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Nebraska Hoops Game Day: at Illinois

Robin Washut profile picby: Robin Washut7 hours agoRobinWashut

Having matched its best start in program history at 10-0, No. 23 Nebraska now faces its next biggest challenge yet today at No. 13 Illinois.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ first true road test of the season…

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at Illinois Fighting Illini (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten)

Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 – 3:00 p.m. CT

State Farm Center (15,500)

TV: Peacock

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/Streaming: Peacock

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Nebraska projected starters

Jamarques LawrenceGSr.6-3/185Lawrence only scored five points with four turnovers in the win over Wisconsin. However, he also matched his career high with seven of Nebraska’s 20 assists in the game.
Sam HoibergGSr.6-0/180Hoiberg is averaging a career-best 8.2 ppg on 56% shooting, including hitting 39% from three. His 12 points vs. Wisconsin marked his fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season.
Pryce SandfortGJr.6-7/210Sandfort scored 14 points with a +/- of 29 over his 30 minutes vs. Wisconsin. He’s now averaging 15.6 ppg and leads NU with 29 made 3-pointers at a 37% clip. 
Berke BuyuktuncelFJr.6-10/240Buyuktuncel snapped a streak of 12 straight missed 3-pointers, going 2-2 from deep vs. Wisconsin. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in the win.
Rienk MastFSr.6-10/250 After posting 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. Wisconsin, Mast is averaging a career-high 18.0 ppg on 55% shooting while hitting 42% from 3-point range.

Illinois projected starters

Kylan BoswellGSr.6-2/215A former transfer from Arizona, Boswell leads Illinois in both scoring (15.7 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg) while also hauling in 4.4 rpg.
Keaton WaglerGFr.6-6/185A former four-star from Shawnee, Kansas, Wagler ranks third on the team with 14.7 points per game. He also averages 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 apg.
Andrej StojakovicGJr.6-7/215The son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, Andrej transferred from Cal and ranks second on the team with 15.1 ppg. He also averages 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
David MirkovicFFr.6-9/250A freshman from Niksic, Montenegro, Mirkovic played 50 professional games in Europe’s ABA League. He’s scoring 14.6 ppg and leads Illinois with 9.5 rpg, along with 2.5 apg.
Tomislav IvisicCJr.7-1/255The native of Vodice, Croatia, started 32 games for Illinois last season and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. He’s averaging 11.0 ppg on 53.7% shooting with 4.7 rpg.

3 keys to victory

Finish defensive possessions

With scoring threats at every position, Illinois has five players averaging double figures this season and seven above 6.7 points per game. That balance has made the Fighting Illini one of the most productive offenses in the country, as they rank fifth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency (124.7). What makes them even more dangerous is how often they get multiple shots in a possession because of their aggressiveness on the offensive glass. Illinois ranks 31st in offensive rebounding percentage (37.9). Nebraska cannot afford to let a team as potent as the Illini get second-chance opportunities and dictate the game’s tempo.

Keep attacking the basket

Nebraska broke the Wisconsin game open by knocking down 11 threes in the win. However, the reason the Huskers were so dominant was because of how well they got the ball in the paint and attacked the rim. NU scored 44 points in the paint, four shy of its season high, and held a 20-point advantage over the Badgers in the lane. That included 17 dunks and layups, as it shot an impressive 71% inside the arc. Illinois ranks 271st nationally with 51.9% of its opponents’ scoring coming off 2-pointers. Nebraska must always try to get its threes going, but it also can’t settle on the perimeter. Get the ball inside as much as possible, and good things will happen.

Convert at the charity stripe

Hitting threes and scoring in the paint are obvious ingredients for Nebraska’s offense success. The X-factor, especially in its first true road test of the season, is the free-throw line. The Huskers have been OK at the charity stripe this season, hitting 72.7% as a team. However, they’ve struggled to consistently create opportunities at the line. NU’s 30.5 free-throw rate ranks just 284th nationally. Conversely, Illinois is sixth in defensive FT rate (21.7). That means Nebraska must find ways to get the stripe against an Illini defense that rarely fouls. Beyond simply drawing whistles, though, the Huskers must convert when they get their FT chances. They just had arguably their best free-throw performance of the season vs. Wisconsin, hitting 13 of their 15 tries. That must continue tonight in a game where NU needs all the offense it can get.

Quotable

“We’re going to keep going. As soon as we get satisfied, this thing is going to be over. Our guys are going to keep this hunger. They were all talking about what we have to do to put this one behind us.” 

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska not getting comfortable after improving to 10-0 with a 30-point win over Wisconsin.

Prediction

Illinois 80, Nebraska (+8.5) 76

Robin’s season record: 10-0

Vs. the spread: 8-2

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