We finally got to see the women's Illinois basketball program back in action on Friday night.
It wasn't a big game for the Illini, as we played Illinois-Springfield, but this was a needed contest to get prepared for the much-anticipated 2026-27 season.
Illinois is starting the year ranked No. 23 in the country. That is a lot of expectations on the shoulders of the Orange and Blue, and in the first exhibition game, they handled things well. Illinois put UIS away early, finishing the game with an 88-44 win.
Here are five Illinois basketball observations from the good start against UIS
1. This is the Illinois rotation we are likely to see
Coming into the exhibition game, I was expecting Illinois to be one of the deepest teams in the country. That proved to be the case on Friday night.
Illinois ended up going 10-deep against UIS. All 10 players played at least 14 minutes. I know that in exhibition games, that can be the case. I don't think this is the exhibition mirage, though.
I believe what we saw on Friday night will be the case during the 2026-27 season. All 10 players are going to get good minutes, and each player will have their role.
On both the men's and women's sides of the basketball program, I have never seen a deeper team. Illinois could have a big season in 2026-27, and depth will carry us to heights we haven't seen before.
2. It was good to see Gretchen Dolan playing
Gretchen Dolan's career has been so promising, but injuries have derailed her progress. She has spent three seasons in Champaign, and in the last two campaigns, she has played a combined 26 games due to injuries.
Illinois needed Dolan last season, but we didn't have her down the stretch. The fact that we got to see her on the court against UIS was exciting.
Dolan led Illinois in scoring, going for 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. It is good for her to knock the rust off. Illinois has to have her on the court this season.
Getting Dolan back in action and gelling with the team is important. She is a big-time key to getting to the second weekend in the NCAA tournament. Her shooting will carry us at times this season.
3. I am a little concerned with three-point shooting
Speaking of shooting, I think Dolan could be Illinois' stalwart when it comes to the three-point shot. She is one of the best on the team and went 1-of-3 from deep on Friday night.
Sadly, the rest of the team laid an egg. As a squad, the Illini went 3-of-19 from three-point range. For those who don't want to do math, that is 15.8% from beyond the three-point arc.
That is a pretty bad number against a bad team. The fact that the three-point shot wasn't dropping is a bit concerning, but at the end of the day, I think we will be on pace for what we did last season.
The Illini shot 35.0% from three-point range in 2025-26, which ranked No. 30 in the country. Berry Wallace, Cearah Parchment, Maddie Webber, and Aaliyah Guyton each shot at least 34.7% from three-point range last season. They were 1-of-9 on Friday night. I think it will be okay, but let's keep an eye on this situation.
4. Cearah Parchment is going to be a double-double machine
Wallace is going to get all of the shine, but I think Illinois has another All-Big Ten caliber player in Parchment.
I think Parchment is one of the most versatile players not only on the Illini roster but in the entire country. She is a monster in the paint and will be a double-double machine this season.
Against UIS, Parchment finished with nine points and nine assists. She only played 21 minutes. Those numbers will increase as we get into the regular season.
Parchment brings even more weapons to the table, though. She had three assists on Friday night, and last season, she shot a team-high 40.7% from three-point range. Look for Parchment to have a big year, and the start against UIS was exactly what Illinois needed.
5. Illinois had a turnover issue
The last thing I want to touch on from the exhibition win over UIS is the turnovers. I know this is an exhibition game, but Illinois has to be better with the basketball.
Last season, the Illini only averaged 12.4 turnovers per game. This is essentially the same team that came back for the 2026-27 campaign, and they coughed up the ball 19 times on Friday night.
It wasn't a one-person show, either. Nearly everyone contributed to the massive turnover number.
I attribute the bad turnovers to just being rusty, but again, this is a team that isn't new to each other. They have played a lot of basketball, and I expect them to be better. Hopefully, the turnovers will calm down as we get into the meaningful games. Let's watch this stat, though.
Today's best reads
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This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as 5 Illinois basketball observations from the good start against UIS.