Illinois Makes a Statement in Season-Opening Win Over FDU

Illinois had little resistance in its season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night. The Illini were 40-point favorites heading into the game and easily covered the spread, winning by 75 points. All 13 active Illini players saw the floor in the blowout victory over Fairleigh Dickinson.

David Mirkovic and Lincoln Williams did not suit up for the season opener, but everyone else played for Brad Underwood. Underwood told Jon Rothstein on Friday that this Illinois team is the deepest he has ever coached and that he plans to play 10 players regardless of the opponent.

Underwood's comments proved true in game one, as more than 10 players received minutes, largely because the Illini led the Knights 67-20 at halftime. The 67 points tied for the most points scored in a half in program history.

The defense showed up in a big way to start the game, holding FDU to just one made three-pointer and 6% shooting from beyond the arc. The Knights had zero second-chance points in the first half and were dominated on the glass throughout all 40 minutes.

The Illinois offense was just as impressive, making 12 threes and shooting an impressive 57% from the field in the first half. The Illini also out rebounded FDU 36-9 and scored 19 second-chance points despite not having sophomore forward Mirkovic available. Illinois took the lead 43 seconds into the game on an Andrej Stojakovic layup and never looked back.

Jake Davis started the game for the Illini but was replaced by freshman Zavier Zens in the second-half starting lineup after suffering a shoulder injury. Davis exited the game early in the first half and did not return.

FDU is expected to be one of the worst teams in the country, but Illinois still showed why it is considered one of the best teams nationally. The game looked easy for the Illini on both sides of the floor, even when they went deep into their bench. The offense featured a balanced attack, with 13 different players scoring and six reaching double figures. The ball movement was impressive, as the Illini racked up 30 assists. They also pushed the pace more than they did at any point last season, scoring 22 fast-break points.

Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks and Andrej Stojakovic led the way with 20 points apiece. Offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood and the Illini showed once again that they have the potential to field one of the best offenses in the country despite losing Keaton Wagler to the NBA Draft.

Game one was a tune-up as expected, and game two against Penn will likely produce a similar result. Penn is expected to be better than FDU, but the Illini should still be able to cruise to another comfortable victory on Thursday night.