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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large:
The run up to the 2025-26 college basketball season has been different for Illinois compared to last season in large part because of the roster makeup. Last year Brad Underwood was working with almost exclusively newcomers, as Ty Rodgers and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn were the only returning scholarship players.
Now, the Illini coach has a core group of returning veterans to pair with some older transfers, his 22-year-old Serbian point guard and freshmen who are apparently ahead of the curve in terms of preparedness.
“It is so incredibly great to have veterans,” Underwood said, naming off all seven of his returning players. “I think our leadership has been so advanced from a year ago and maybe on the same level it was we had (Terrence Shannon Jr.). We’re able to move through practice at a better pace. Those guys are coaching. Those guys are leading. They’re our hardest workers and know the pace at which we go — each and every one of them.
“I’m in an unbelievably comfortable place with our freshmen, maybe as good as we’ve been in terms of them not being lost with what we’re doing. The pace of what we’re doing. The physicality of what we’re doing. All of those guys, for young guys, have handled this 8 to 20 hours very well.”