No. 3 Illinois Prepares to Face Penn at State Farm Center
The Fighting Illini host the Quakers on Thursday evening for their second game of the season.
The No. 3-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini will host the Penn Quakers on Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. The matchup marks the second game of a season-opening two-game homestand for Illinois, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
Illinois enters the contest with high expectations following a dominant 120-45 victory over FDU in their season opener on Monday. That performance set program records for the largest margin of victory at 75 points and 3-pointers made with 19. Head coach Brad Underwood aims to guide the team to a 2-0 start or better for the eighth consecutive season.
Thursday's game is the eighth all-time meeting between the two programs and the second encounter in just 232 days. The Fighting Illini previously defeated the Quakers 105-70 on March 19, 2026, during the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, launching a run to the Final Four.
The Illini roster carries significant momentum from last season's historic campaign, which included a 28-9 record and a Big Ten runner-up finish. Underwood returns five rotation players from that squad, including David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis. Additionally, the team added impact transfer Stefan Vaaks from Providence and a top-15 recruiting class.
However, Illinois will have to navigate early-season rotations without forward David Mirkovic. Mirkovic remains sidelined following an emergency appendectomy performed on October 31. Despite his absence, multiple Illini players have earned national recognition, with Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, and Quentin Coleman named as preseason national award candidates.
On the opposing side, Penn features key threats including a versatile 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season while shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. His perimeter shooting ability is expected to test Illinois' interior defense by potentially pulling 7-footers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic away from the rim.
Penn guard Michael Zanoni also presents a challenge for the Illini backcourt after averaging 11.8 points last season and converting 38.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. Illinois plans to counter with the defensive length of guards Stefan Vaaks and Andrej Stojakovic to contest perimeter shots.
Thursday's game also highlights a familiar connection between the coaching staffs. Penn head coach Fran McCaffery takes on Underwood after a long tenure at Iowa, where the two frequently faced off as Big Ten rivals. Furthermore, Illinois assistant coach and defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker is a Penn alumnus who previously captained the Quakers.