Illinois scored 105 points at Cincinnati on Saturday with David Mirkovic out of the lineup. The Illini won the exhibition 105-96. Six players reached double figures, according to Illinois' report. For a team listed third in CBS Sports' preseason Top 25 And 1, that gives the offense an encouraging first public result. It also comes with a fairly obvious question about the other end of the floor.
The scoring distribution is more interesting than the total. Andrej Stojakovic led Illinois with 24 points while taking no three-pointers. The Big Ten box score credits him with eight field goals and eight free throws. Illinois made 14 threes as a team, but its leading scorer did his work without one. That is a useful way to avoid making the entire night depend on outside shooting.
Coleman gave the lineup another answer
Freshman Quentin Coleman started and finished with 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Illinois says his personal 10-0 run in the second half opened a 93-79 lead after Cincinnati had stayed within two possessions. Those assists matter as much as the burst. With Mirkovic absent, Coleman helped create points for others while finding his own.
Stefan Vaaks supplied 19 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Ethan Brown added 15 as a starter. Those are separate ways to score, and they make the February road stretch CBR identified earlier more interesting: Illinois will need options when three Big Ten trips arrive in eight days. Saturday showed several candidates. It did not show how those minutes change when Mirkovic returns.
Cincinnati's 96 points keep the night from reading like a complete answer. The Bearcats shot 48 percent from the field, and Tylen Riley scored 31. The box score cannot assign every defensive breakdown to a player or lineup. It does establish that Illinois had to keep scoring to stay clear of a team that was still within reach deep into the second half.
Illinois hosts Baylor in another exhibition on October 23. That game can test whether the Illini keep their scoring variety while making opponents work harder for points. A preseason win gives Brad Underwood choices to examine, especially once Mirkovic is available. It does not settle which group will defend well enough to close games.
