Story Links
PROBABLE STARTERS (based on previous game)
Pos.
No.
Name
Ht.
Wt.
Yr.
PPG
RPG
APG
Note
G
4
Kylan Boswell
6-2
215
Sr.
15.7
4.4
3.5
1 of 2 B1G players averaging 15/4/3.5
G
23
Keaton Wagler
6-6
185
Fr.
14.7
5.2
2.6
Career-high 23 points in B1G debut at Ohio St.
G
2
Andrej Stojakovic
6-7
215
Jr.
15.1
3.4
1.1
20+ points in 4 of first 9 games at Illinois
F
0
David Mirkovic
6-9
250
Fr.
14.6
9.5
2.5
1st 20-pt, 20-reb game by an Illini since 1972
C
13
Tomislav Ivisic
7-1
255
Jr.
11.0
4.7
1.3
1.4 3FG/game, most in the nation by a 7-footer
OFF THE BENCH
Pos.
No.
Name
Ht.
Wt.
Yr.
PPG
RPG
APG
Note
G
1
Brandon Lee
6-4
195
Fr.
2.7
0.3
0.3
Made college debut 11/22 vs. LIU
F
3
Ben Humrichous
6-9
235
Gr.
6.7
4.6
1.0
Career-best 1.1 blocks per game
G
5
AJ Redd
6-3
170
Sr.
2.3
0.7
0.0
Former team manager
G
8
Blake Fagbemi
6-0
180
Fr.
0.7
2.0
1.0
Has played in three games
F
15
Jake Davis
6-6
215
Jr.
3.2
1.6
0.4
Made three 3-pointers in season opener
G/F
20
Ty Rodgers
6-6
210
r-Jr.
–
–
–
Out indefinitely following knee surgery
C
31
Jason Jakstys
6-10
225
r-Fr.
1.2
2.2
0.4
9 rebounds in Illini debut vs. Jackson St.
F/C
44
Zvonimir Ivisic
7-2
250
Jr.
8.0
5.3
0.4
2nd in B1G (16th in NCAA) with 24 blocks
G
77
Mihailo Petrovic
6-2
180
So.
3.5
1.0
1.8
Season-high 18 minutes vs. #5 UConn at MSG
Head Coach Brad Underwood
Career Record: 282-130 (.684), 13th year
At Illinois: 173-103 (.627), 9th year
Big Ten: 93-66 (.585)
Series History vs. Nebraska
All-Time Record / Streak: Illinois leads 23-9 / Nebraska W-1
Last Meeting: Nebraska 80, #18 Illinois 74 – OT (1/30/2025 in Lincoln)
Record in Champaign / Streak: Illinois leads 15-2 / Illinois W-6
Last Meeting in Champaign: #14 Illinois 87, Nebraska 84 – OT (2/4/2024)
Underwood vs. Nebraska: 10-3
OPENING TIPS
- No. 13 Illinois closes out the early-December window of Big Ten play on Saturday afternoon, welcoming No. 23 Nebraska to State Farm Center for the Illini’s first home game in nearly three weeks. The matchup pits the 8-2 Illini against the undefeated Cornhuskers (10-0).
- Illinois is aiming for a 2-0 start to Big Ten play for the third time of head coach Brad Underwood’s nine-year tenure, joining the 2022 and 2024 seasons.
- Illinois is 6-0 at State Farm Center on the season, having won each home game with an average scoring margin of +30.0. The Illini have won eight straight home games overall dating back to last season.
- Brad Underwood has led Illinois to 29 wins over top-25 opponents since 2019-20, with 20 of those wins coming in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups. Illinois’ 29 top-25 victories are tied for ninth-most in the NCAA during that span. This season the Illini have ranked wins over No. 11 Texas Tech at home, and vs. No. 13 Tennessee in Nashville.
- The Fighting Illini offense features five players averaging double figures in scoring – Kylan Boswell (15.7 ppg), Andrej Stojakovic (15.1), Keaton Wagler (14.7), David Mirkovic (14.6), and Tomislav Ivisic (11.0) – tied for the most in the nation.
- Illinois is ranked No. 13 in both the AP poll and the coaches poll, and has reached as high as No. 8 on Nov. 17. The Illini have been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons under Brad Underwood.
- Illinois is No. 12 in the NCAA NET rankings through games played Dec. 11, the fourth-best rating in the Big Ten and just two spots ahead of the visiting Huskers, who represent the Illini’s third consecutive Quad 1 opponent and its sixth overall through the first 11 games of the season. Illinois is 3-2 on the season in Quad 1 games and enters the weekend having won two consecutive Quad 1 games vs. Tennessee and at Ohio State.
- Illinois’ total of three Quad 1 wins is tied for fourth-most in the NCAA and one behind national leaders Duke, UConn, and Michigan State, who have four each.
