Illinois V. Alabama Men's Basketball: Philon Jr. Second Half Takeover Overwhelms Illini Defense

Photo Credit: @Belmo.Media

Game Coverage:

For the 57th game ever played at the United Center in program history, the #8 University of Illinois went up against the #11 Alabama Crimson Tide in a top-15 matchup on November 19, 2025.

The arena was overtaken by a sea of orange, made up of a roaring Illinois student section and passionate Illinois alumni from all over the Chicagoland area. Only hints of red shirts could be seen throughout the arena. In all honesty, you would've thought the game was played in Champaign. The Illini had not played a regular-season game at the United Center since December 2018.

The Crimson Tide defeated Illinois 90-86 after Labaron Philon Jr.'s 19-point second-half performance overloaded Illinois' defense, scoring four straight shots in the final three minutes of the game.

Philon Jr. finished the game with 24 points, 5 assists, and two rebounds.

The Alabama native had previously declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, inserting himself as one of the top-20 NBA prospects heading into the draft with no plans of returning for another year. Moments before the deadline day, Philon Jr. withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft and informed Alabama head coach Nate Oats in May 2025 of another run at a national championship for the program.

“He's an Alabama kid who wants to take Alabama to places it's never gone before," Oats said. “We were able to make the Final Four the year before he got here. We got beat in the Elite Eight last year. He came back to compete for a national championship, and I think we got a team that can do it."

The Fighting Illini led the entire first half, controlling the game with a combination of shooting 8-20 from three-point range and outrebounding Alabama 21-16 in the post. Illinois closed the half with a 42-41 lead after Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic shot nearly perfectly in the first half, racking up 12 points along with Illinois forward David Mirkovic's 10 points and seven-rebound effort.

Stojakovic finished the game with 26 points, shooting 11-16 from the field. The Serbian guard put on a clinic in the first half, causing Alabama to struggle to find an answer to make it harder for him to find his spots.

In the second half, Illinois' unforced turnovers, struggles to make timely shots, and a crucial lane violation penalty put the Fighting Illini in a hole.

When all hope would seem to be lost for the Illini, Stojakovic stepped up, completely taking over the game by creating a series of and-one opportunities and driving aggressively to the basket. Stojakovic's desperation for a win and forcing chances resulted in him leading the team with five turnovers.

Despite the loss, Stojakovic holds high expectations of this Illinois team with only one goal on his mind.

Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic, Brad Underwood, and Kylan Boswell answer questions during the post-game conference.

“I don't know how anyone could expect me not to say we're going for a National Championship," said Stojakovic. "That's ridiculous if I don't think that we have the confidence to win it all."

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell finished the game with 22 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Despite shooting 0-4 from three, the Champaign native caused Alabama to fall into foul trouble throughout the game with his aggression and converted on timely free-throw chances.

Ironically, Boswell saw himself in foul trouble late in the game, forcing him to change his traditional defensive style to stay in the game for the Illini.

“I tried my best not to foul [Alabama], but it was definitely frustrating not being able to be as physical as I'd like to be in those situations that could possibly help my team get a stop," Boswell said.

Alabama's experienced squad and leadership figures served them well in the second half, shooting 45 percent from the field and reclaiming dominance in the paint with 30 total points from inside.

Missed free throws, missed timely shots, and unforced errors were the story of the second half for the Illini.

Illinois finished the game with 11 total turnovers and shooting 13-22 from the free throw line.

“If they’d made their free throws, they would’ve probably won,” Oats said.

Takeaway from Press Coverage Experience:

Blogger Adam Belmares standing on the court before tip-off.

I had an absolute blast at the game. To sit alongside professional writers, social media managers, and national broadcasting personnel was truly a dream come true. The experience allowed me to network and gain advice from writers from The Athletic, Chicago Sun-Times, 247 Sports, and more. I had the privilege of meeting young writers from other universities and exchanging insights on how to further our careers, and shared stories of some of the best games we've covered. Although I was very familiar with the United Center from attending a variety of concerts and a whole lot of Chicago Bulls games prior to the game, the opportunity for me to cover this matchup on a professional level will always be remembered.

I would like to dedicate this section to UIC Radio and thank the organization for the chance to live my dream job early in covering two of the top college basketball programs in the nation. After covering such a highly anticipated collegiate match at one of the NBA's most iconic arenas, I am appreciative for the opportunity and look forward to more sports coverage from the student organization.