CHAMPAIGN, Ill. | Jackson State opens the season on the road on Monday night against No. 14/17 Illinois at State Farm Arena following its exhibition game last week.

The game is set to tip at 7:30 p.m. on BTN.

The meeting is the sixth all-time between the two school since 1977 with Illinois holding a 5-0 advantage, with the first meeting taking place in 1992. The two teams last met on Nov. 9, 2021 with Illinois winning 71-41. The meeting is the first of five this season for Jackson State against a team ranked in the preseason poll.

Daeshun Ruffin, the Preseason SWAC Player of the Year, returns for his senior season after averaging 15.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 2024-25; while Dorian McMillian, a Second Team All-SWAC selection, returns after earning SWAC Freshman of the Year honors averaging 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Jayme Mitchell Jr. also returns after averaging 10.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Game Info - Jackson State at (14/17) Illinois
Monday, Nov. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | State Farm Arena
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Game Notes

• Head coach Mo Williams will have two sons on the bench [at least at some point this season] with his son KyDarrius serving as a an assistant coach, while another of his sons - Mike - comes in as a highly-touted recruit from Germantown High School.
• A trio of players come to Jackson State this year out of the transfer portal - the same place that produced Shannon Grant and Romelle Mansel. The trio - Devin Ree [Louisiana Tech], Dionjahe Thomas [Southern] and Raevon Thomas [Central State] - are all listed at 6-8 or taller.
• Jalen Tatum returns to the Tigers after missing all but four games last season, starting a pair of games before his injury, while Keiveon Hunt will start the season sidelined after suffering a knee injury in the SWAC Championship Game last season.
• After being injured in the conference championship game last season, Mitchell returns as one of the team's top returning scorers and joins a long list of Jackson natives on this year's team that include Ruffin, Hunt, Ree, and Mike Williams.
• The Tigers continue their swing of non-conference games on the road and will face seven teams who played in the NCAA Tournament last season including a pair of Final Four teams (Auburn and Houston), and the 2025 national runner-up (Houston). They will also be playing five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 this season beginning with No. 17 Illinois on Nov. 3 in the season opener. They will also face No. 11 Louisville on Nov. 6, No. 20 Auburn on Nov. 19, and No. 14 Arkansas on Nov. 21. The Tigers close out action against ranked teams against No. 2 Houston on Dec. 10.

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