Illinois opens the 2022-23 basketball season with a 30-point rout of Eastern Illinois, while Northwestern also wins its opener

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points and Coleman Hawkins had 23 points and 12 rebounds as No. 23 Illinois cruised to an 87-57 win over Eastern Illinois on Monday night in Champaign.

Dain Dainja added 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Illini, who outrebounded the Panthers 53-30 and scored 21 second-chance points on 20 offensive rebounds.

Kinyon Hodges scored 14 points and Yaakema Rose added 10 for Eastern Illinois.

Shannon set the tone early in his Illinois debut with an athletic, one-handed slam in transition to put his team up 11-6. The Texas Tech transfer and Lincoln Park alumnus took off between the free-throw line and the “I” in the Big Ten logo.

Hawkins quickly answered questions about who might replace the production of departed sharpshooters Jacob Grandison and Trent Frazier. He shot 5-for-6 on 3-pointers in the first half to help Illinois spring to a 34-20 lead by the 5:17 mark.

The Panthers struggled through a 1-for-12 shooting stretch midway through the second half.

Shannon’s layup with 7:18 left capped a 19-3 run to give Illinois a 30-point lead.

Eastern Illinois: The Panthers look like a team that will surpass its pitiful 5-26 record from last season. Hodges didn’t look hesitant against a talented group of Illini guards, and the Panthers created some open looks in the half-court offense.

Illinois: Shannon looks like a primary scorer in the Big Ten and freshmen Skyy Clark, Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris all had flashes of promise in their NCAA debuts.

Eastern Illinois: The Panthers face another in-state foe when they host Illinois State on Thursday.

Illinois: Hosts Kansas City on Friday night.

Robbie Beran scored a career-high 20 points, Boo Buie added 16 and Northwestern opened the season with an 85-54 rout of Chicago State on Monday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Beran, who averaged 6.4 points last season, shot 4-for-8 from the field, including 2 of 3 on 3-pointers, and made 10 of 11 free throws. He also had seven rebounds.

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Buie, the No. 5 returning scorer in the Big Ten after averaging 14.1 points last season, had seven rebounds and six assists.

Ty Berry had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, and Chase Audige added 13 points and nine assists.

After going scoreless for the first two minutes, the Wildcats held Chicago State without a point until Elijah Weaver’s 3-pointer with 13:11 left in the first half made the score 9-3.

Chicago State was within 16-13 with 8:27 left in the half before Northwestern pulled away with a 21-8 run for a 36-21 halftime lead. The Cougars didn’t reach 30 points until 10:15 remained.

Weaver led Chicago State with 19 points, Jahsean Corbett had 14 points and eight rebounds and Wesley Cardet scored 11 points.

Northwestern made more free throws (27 of 32) than field goals (24 of 56) and had 20 assists on 24 baskets.

Northwestern returned four starters from last season’s team that finished 15-16. Chicago State returned three starters and added seven transfers and six freshmen.