CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The regular season started off with a bang for the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini, as they picked up a big-time win over the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights, 120 – 45.
Illinois entered the 2026-27 season with one of the most highly-anticipated offensive attacks in all of college basketball, and they showed up in a big way.
The Illini offense ended up notching its name into the program history books not once, not twice, but three times against FDU.
Points came in droves throughout
the game for the Illini, but they were especially prevalent in the first half. They scored 67 points, tying the program record for the highest total in a single half.
Illinois unleashed a brigade from downtown, drilling 19 3-pointers as a team, good for the most in a single game in program history. They also set a program record for most 3-pointers attempted with 51 and shot a blistering 37.3% from deep.
The State Farm Center crowd came to life early and often, as the Orange and Blue faithful were hungry for the first official return to action since last year’s Final Four run.
Senior guard Andrej Stojakovic was the star of the show Monday night, dropping 20 points on an efficent 9-11 from the field.
But backing him up on both ends of the floor was a flurry of newcomers, headlined by freshmen Quentin Coleman and Ethan Brown and transfer portal addition Stefan Vaaks.
Coleman and Brown both were in the Illini’s starting lineup, something that shouldn’t have come off as too much of a surprise given that they started all three exhibition contests.
The pair of freshman guards each stuffed the stat sheet and flirted with triple-doubles in their first college games.
Coleman finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while getting a huge rise out of the State Farm Center crowd on several highlight plays. Brown added 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and made his presence felt in all aspects of the game, always getting in the mix and fighting for loose balls.
Vaaks on the other hand, a sophomore who spent last season at Providence, came off the bench blazing. He hit five 3-pointers and dropped 20 points, while running things for the Illini’s second unit.
FDU was limited to just 45 points in the contest and were simply outmatched, with the turnover battle playing a hand in their demise.
The Knights had 12 turnovers compared to the Illini’s seven, and struggled to keep up in the fast-paced transition game.
Yet, the Illini did not exit the game without battle scars, as senior guard Jake Davis headed to the locker room with an injury early in the first half and never returned to the floor.
As he was leaving the court with the help of team athletic trainers, Davis held onto his left shoulder. He never returned to the floor.
Illinois is back in action Thursday evening at home against a familiar foe, the Penn Quakers, who they took down in the opening round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Illini freshman Quentin Coleman brings down the hammer for his first career points.
Illinois’s newest sharp-shooter Stefan Vaaks drills a contested fadeaway 3-pointer.
STAT STUFFERS
ILL Andrej Stojakovic: 20 points, seven rebounds, 81.8% shooting
ILL Stefan Vaaks: 20 points, five 3-pointers, four assists
FDU David Jevtic: 13 points, six rebounds, one assist
UP NEXT
The Illini next play on Thursday, Nov. 5 against Penn at the State Farm Center.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on FS1.
