#13 Illinois, #5 UConn Set for Black Friday Matchup at Madison Square Garden

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 280-129 (.685), 13th year

At Illinois: 171-102 (.626), 9th year

Big Ten: 92-66 (.580)

Series History vs. UConn

All-Time Record / Streak: UConn leads 3-1 / UConn W3

Last Meeting: #1 UConn 77, #10 Illinois 52 (NCAA Elite 8, March 30, 2024 at Boston)

Record at Neutral Sites: UConn leads, 1-0

Underwood vs. UConn at Illinois / All-Time: 0-1 / 1-1

OPENING TIPS

• No. 13 Illinois (6-1) closes a stretch of four games in 10 days across three different cities, facing No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden on Black Friday (11:30 a.m. CT / FOX).
• In taking on No. 5 UConn, Illinois is in search of its highest ranked win since a 72-69 win over No. 4 Iowa State in the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament (March 28, 2024).
• Brad Underwood has led the Illini to five wins over top-5 opponents since 2019-20, sixth-most in the NCAA.
• The No. 5 Huskies marks the third of four ranked nonconference matchups on the Illini’s schedule. Illinois defeated No. 11 Texas Tech, 81-77, at home on Nov. 11 and lost to No. 11 Alabama, 90-86, on Nov. 19 at the United Center in Chicago. After the UConn game, Illinois next plays Dec. 6 vs. No. 17 Tennessee in Nashville.
• Friday’s contest is just Illinois’ second game away from home this season. The Illini are 6-0 at State Farm Center, having won each home game with an average scoring margin of +30.0.
• Illinois enter’s Friday’s matchup looking to snap a four-game skid against ranked opponents at neutral sites. The Illini’s last ranked win on a neutral floor came last year on Thanksgiving Day with a 90-77 victory over No. 19 Arkansas in Kansas City.
• Illinois is ranked No. 13 in the current AP Top 25 and No. 14 in the coaches poll. The Illini climbed to No. 8 last week, its highest November ranking since reaching No. 5 on Nov. 30, 2020. The Illini have been ranked in the AP Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons under Brad Underwood.
• After leading the Big Ten in scoring last season (83.6 ppg), Illinois is currently averaging 94.6 points. If able to maintain this early pace, it would surpass the program’s all-time scoring average of 92.2 ppg set in 1964-65.
• Illinois’ total of 662 points are its most through seven games since the 1993-94 season (683). The Illini have opened with seven straight games of 80+ points for the first time since the 1988-89 Flyin’ Illini did so in each of its first 12 contests.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten in rebound margin (+16.7 rpg) and is second in total rebounds per game (45.4 rpg), ranking third and 15th, respectively, in the NCAA. The Illini lead the conference in scoring offense (94.6 ppg) and are second in scoring margin (24.9 ppg). Illinois also commits the fewest fouls in the league (13.0 avg).
• Illinois is No. 13 in the kenpom rankings with a net rating of +26.26. The Illini feature the No. 8-rated offense (124.0) and the No. 19 defensive rating (97.7) 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).
• The Fighting Illini offense features five players averaging double figures in scoring – Andrej Stojakovic (18.5 ppg), Kylan Boswell (16.1), David Mirkovic (15.1), Keaton Wagler (15.0), and Tomislav Ivisic (10.8) – ranking second in the Big Ten and tied for the seventh-most in the nation.
• Junior G Andrej Stojakovic transferred to Illinois with a reputation as a prolific scorer, and he has started off strong, averaging a team-best 18.5 points on 58.8% shooting. Stojakovic has four 20-point performances in the last five games, highlighted by a season-high 26 points vs. #11 Alabama. Stojakovic also posted 23 points the win over #11 Texas Tech, and scored 20 and 24, respectively, in the most recent wins over LIU and UTRGV.
• Freshman F David Mirkovic is one of only two freshman in the nation, along with North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, averaging at least 15 points and 10 rebounds per contest (through Nov. 25).
• Mirkovic leads the Big Ten and is among the national top 15 in several categories, ranking first in the league with four double-doubles (eighth in NCAA), 72 total rebounds (11th), and 7.7 defensive rebounds per game (12th). Mirkovic is also fourth in the Big Ten and 26th nationally with a rebounding average of 10.3 rpg.
• Senior G Kylan Boswell is the only player in the Big Ten averaging better than 16 points, four rebounds and four assists per game (through Nov. 25). In the Illini’s last outing vs. UTRGV, Boswell’s streak of consecutive games in double-figures scoring was snapped at 14. He is the Illini’s active leader with 1,045 career points (543 at Illinois) and 30 career double-digit scoring games in Orange and Blue.
• Illinois is 1-1 this season vs. Top 25 teams, with a home win over No. 11 Texas Tech (81-77) on Nov. 11, and a narrow 90-86 loss to #11 Alabama on Nov. 18 at Chicago’s United Center. With nonconference contests remaining against #3 UConn and #20 Tennessee, plus six ranked Big Ten teams, the Illini are currently projected to play as many as nine ranked games during the regular season.
• Expectations are high once again in Champaign, with the Illini returning three starters from last year’s team that won 22 games, advanced to the NCAA Round of 32, and finished the year ranked 17th in kenpom.
• Illinois is the winningest team in Big Ten Conference play since 2019-20, with 81 league wins over the previous six seasons, tied with Purdue. During that stretch, the Illini lead the conference with 34 road wins in league play. When including the conference tournament, Illinois is also tied with Purdue for the most total wins against Big Ten opponents over this span with 88. 