- After leading the Big Ten in scoring last season (83.6 ppg), Illinois is currently averaging 88.6 points. At this early pace, the Illini would become the third team in program history to average 88+ points per game behind the 1964-65 (92.2 ppg) and 1955-56 (90.7) teams. The Illini opened this season with seven straight games of 80+ points. It marked the most such games to open a campaign since the 1988-89 Flyin’ Illini scored 80+ in each of their first 12 contests.
- Illinois is No. 9 in the kenpom rankings with a net rating of +27.87. The Illini feature the No. 5-rated offense (124.7) and the No. 23 defensive rating (96.8) in the country. The Illini have had an overall kenpom rating of 35th or better each of the last six years under Brad Underwood with a high of No. 4 (2020-21). Illinois posted consecutive top-20 rankings in 2023-24 (10th) and 2024-25 (17th).
- Coming off Tuesday’s win at Ohio State, the Illini have won four straight Big Ten regular-season games dating back to last year. Illinois closed out the 2024-25 conference slate with home wins over Iowa (81-61) and No. 18 Purdue (88-80) surrounding a 93-73 road win at No. 15 Michigan. Illinois’ win over the Buckeyes also marked the team’s fourth straight win against an unranked Big Ten opponent.
- No. 23 Nebraska marks the fifth ranked opponent of the season for the Illini. Illinois is 2-2 this season vs. top 25 teams, with a home win over No. 11 Texas Tech (81-77) on Nov. 11, and a neutral-site victory over No. 13 Tennessee (75-62) on Dec. 6 in Nashville, and losses to No. 11 Alabama (90-86) on Nov. 18 at Chicago’s United Center and No. 5 UConn (74-61) at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28. With six ranked Big Ten teams in the most recent poll, the Illini’s current schedule features 10 ranked games during the regular season.
- Illinois entered 2025-26 as the winningest team in Big Ten Conference play since 2019-20, with 81 league wins (tied with Purdue). The Illini now sit one game behind the Boilermakers in the win column with a chance to pull even again on Saturday. Following the team’s B1G-opening win at Ohio State, the Illini lead the conference with 35 road wins in league play during that span. When including the conference tournament, Illinois is also one game behind Purdue for the most total wins against Big Ten opponents over this span with 89.
- Saturday’s contest vs. the No. 23 Cornhuskers is the second of two early-season Big Ten games on the Illini schedule. The team will then close out its nonconference schedule with the annual McBride Homes Braggin’ Rights game vs. Missouri, Dec. 22 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, before hosting Southern on Dec. 29 in Champaign. Big Ten play is set to resume Jan. 3 vs. Penn State at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
- As a team, Illinois ranks among the top three in the Big Ten, and among the top programs nationally in eight categories: The team is second in the B1G with a free-throw percentage of .789 (11th in the NCAA), 42.4 rebounds per game (20th), 9.7 turnovers per game (23rd), and 29.3 defensive rebounds per game (26th). Illinois is third in the Big Ten with 5.3 blocks per game (23rd in NCAA), a +18.2 scoring margin (26th), a scoring average of 88.6 points per game (27th), and 28.9 3-point attempts per game (43rd).
- Illinois’ roster boasts six players averaging better than 4.0 rebounds per game: David Mirkovic (9.5 rpg), Zvonimir Ivisic (5.3), Keaton Wagler (5.2), Tomislav Ivisic (4.7), Ben Humrichous (4.6), and Kylan Boswell (4.4). This mark is tied for the most in the NCAA.
- Senior G Kylan Boswell is the Fighting Illini’s leading scorer and one of only two players in the Big Ten averaging better than 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game (through Dec. 11). In the Illini’s four ranked nonconference matchups this season, Boswell is averaging 21.0 points. He is the Illini’s active leader with 1,095 career points (587 at Illinois), with seven 20+-point games and 32 career double-digit scoring games in Orange and Blue.
- Junior G Andrej Stojakovic transferred to Illinois with a reputation as a prolific scorer, and he has started off strong, averaging 15.1 points on 54.2% shooting. Stojakovic has four 20-point performances, highlighted by a season-high 26 points vs. No. 11 Alabama. Stojakovic also posted 23 points the win over No. 11 Texas Tech, and scored 20 and 24, respectively, in Illinois’ wins over LIU and UTRGV. In his Big Ten debut, Stojakovic had 17 points and four rebounds in the win at Ohio State.
- Freshman F David Mirkovic is one of only four freshmen in the nation, along with Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach, averaging at least 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds (through Dec. 11). Mirkovic leads the Illini, ranks inside the top 10 in the Big Ten, and is among the national leaders with: 95 total rebounds (first in B1G, 18th in NCAA); 6.7 defensive rebounds per game (second, 22nd); 9.5 total rebounds per game (third, 26th); four double-doubles (fourth in B1G, 24th in NCAA); and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game (seventh, 101st).
