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Illinois will tip off its 2026-27 exhibition schedule Saturday at 4 p.m. CT against Cincinnati, marking the Illini's first chance to face an outside opponent this season. The game, set for Cincinnati, will not be televised.
New Leadership and a Massive Transfer Haul
Cincinnati moved on from Wes Miller after five seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth and turned to Jerrod Calhoun, a former Bearcats player and ex-Utah State head coach. Calhoun guided Utah State to consecutive NCAA Tournaments in his two years there and spent seven seasons at Youngstown State before that.
Calhoun brought a 13-player transfer class with him, including four former Utah State players. The headliners are star guard MJ Collins, who averaged 17.5 points per game last season, and sophomore guard Elijah Perryman. Collins' eligibility remained uncertain as he pursues a fifth year, but he was cleared Tuesday and is available against the Illini. Other notable additions include Tulsa guard Tylen Riley, Wake Forest forward Myles Colvin (formerly of Purdue), Towson forward Tyler Tejada, Boston College center Jayden Hastings and North Dakota State transfer Trevian Carson. According to 247Sports, Cincinnati's transfer class ranked No. 23 nationally.
Projected Lineup and Exhibition Performance
Without Collins in an early-October exhibition against Ohio State, Cincinnati started Perryman, Carson, Colvin, Tejada and Hastings. That group lacks size against a tall Illinois squad, but with the 6-foot-4 Collins likely back and playing off the ball, the Bearcats will be better positioned Saturday.
Cincinnati used a dominant 49-33 second half to defeat Ohio State 79-68 at a neutral site. Riley led the way with 23 points off the bench, hitting 11 of 16 free throws and adding three assists. Tejada contributed 17 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Hastings posted 16 points and six rebounds. The Bearcats outrebounded the Buckeyes 45-35, held them to 40.7 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers. Cincinnati shot just 4 of 19 from three-point range but limited Ohio State to 4 of 23 from beyond the arc. Those results carry limited weight, though, because the game was played outdoors.
Implications for Illinois
The Bearcats play hard and physical—they were whistled for 27 fouls against Ohio State—and have individual players capable of testing the Illini defense. KenPom's preseason projection ranks Cincinnati No. 31 overall with the No. 16 defense nationally. The Bearcats can pressure Illinois in every facet, and the boards will be a challenge. The exhibition will show how the Illini handle one-on-one situations against talented defenders and whether they can play team basketball on offense. It also provides the first look at how Brad Underwood's club performs in a road environment.
Caution is warranted, however. This is an exhibition game that does not count in the win-loss column and is merely the first step in a long journey. For perspective, Cincinnati beat Michigan 100-98 in a preseason matchup last year; the Bearcats missed the NCAA Tournament, while the Wolverines won the national title.