ILLINOIS VS. UCONN

• Friday’s matchup vs. No. 5 UConn is the fifth in the series which dates back to 1938.
• Illinois won the initial meeting, 49-23, on Dec. 21, 1938 in Champaign before wins by UConn in 1992 in Champaign (70-66) and 1994 (71-56) in Hartford.
• Brad Underwood led the third-seeded Illini against No. 1-seed UConn in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight at TD Garden in Boston. UConn picked up their third straight win the series en route to the second of its back-to-back national titles.
• Underwood is 1-1 in his career vs. UConn, having led Oklahoma State to a 98-90 victory over the Huskies in the opening round of the 2016 Maui Invitational.
• Illinois is a combined 71-39 all-time against the current 11-team membership of the Big East Conference, including a 9-13 mark in neutral-site matchups.
• Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is a combined 4-6 vs. the Big East’s current membership, including a 2-5 mark at Illinois.

ILLINI AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

• Illinois has played 15 games all-time at Madison Square Garden, compiling a 6-9 record overall.
• Brad Underwood has led the Illini to a 3-2 mark at MSG, with wins over three ranked opponents at the World’s Most Famous Arena:
  
  » 12/27/1973 – ^ St. John’s 76, Illinois 60
  
  » 12/29/1973 – ^ Duquesne 85, Illinois 83
  
  » 3/17/1980 – # Minnesota 65, Illinois 63
  
  » 3/19/1980 – # Illinois 84, UNLV 77
  
  » 11/10/1998 – * Wake Forest 75, Illinois 73 (OT)
  
  » 11/11/1998 – * Illinois 65, Georgetown 50
  
  » 12/9/2003 – % Providence 70, #14 Illinois 51
  
  » 11/18/2010 – & Texas 90, #13 Illinois 84 (OT)
  
  » 11/19/2010 – & #13 Illinois 80, Maryland 76
  
  » 12/9/2014 – % #7 Villanova 73, Illinois 59
  
  » 2/28/2018 – $ Iowa 96, Illinois 87
  
  » 1/26/2019 – @ Illinois 78, #13 Maryland 67
  
  » 12/6/2022 – % #17 Illinois 85, #2 Texas 78 (OT)
  
  » 12/5/2023 – % #20 Illinois 98, #11 FAU 89
  
  » 2/22/2025 – ! #3 Duke 110, Illinois 67

  ^ = Holiday Festival
  
  # = National Invitation Tournament
  
  * = Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
  
  % = Jimmy V Classic
  
  & = 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
  
  $ = Big Ten Tournament
  
  @ = Big Ten Super Saturday
  
  ! = SentinelOne Classic

ILLINI VS. TOP-5 OPPONENTS

• Friday’s matchup vs. No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden is Illinois’ first game against a Top 5-ranked foe since facing No. 3 Duke at MSG last February.
• Illinois is 29-97 all-time vs. top-5 teams, including an 8-24 mark at neutral sites.
• The Fighting Illini’s last win over a top-5 foe came March 2024, when No. 10 Illinois defeated No. 4 Iowa State, 72-69, in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 at TD Garden in Boston.
• Under Brad Underwood, the Illini are 5-14 in matchups vs. top-5 ranked opponents.
• Illinois’ five wins over top-5 opponents since 2019-20 are tied for sixth nationally during that span.