Grades are in: Stojakovic just one of several dominant Illini guards
- Story byThe News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
- Grades are in: Stojakovic just one of several dominant Illini guards
Nov. 2—Player of the game
Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic
Stojakovic might be the biggest beneficiary of the Illini's new offensive style. The 6-foot-7 guard is at his best attacking the basket, and the frequency Illinois pushes the ball up the court (i.e. every possession) simply creates more opportunities for Stojakovic to go full speed at the rim. That was particularly effective against a Fairleigh Dickinson team that had no one that could deter that action. Stojakovic didn't just score a game-high 20 points. He did so on hyper efficient 9 of 11 shooting with zero misses at the rim.
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Backcourt
Illinois: A
FDU: D-
Stojakovic, who also had seven rebounds and four assists, wasn't the only productive member of the Illini backcourt. Freshmen guards Ethan Brown and Quentin Coleman both flirted with a triple-double, and Stefan Vaaks was an absolute sniper from three-point range. One of the four would have been too much for FDU. All four? That was a nightmare scenario for the Knights, who at least got 13 points from David Jevtic.
Frontcourt
Illinois: A
FDU: F
Tomislav Ivisic and Co. didn't have to do all that much given how productive the Illinois guards were in all aspects Monday night. Still, Ivisic put up 10 points and four rebounds and even joined twin brother, Zvonimir, in pinning an FDU shot on the backboard for a block. The only bad news for the Illinois frontcourt was senior forward Jake Davis leaving the game in the first half with a shoulder injury of unknown severity.
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Bench
Illinois: A
FDU: F
The style of play Illinois has shifted to this season will likely necessitate Brad Underwood expanding what's typically been an eight-man rotation for the bulk of his tenure in Champaign otherwise he runs the risk of running his team into the ground by March. The upshot? This is Underwood's deepest team, and the Illini proved that against FDU with every player who got in the game scoring.
Overall
Illinois: A
FDU: F
It would be easy to read too much into the level Illinois dominated FDU. The Knights are rated, in both Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik's rankings, as one of the worst 30 Division I teams in the country. The Illini were a massive favorite heading into the game and proved why within the first few minutes. Illinois did plenty right against an overmatched opponent. Doing the same things against a more competitive team will be the real sign the Illini's preseason hype had a solid foundation.
