No. 3 Illinois opened its men's basketball season Monday night against FDU

CHAMPAIGN - Illinois opened its 122nd men's basketball season at 7 p.m. Monday against FDU at State Farm Center, according to Illinois Athletics' game notes. The game was on the Big Ten Network, streamed on FOX One and aired on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network.

The Illini are ranked No. 3 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll, tying the 2001-02 team for the program's second-highest preseason ranking, the athletics department says. Last season Illinois went 28-9 and reached its first Final Four in 21 years.

Coach Brad Underwood, in his 10th season, returns five rotation players from that team: David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis. Illinois also added Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks and a six-player freshman class. The game notes list projected starters Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Davis and freshmen Quentin Coleman and Ethan Brown.

Illinois is 107-14 all-time in season openers and has won 10 straight, including 9-0 under Underwood. The Illini lead the series with FDU 2-0; the last meeting was a 104-71 Illinois win in Champaign on Dec. 29, 2023.

Source: Illinois Athletics: No. 3 Illinois Hosts FDU in Season-Opener Monday at State Farm Center (read Nov. 2, 2026).