5 key observations from the Illinois basketball loss against Baylor

Illinois basketball went into an exhibition on Friday night and could have easily had our doors blown off by Baylor.

The Bears are no joke. They just beat No. 1 Florida in an exhibition, so they are a really good team. The Illini felt their wrath early on, as Baylor came out punching.

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Baylor couldn’t miss a shot in the first half. They buried us, going 11-for-18 from three-point range and taking a 63-44 halftime lead. Illinois could have folded up shop and called it a night, but this team came out fighting in the second half.

The Illini made it close, getting the margin down to less than five points in the waning moments. Baylor was just too much, beating Illinois 95-91.

Here are five key observations from the Illinois basketball loss against Baylor

1. Quentin Coleman is a centerpiece

There wasn’t a lot of good for Illinois on Friday night, but I thought Quentin Coleman was the star.

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Coleman was electric on the offensive end of the court. His athleticism jumped off the screen, as he could handle the ball and get to the rim so well.

I loved Coleman’s deep shooting. He has a great looking shot, and he can make three-pointers from deep. He went 2-for-8 from three-point range, but you can tell this kid can light up the scoreboard every night.

Illinois needed a leader of the team after the departure of Keaton Wagler. At this point, I don’t think there is any question in my mind that Coleman is that guy.

2. Brad Underwood has a matchup nightmare with Stefan Vaaks

To begin the game, I had a different headline for this section. I was going to say that Brad Underwood needs to pull in Stefan Vaaks because he was running a little too wild. Then I realized that it was by design.

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Vaaks is a really good player. He doesn’t seem to be a command-the-team type of guy, but he is going to be a nightmare matchup for the Illini this season.

I believe Vaaks looks bigger than 6-foot-7. He has solid handles, and he is going to torch you from three-point range. Good luck…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/5-key-observations-illinois-basketball-112300543.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-24 11:23:00

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