Underwood excited to see what Freshman do in exhibition against Illinois State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) -- We are less than 24 hours away from seeing the 2025-26 Illinois men's basketball team in action for the first time.

The Illini are preparing for a preseason exhibition game against Illinois State.

Head Coach Brad Underwood said Sunday they will be with out Ty Rodgers, Andrej Stojakovic and Mihailo Petrovic due to injuries and Tomislav Ivisic as he recovers from his tonsils being removed.

But he said with those guys being out he is excited to see what the freshman are able to do against a different team in front of a crowd at the State Farm Center.

The Illini and Redbirds take the court at the State Farm Center Sunday at 2 p.m.