. Collins’ eligibility remains in flux, though, as he seeks a fifth year.

Other notable transfers include Tulsa guard Tylen Riley, Wake Forest forward Myles Colvin (formerly of Purdue), Towson forward Tyler Tejada, Boston College center Jayden Hastings and North Dakota State transfer Trevian Carson. Cincinnati’s overall transfer class was rated No. 23 in the country, per 247Sports.

The Bearcats’ starting five

Oct 7, 2026; Mason, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Tyler Tejada (8) controls the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes forward Anthony Thompson (6) in the first half during the 2026…

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Publish date : 2026-10-17 04:29:00

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