Nov. 1—Beat writer Joe Vozzelli breaks down the matchup between the Illini and Flyers:
Friday night’s exhibition matchup with Lewis is about settling into a routine, with Illinois coach Shauna Green treating it like a normal regular-season game with a two-day prep for the Flyers. Still, during the past month or so since official practices have been underway at Ubben Basketball Complex, the Illini have devoted time to their prep for the Florida State season opener. The 19th-ranked Seminoles visit State Farm Center on Nov. 7, with last Saturday’s scrimmage the first chance for Green to see her team in a game-like setting.
“I got some different lineups in there (in the scrimmage),” Green said. “I thought too when we were in Italy and Greece (for two exhibition games in August) got to see some different things. I think Friday will be another good time to do that, because we have more depth now at the guard spot, so I’m not used to that. I’m not used to being able to take (Genesis Bryant) or Makira (Cook) off the floor. Now, I can, and that’s a good thing so we can hopefully be a little fresher.”
Bryant took some time to reflect on her journey after the fifth-year senior was announced as one of the Top 20 shooting guards in Division I women’s basketball on Tuesday, landing a place on the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award preseason watch list. One that started at North Carolina State with limited playing time only to transfer to Illinois before the 2022-23 season and thrive in Green’s system.
“I feel like just seeing my name on that list with all those great players, it kind of just opened my eyes to the process and the journey,” Bryant said. “Not just falling in love with the destination — of getting where I want to be — but enjoying the in between, the ins and outs, the tears, the long nights, the late practices. All of those things added up.”
Kendall Bostic was the third Illinois player this week to get some preseason recognition, following Cook and Bryant, with Bostic joining her fellow fifth-year seniors on a watch list. On Thursday, the 6-foot-2 Bostic was added to the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year preseason list. What has impressed Green the most about the Kokomo, Ind., native is how Bostic has really been able to reinvent her game the past two seasons.
“Her 15-foot jump shot is like a layup for her,” the Illinois coach said. “She’s hitting it a high clip. … Now, OK, we’re a little bit smaller, can we pull her out, can we make her make some of those shots? Now, the bigger kids that are guarding her are going to have to pull out a little bit from the rim. It’s going to open up the rim. Get the rim protector out, and then kind of take advantage of her size disadvantage and make that our advantage.”
Pick any score, really. It’s sort of inconsequential. What the Illini hope to get out of their lone exhibition game is at least some answers to the key questions a veteran roster with heightened expectations will deal with during the four-month regular season. Like what’s possible from a confident — and healthy — Brynn Shoup-Hill? What can Illinois expect from its bench players beyond Gretchen Dolan’s production? How do the Illini set up at center amid a season-ending knee injury for Lety Vasconcelos? Friday night is a dress rehearsal for the season to see those things in action.
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Makira Cook Sr. 5-6 16.4 Cincinnati
G Genesis Bryant Sr. 5-6 14.2 Jonesboro, Ga.
G Adalia McKenzie Sr. 5-10 11.0 Brooklyn Park, Minn.
F Brynn Shoup-Hill Sr. 6-3 3.0 Goshen, Ind.
F Kendall Bostic Sr. 6-2 12.1 Kokomo, Ind.
FYI: Cook’s 1,057 points in two seasons at Illinois rank just outside the Top 25 in program history with Alicia Sheeler 25th on that list with 1,091 career points. Cook, who was recently named to the preseason watch lists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year, finished with 509 points last season. Matching that production as a fifth-year senior would move Cook into the Top 10 on the Illini’s scoring list.
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Gretchen Dolan So. 5-11 4.8 Buffalo, N.Y.
F Berry Wallace Fr. 6-1 17.1 Pickerington, Ohio
G Jasmine Brown-Hagger So. 5-9 2.1 Shorewood
Note: Scoring averages from 2023-24 season (wherever it was played)
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Jenna Badali R-Sr. 5-6 14.0 Oak Lawn
G Taylor Gugliuzza Gr. 5-8 12.2 New Lenox
G Tara Gugliuzza Sr. 5-6 2.3 New Lenox
F Cierra McNamee Sr. 6-0 7.0 Moline
F Gabi Hoover So. 6-2 4.9 Mishawaka, Ind.
FYI: Lewis, which was picked to repeat as Great Lakes Valley Conference champions at the Division II level in the preseason coaches poll after finishing with an 23-9 record last season, has already played one exhibition game, an 83-41 loss to DePaul on Oct. 18 in Chicago. Taylor Gugliuzza led the Flyers in scoring that night with 15 points on the strength of nine made free throws while finishing 3 of 8 shooting from the floor.
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
F Mercy Lasu So. 6-1 4.3 Winnipeg, Manitoba
G Yahaira Bueno Fr. 5-8 9.0 Bolingbrook
G Ally Cesarini So. 5-7 2.2 La Grange
Note: Scoring averages from 2023-24 season (wherever it was played)
Site: State Farm Center (15,544); Champaign.
Streaming/audio: BTN Plus/fightingillini.com
Series: Never played.
FYI: This marks the third straight season coach Shauna Green’s Illinois team plays an exhibition game against a Great Lakes Valley Conference school, with the Illini facing Quincy before the 2022-23 season (a 78-43 win) and Truman State (a 121-60 victory) prior to last season.