- Freshman G Keaton Wagler ranks among the top players in the Big Ten with 48 free throws made (eighth), 58 free throws attempted (ninth), 2.5 offensive rebounds per game (10th), an .828 free-throw percentage (16th), and 14.7 points per game (23rd), while ranking 19th in the league in minutes per game (30.25), the top mark among the league’s freshmen.
- Twin 7-footers Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic rank among the top shooting big men in college basketball. Zvonimir is first in the NCAA among 7-footers with five games this season with multiple 3-pointers, while Tomislav ranks tied for second at three contests with multiple treys. They also rank 1-2 nationally in 3-pointers per game among players at least 7-feet tall. Zvonimir averages 1.4 triples per game, while Tomislav hits 1.3 3-pointers per game.
ILLINOIS VS. NEBRASKA
- This marks the 33rd meeting in the Illinois-Nebraska series, which dates back to the 1920-21 season.
- Illinois leads the all-time series, 23-9, with a 16-7 mark since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten conference in 2011-12. The Illini are 15-2 vs. the Huskers in games played in Champaign (10-1 as B1G foes).
- Illinois’ longest win streak in the series was a nine-game stretch from Feb. 2, 2019 to March 16, 2024. The Illini’s run was snapped in the lone meeting last season, an 80-74 OT loss in Lincoln, on Jan. 30, 2025.
- Illinois has never lost consecutive games in the series vs. the Huskers.
- Illinois is 5-1 all-time vs. the Cornhuskers when the Fighting Illini are ranked inside the AP Top 25. This is the Illini’s first matchup ever against a ranked Nebraska squad.
B1G DEBUTS FOR WAGLER, MIRKOVIC
- The Fighting Illini’s starting freshmen duo of G Keaton Wagler and F David Mirkovic made history in their Big Ten debut at Ohio State on Tuesday, pouring in 23 and 22 points, respectively, to lead the Fighting Illini to the 88-80 road win.
- The performances marked just the 12th time in the last 16 seasons (since 2010-11) that a pair of freshmen teammates each scored 20+ points in a Big Ten game. Wagler and Mirkovic, however, are the only duo on that exclusive list to do so in their Big Ten debuts.
- The Illinois program has produced three games with freshmen teammates scoring 20+ points against a Big Ten opponent (since 2010-11), all coming under Brad Underwood. This is tied for the most in the B1G with Ohio State
» Keaton Wagler (23) and David Mirkovic (22) at Ohio State (12/9/25) – W, 88-80
» Will Riley (27) and Kasparas Jakucionis (24) at Minnesota (2/8/25) – W, 95-74
» Ayo Dosunmu (23) and Giorgi Bezhanishvili (20) vs. Minnesota (1/16/19) – W, 95-68
ILLINI IN THE NET
- Illinois is No. 12 in the NCAA NET ranking though games played Dec. 11.
- The Fighting Illini’s No. 12 rating is the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten Conference.
- Through 10 games, the Illini are: 3-2 vs. Quad 1, 0-0 vs. Quad 2, 2-0 vs. Quad 3, and 3-0 vs. Quad 4.
- The Illini’s remaining 21-game regular-season schedule would feature 13 games vs. Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents, with four Quad 3 and four Quad 4 matchups remaining.
» Quad 1s (9): vs. Nebraska (14), at Iowa (24), at Purdue (8), at Nebraska (14), at Michigan State (11), vs. Indiana (22), at USC (36), at UCLA (47), and vs. Michigan (1).
» Quad 2s (4): vs. Missouri (78) in St. Louis, at Northwestern (80), vs. Washington (65), and vs. Wisconsin (69).
» Quad 3s (4): vs. Penn State (109) in Philadelphia, vs. Minnesota (146), vs. Northwestern (80), and at Maryland (169)
» Quad 4s (4): vs. Southern (274), vs. Rutgers (184), vs. Maryland (169), and vs. Oregon (172)
ILLINOIS WHEN RANKED
- Saturday’s contest marks the 11th game of the season ranked inside the top 25 for the No. Fighting Illini.
- Illinois is 660-269 (.710) all-time when ranked inside the AP Top 25. The program is 361-53 (.872) at home, including a 283-40 (.876) mark at State Farm Center, 161-150 (.518) on the road, and 138-64 (.683) at neutral sites.
- Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is 99-44 (.692) when ranked inside the top 25.
ILLINI IN TOP-25 MATCHUPS
- Following last weekend’s victory vs. No. 13 Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the No. 13 Fighting Illini enter Saturday’s contest vs. No. 23 Nebraska with a 2-2 on the season in ranked-vs.-ranked matchups.
- Illinois is 113-110 (.507) all-time when both teams are ranked, 52-21 (.712) at home including a 41-16 (.719) mark at State Farm Center, 18-51 (.260) on the road, and 43-38 (.531) at neutral sites.
- Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is 20-23 (.465) in ranked-vs.-ranked contests.
