Illinois basketball has their first day of practice for the 2025-2026 season

Illinois basketball tipped off its journey this morning at the Ubben Practice Facility and will open the season with an exhibition game on Sunday, October 19th, against Illinois State at the State Farm Center. Today marks the first official day of practice for most Division I college basketball programs across the country. While college football still dominates the attention of most fans, college hoops is closer than you think.

The offseason is officially in the books, and I’ve given Brad Underwood and his staff an A- grade for their work. The departure of Illinois native Morez Johnson Jr. was a major loss, knocking the grade down slightly from an A or A+.

Illinois also lost Will Riley and Kasparus Jakcious to the NBA Draft, but the staff quickly reloaded with impact transfers and international talent. Andrej Stojaković and Zvonimir Ivišić bring valuable high-major experience at both the wing and frontcourt positions, while European standouts David Mirković and Mihailo Petrović add high-upside potential after competing at top levels overseas.

The biggest offseason win and the primary reason for my high offseason grade is roster retention. Illinois brings back 45% of its minutes from last season, a crucial factor for teams with March Madness aspirations.

Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, Tomislav Ivišić, Jake Davis, Ty Rodgers (pending health), Jason Jakstys, and AJ Redd all return. That ranks Illinois No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 12 among Power Five teams in returning minutes.

With that balance of experience and new talent, Illinois has the pieces to make a deep run in March. While the health of Ty Rodgers remains uncertain, expectations should remain high regardless.

Purdue enters as the clear favorite to win the Big Ten, but Illinois basketball should aim for a top-four conference finish and a top-four NCAA Tournament seed as realistic regular-season expectations. Beyond that, the Illini’s goal should be nothing less than a trip to the second weekend in March Madness, depending on health and tournament matchups.