3 Important Illinois Basketball Questions Ahead of the Baylor Exhibition

Illinois’ second of three exhibition games takes place on Friday against Baylor in Champaign (7 p.m. CT, B1G+). The Illini are coming off a 105-96 victory at Cincinnati and will face a much different foe in the Bears.

Here are three important questions we have about Illinois before the 2026-27 season gets underway:

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood gets after his team Saturday, April 4, 2026, during a Final Four game against the UConn Huskies at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Can the Illini do a better job on the defensive glass?

Illinois reached its offensive rebounding goal against Cincinnati (though it could have done even better). The Illini’s defensive rebounding against the Bearcats, on the other hand, left much to be desired.

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Cincy snagged 12 offensive rebounds and flipped them into 12 points. Meanwhile, Baylor, taking on one of the best rebounding teams in the country in Florida, reeled in 12 offensive rebounds of its own on Sunday.

With the Illini’s size, athleticism and coach Brad Underwood’s consistent emphasis on rebounding, they shouldn’t be consistently allowing teams to get multiple shots on one possession. (Interestingly, Illinois’ defensive rebounding rate was just No. 27 in the country in 2025-26. It was No. 3 in offensive rebounding rate.)

Who will get the start at guard: Ethan Brown or Stefan Vaaks?

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Providence Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) chases after a loose ball against St. John’s Red Storm guard Oziyah Sellers (4) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the postgame press conference following the Illini win at Cincinnati, Underwood detailed his decision to give freshman Ethan Brown the start over transfer Stefan Vaaks.

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It seemed to be a reward for Brown sitting atop – or near – an Illinois practice leaderboard, but Underwood also made it clear Brown is…

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Publish date : 2026-10-22 21:06:00

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