The eagerly anticipated Illinois basketball season finally gets underway on Monday (7 p.m. CT, BTN) against Fairleigh Dickinson. FDU will be far from the Illini's toughest challenge of the year - it very well may be the opposite - but we still have a few questions for the Orange and Blue:
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
Through a trio of exhibition games, we got an idea of what the rotation may look like in 2026-27 - but hardly a clear picture. Between David Mirkovic's absence, and then Zvonimir Ivisic and Andrej Stojakovic going down in the Baylor game and subsequently missing the UIC outing, the Illini already were at well below full capacity.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood's "NBA preseason" subs - a nod to the depth he explored during the exhibition slate - haven't dissipated the fog. Monday's forecast: more haziness. By game's end against Fairleigh Dickinson, it's quite likely that Illinois' entire active roster will have checked in.
But there is at least one interesting and immediate question that the Illini opener will help answer: Will freshman Ethan Brown stay in the starting lineup ? And which freshman will be the first off the bench? Those answers will give us a better idea of what's to come.
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) shoots against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In all three exhibition games, big man Tomislav Ivisic took more three-pointers than two-pointers (14 of 22 total field-goal attempts). Ivisic can stroke it. He's a good shooter, and his ability to space the floor is a key reason Illinois' offense has been so dominant during his time in Champaign.
But Ivisic is 7-foot-1 and weighs 270 pounds. He has a feathery touch with both hands and a tremendously deep array of post moves. There is zero reason Ivisic should be attempting more threes than twos.
Also, there's this: Ivisic snagged nine total rebounds across three exhibitions. For perspective, freshman guard Quentin Coleman averaged seven boards. Ivisic needs to be more productive on the interior on offense, defense and the glass. No one is telling Ivisic not to shoot the ball - the Illini need and want him to do that - but he shouldn't be shying away from the paint.
Jan 11, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts late during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
FDU doesn't have a high-powered offense. It isn't going to test the Illini and force them into endless mistakes on defense. But as any offense will do, it will push Illinois, at least on occasion, into rotations. Underwood's unit will need to talk. The Illini will have to know and fulfill their assignments.
On Monday, there will be zero excuses. This isn't a no-scouting-report exhibition game . It's the regular season. So if we see Illinois making more personnel mistakes, failing to communicate and getting lost in defensive rotations, then we'll know that defense is going to be a concern - at least early in the season.
And with trips to Texas Tech and Duke looming in the coming weeks, it would mean that the Illini's new-look offense had better be ready for the moment, or Illinois is going to find itself on the wrong side of a handful of marquee non-conference matchups.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as 3 Questions Facing Illinois Basketball Ahead of Season Opener vs. FDU .
