Brad Underwood Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head Basketball Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Brad Underwood Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head Basketball Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois men’s basketball, ranked 17th in the Associated Press preseason poll, will face Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday at State Farm Center in Champaign. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. Central Time tip-off and will be broadcast on Peacock.
The Illini come into the matchup after opening their 121st season with a decisive 113-55 victory over Jackson State. This contest marks the second of a four-game homestand for Illinois, which has won three straight games at State Farm Center.
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood addressed the upcoming matchup during a pregame press conference on November 6. Underwood, now in his ninth year leading the Illini and 13th overall as a head coach, holds a career record of 275-128 (.682) and is seeking to continue his program’s strong starts to each season. “Illinois is looking to start 2-0 or better for the seventh straight season under head coach Brad Underwood,” according to team notes.
Friday’s meeting will be the first-ever between Illinois and Florida Gulf Coast in men’s basketball. While Underwood has never coached against FGCU before, he has previously led teams against other Atlantic Sun Conference members, holding an undefeated record (6-0) versus ASUN programs.
Florida Gulf Coast enters with its own new roster under coach Pat Chambers, who formerly led Penn State and posted a 7-5 record against Illinois during his tenure there.
The Illini have high expectations this season after returning three starters from last year’s squad that won 22 games and advanced to the NCAA Round of 32. Last season, Illinois finished ranked No. 17 in kenpom ratings and are currently ranked No. 6 entering this year; following their win over Jackson State they moved up to No. 5.
Under Coach Underwood since the start of the 2019-20 season, Illinois has matched Purdue with the most Big Ten victories—81 league wins over six seasons—and leads all teams in road victories during that period.
Probable starters for Illinois include Kylan Boswell (Sr., G), Keaton Wagler (Fr., G), Jake Davis (Jr., F), David Mirkovic (Fr., F), and Tomislav Ivisic (Jr., C). Key reserves include Ben Humrichous, who scored 21 points off the bench in the opener.
Illinois remains one of only two Big Ten teams tied for most total wins against conference opponents—including tournament play—since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
Tickets for Friday’s game are available at FightingIllini.com.
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