It was choppy. It definitely wasn’t pretty. The Near West Side has seen snow drifts that were more artful and traffic jams that were easier on the eyes.
But it’s early. Too early to make any assumptions about where Illinois’ eighth-ranked men’s basketball team is headed after a 90-86 loss against No. 11 Alabama at the United Center.
“I love our team,” coach Brad Underwood said. “I love what we’re going to be.”
What they are is a fascinating blend of immense size, European skill and seeming strength in numbers — meaning depth — with Champaign native Kylan “Bam” Boswell, a 6-2 battering ram, at the head of the formation. But there’s much work to be done to find rhythm at the offensive end, cohesiveness at the defensive end and the dominance that should be there, but wasn’t against the much smaller Tide, on the glass.
“They’re going to be competing for the national championship, in my opinion,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “They’re going to be in the mix.”
The house was packed with orange, with the only visible empty seats in the top rows of the 300 level, behind the baskets. It erupted in the first half when Ben Humrichous chased down Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. to block a breakaway attempt at the rim, Boswell corralled the loose ball and passed it ahead to Andrej Stojakovic, who threw down a monster one-handed slam. The Illini (4-1) never trailed in the first half.
ANDREJ STOJAKOVIC 😱 OH MY! @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/6vE7isyKbP
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 20, 2025
But Philon gave the Crimson Tide (3-1) their first lead, at 43-42, with 18:25 left, and that lead grew to as many as nine points with just under 10 minutes to go. Philon brought his team home down the stretch with a nine-point burst in less than two minutes. The Illini missed eight second-half free throws.
Stojakovic — son of former NBA star Peja — led all scorers with 26 points. Philon had 24.
Illinois has the Ivisic twins from Croatia, Tomislav and Zvonimir, each over 7 feet. They have 6-9, 250-pound strongman David Mirkovic from Montenegro. Stojakovic is 6-7, crafty and strong, with a nose for the goal. There’s also 6-2 guard Mihailo Petrovic, who has played for the Serbian national team.
Boswell and fellow returnee Ben Humrichous have been around, as has Tomislav Ivisic. But both Ivisic and Petrovic returned from injuries Wednesday — and looked like it — and all others in the mix were newcomers.
This is going to take some time.