It's midterm season in Champaign, and despite Illinois basketball's season having yet to official tip off, our grades are rolling in. In this space, we'll rate each Illini on their performance on the court in the team's exhibition loss to Baylor. (All players who logged fewer than 10 minutes received an incomplete.)
Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) drives the ball past Southern University Jaguars guard Fazl Oshodi (14) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In a wild twist, Andrej Stojakovic shot a better percentage against Baylor from outside the arc than inside it. And he went just 1-for-3 from deep (3-for-10 on two-pointers). Put plainly: Stojakovic was a mess before he departed the game because of an injury.
He blasted into the lane - often without a single pass in the possession - and forced up heavily contested shot after heavily contested shot. Stojakovic was a ball-stopper and rhythm-killer on offense. He did add six rebounds, though, and his personal 6-0 burst gave the Illini some momentum.
Illinois has to be elated with its prized freshman. Quentin Coleman, who looked excellent at Cincinnati , was also a stud in his second exhibition outing. Save for his 2-for-8 showing from deep, Coleman played a nearly flawless game.
He scored 20 points, had a team-high seven rebounds - including three offensive - while dishing out four assists, snagging a steal and blocking a shot. Coleman showcased all of his offensive abilities and again played in fifth gear all night.
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) reaches for the ball against the UConn Huskies during the second half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No one is faulting Tomislav Ivisic for going 0-for-5 from long range. He took good shots, and they just didn't fall. It happens. But two defensive rebounds in 20 minutes? That's unacceptable - and within Ivisic's control.
Ivisic just didn't battle against Baylor. Sometimes, he flips a switch and dominates the interior and controls the glass on both sides of the floor. Other times, he fades into the background. He did the latter on Friday. (Of note: Ivisic ended up leaving the game because of an injury.)
Over the past couple of years, Jake Davis has built a reputation as one of the best role players in the country. Against Baylor, he backed it up. Davis played a team-high 30 minutes, went 3-for-4 from deep, snagged two offensive rebounds and, participating in a rare role as facilitator, dished out four assists.
He's an excellent connector, a superb leader, a lights-out shooter and a serviceable defender. We saw all of that against the Bears, along with, for what it's worth, a little more confidence putting the ball on the floor. More activity on the defensive boards (just one in 30 minutes) would have been appreciated, but that just means Davis didn't earn extra credit this time around.
After putting together a masterclass in his first Illini action , freshman Ethan Brown struggled a bit against Baylor. He was 1-for-5 from deep and scored seven points while distributing three assists. Yet again, though, Brown committed zero turnovers. He also had two offensive rebounds in just 16 minutes of play.
But Brown was mediocre (at best) on defense. And he was non-existent on the defensive boards (zero). Illinois needs its guards to rebound and defend. Brown has the ability to do both, but he didn't play to his ceiling in either of those facets against the Bears.
Turning in four three-pointers, five assists (against zero turnovers), two steals and 18 total points off the bench, Stefan Vaaks dazzled the State Farm Center crowd on Friday.
Vaaks was a headline transfer, and he showed exactly why against Baylor. The scouting report on Vaaks: He's an elite offensive player who has room to improve elsewhere (namely rebounding and defense). That sentiment held true against Baylor, as Vaaks snagged just one rebound in 22 minutes. And he certainly didn't stand out on defense, either.
Four points in 16 minutes. Lincoln Williams was just meh , right? Wrong. He was so effective in his minutes. He was Illinois' star on defense - which single-handedly helped the Illini climb back into the game in the second half - and he snagged three offensive boards.
But Williams' success on the offensive boards didn't translate to the other end, where he had just one defensive rebound. Williams and his fellow Illini need to clean the glass on both sides of the floor.
Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Jason Jakstys (31) Southern University Jaguars forward Ashton Magee (24) and Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichhous (3) battle for a rebound Iduring the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Speaking of rebounding, Jason Jakstys may be the only Illinois player whose effort and production in that category against the Bears can't be picked apart. Jakstys had five total boards in 14 minutes - including three offensive rebounds.
Jakstys is active, knows his role and plays it to a T, all of which he displayed against Baylor. It was just one free throw - he missed the front end of a one-and-one - so it would be unfair to judge Jakstys too harshly, but if he's going to get minutes in the season, he will need to knock down his freebies at a decent rate.
In his 12 minutes, Zavier Zens went 2-for-3 from the field and knocked down one three while adding two rebounds. He took open shots, played hard on D and the glass, and didn't make many mistakes.
Illinois doesn't need another ball-dominant star this season. If Zens takes the clean looks, connects regularly and takes care of the little things, he will find himself fighting for rotation minutes.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Illinois Basketball Player Grades After Baylor Exhibition Loss .
