Report: Illinois hosting multi-team event in November
Jun. 7—CHAMPAIGN — Brad Underwood dropped some hints about how the Illinois basketball schedule would come together for the 2023-24 season during a recent radio appearance on WDWS.
Some of the schedule has been announced. A Gavitt Games matchup with Marquette. A trip to Tennessee as the first part of a home-and-home with the Volunteers. Braggin' Rights, of course, with Missouri.
But what Underwood couldn't discuss in detail were negotiations for a single game in an unnamed premier event and the multi-team event Illinois would host early in the season.
The latter is still not official — all the contracts have not been executed — but the Illini will play Valparaiso, Western Illinois and Southern in the second Joseph J. Biggs Invitational. Stadium's Jeff Goodman first reported the teams involved.
The 2023-24 event is reminiscent of the MTE Illinois hosted during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season. Biggs, the Illini's assistant athletic director for basketball, is responsible for piecing the schedule together.
Valparaiso is coming off an 11-21 season and coaching change. Former Illinois standout Roger Powell Jr. was named the Beacons' new coach on April 7. Valparaiso lost its top scorer from 2022-23, with All-Missouri Valley Conference forward Ben Krikke transferring to Iowa.
Western Illinois also changed coaches this offseason with Chad Boudreau moving up from associate head coach after Rob Jeter left to take the head coaching job at Southern Utah. The Leathernecks went 16-19 last season and finished fourth in the Summit League.
WIU is moving to the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2023-24 season and will do so without its top three scorers from last year. The top returning scorer (and last year's leading rebounder) is senior wing Jesiah West, who put up 9.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Southern will make its second trip to Champaign in November. Illinois beat the Jaguars 102-55 on Nov. 10, 2017. Southern is coming off a 15-17 season in 2022-23 and also has a new coach with Kevin Johnson replacing Sean Woods. Johnson hit the transfer portal this offseason, adding guards Brandon Davis (Texas State) and Derrick Tezeno (Stephen F. Austin) to rebuild the Jaguars' backcourt.
