Coach Brad Underwood's Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team is ranked No. 3 in the nation heading into its season opener against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Nov. 2 at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, giving the team a little time to tighten up its rotations.
The Fighting Illini looked good against the UIC Flames on Wednesday night, winning their final exhibition game by a score of 101-66, looking ready for the regular season.
Underwood relied on a few unexpected, key contributors during the game, including one freshman starter who is playing ahead of a more established college star.
Here are four X-factors for the Fighting Illini this season that could make the difference between the program's first-ever national championship and a relatively early exit.
1. Ethan Brown, SG
Ethan Brown is a three-star freshman from Rolla, Missouri who has already outperformed his star ranking for coach Underwood's team as he has started the team's three exhibition games.
Brown probably wouldn't be starting if Preseason All-American David Mirkovic wasn't hurt, but it's still a monumental achievement for a player who looks like a diamond in the rough with coach Underwood's team.
At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Brown has a solid frame for a freshman shooting guard and understands how to get his offense within a team concept.
He has a sharp, fluid release on his jump shot which allows him to get it off in tight spaces. He also has the ability to get Illinois into its three-point centric offensive sets quickly because of his high basketball IQ and ability to push the ball up the court.
Brown will make plenty of freshman mistakes, but his advanced working on-court knowledge will give him a chance to start for much of the season, depending on when Mirkovic returns.
2. David Mirkovic's Health
Mirkovic was reportedly targeting a Nov. 2 return date but appears to have had a setback on his surgically-repaired left foot. He was seen wheeling himself around on a scooter again during the Illini's final exhibition against the Flames and is seemingly a ways off from being at full strength.
If Mirkovic's injury is one that lingers throughout the season, the Illini's Final Four hopes could be in jeopardy. If not, he will have a good chance to live up to his preseason billing as one of the college game's top players, and to top his 13.3 points per game average by a significant amount en route to a long postseason run.
3. Stefan Vaaks, G/F
Vaaks averaged over 15 points per game with Providence last year and made his former coach Kim English upset after spurning the Friars for Underwood's program.
Vaaks probably won't average as many points as he did last season, but he should be a better player surrounded by elite talent, and he's definitely one of the college game's best three-point shooters, as ranked by CBS Sports' Andy Katz recently.
The Illinois have more outside shooting than any team in the Big Ten and perhaps more than any team in the nation. Vaaks will get plenty of opportunities to catch fire from outside with unselfish players like Brown and fellow frosh Quentin Coleman passing him the ball.
4. Brad Underwood, Coach
Is Brad Underwood an elite tactician as a head coach, and an elite motivator, or is he simply a great team and program builder who caught lightning in a bottle last season during Illinois' Final Four run?
Underwood's coaching chops will be tested this season like never before with marquee games against teams like No. 2 Duke, No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 16 Michigan and No. 6 Michigan State on the schedule.
Underwood appears to be easing up on his players and gaining more confidence as a head coach. He is more relaxed than when he was when he first came to Champaign, and that should serve him well this season as he will need to push different buttons to better serve his team throughout the year.