Illinois men’s basketball opened its season in Champaign with a thundering 122-67 victory over Eastern Illinois on Monday night. The energy in the State Farm Center was high as the new-look roster took to the floor and secured the win. Multiple players had very strong performances, while a few faded into the background.
Kylan Boswell (C-):
Junior guard Kylan Boswell did not stand out on the offensive end in his Champaign homecoming, scoring five points and only making one field goal. He didn’t facilitate much either, with only one assist to his name. Boswell got outshined on offense by sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and didn’t make much of an impact in his 26 minutes on the court. Boswell seemed passive and indecisive, passing up multiple opportunities to shoot.
However, Boswell had a solid showing on the defensive end compared to his lack of offensive production.
“I want to start with Kylan Boswell’s on-ball defense; in the first half, I thought (it) was fabulous,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “I thought it stymied them. It controlled the tempo, forced them out of what they wanted to do. I thought that was spectacular.”
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Kasparas Jakučionis (A):
Kasparas Jakučionis was everywhere during his college basketball debut. The freshman guard had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds, showcasing his all-around game. Despite not shooting the ball much, Jakučionis was efficient, going 3-4 from the field.
“That’s KJ,” Underwood said. “You look at his stat line, and he just stuffed it. Pretty good debut.”
Jakučionis was the primary ball handler most of the game over Boswell and Gibbs-Lawhorn, and he took care of the ball well, only turning it over twice in 25 minutes. He also pushed the ball a lot in transition to create opportunities for his team, especially in the second half.
“If you’re open and you run, guys are starting to figure out he’ll get you the basketball,” Underwood said.
Tre White (C):
Junior Tre White got the nod as the starting small forward but was relatively quiet throughout the game. He missed both of his shot attempts and only scored five points, all from free throws. He grabbed five rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, but overall, White played second fiddle to his backup, freshman forward Will Riley, the whole night.
Ben Humrichous (A):
Humrichous had a sneaky good night for the Illini in his Division I debut. He only played 17 minutes, the least of all the Illini starters, but he racked up 14 points on an efficient 5-8 shooting, including two three-pointers.
His ability to score from deep on spot-up threes and at the rim using his strength was on full display. It was a good bounceback for Humrichous from a tough shooting performance in the team’s exhibition game against Ole Miss.
Tomislav Ivisic (A):
Easily one of the most impressive players on the court, Ivisic shined in his Illinois debut. The sophomore big man from Croatia had a double-double in his first college game, scoring 14 points and 14 rebounds. The only knock on Ivisic would be that he didn’t shoot great from beyond the arc, only going 1-6. However, he still found ways to be impactful, and his willingness to shoot the deep ball bodes well for the future.
“I thought Tomi was the dominant offensive figure in the first half,” Underwood said. “He had a tough night shooting it, which is something he has been doing at a very high clip. So if he throws a couple of those in, it’s really a big night for him.”
Ivisic’s abilities as a facilitator also stood out. He made multiple passes to shooters out of post-up situations, including a one-handed swing from the wing to Gibbs-Lawhorn in the opposite corner for a three.
“He’s a terrific passer,” Underwood said. “He’s got an extremely high basketball IQ. His feel allows him to do and make others better; you can run a lot of offense through him.”
Will Riley (A+):
Thirty-one points — an Illini freshman debut record. The first Big Ten freshman to score 30 points in their debut since Indiana’s Eric Gordon in 2007. Yeah, Riley is the real deal, and he looks more than ready to be an offensive unicorn for the Illini.
“Let him cook,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said about Riley. “First thing that goes through my mind is just let him cook.”
Riley shot the ball extremely well, going 10-13 from the field, including going 5-6 from three. Twenty-six points came in a second-half heater, and two of his three-pointers turned into four-point plays. Riley’s Illinois debut was reminiscent of his 42-point EYBL performance in May, where he made five three-pointers and only missed one shot.
“It felt really good,” Riley said. “Obviously, the fans, the crowd and we won the game, so it was great.”
If he keeps this up, there is no question Riley will be ready to go pro after this season. In the short term, though, look for him to enter the starting lineup for the Illini after completely outshining White and playing five minutes more than him.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (A):
Gibbs-Lawhorn dominated in the first half. He scored 18 points on 4-6 shooting, including knocking down three three-pointers. This followed up an impressive scrimmage at Ole Miss, where Gibbs-Lawhorn led the team in scoring. It seems that he has made the stereotypical freshman-to-sophomore jump. The confidence and aggressiveness on the offensive end that Gibbs-Lawhorn played with outshined the more passive Boswell in the Illini’s win.
The second half for Gibbs-Lawhorn was much quieter, but the sophomore guard still ended with 21 points on 5-10 shooting. His performance in season openers against EIU has gone strong for two years now. Last season, Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 18 points for the Illini on 7-10 shooting.
“My dad went there,” joked Gibbs-Lawhorn when asked about why he’s played so well against the Panthers for two years.
Carey Booth (B+):
Booth was very solid for the Illini in his 14 minutes on the court. He went 2-5 from long range en route to six points. Booth played more like a wing on offense than a traditional big man, with his only shot attempts being three-pointers.
On defense, Booth used his size to his advantage. He grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot as well. He looked very comfortable on the court, and with a season of growth in a secondary role for the Illini, Booth could develop into a legitimate starter for the Illini next year on a team with a similar level of talent.
Jake Davis (D-):
Davis only played eight minutes, but he didn’t do anything meaningful. The swingman is considered a shooter, but he couldn’t get anything to go against EIU. Davis went 0-4 from the field, including missing a trio of three-pointers. He also committed four fouls, way too many for such limited minutes.
Morez Johnson (B):
Johnson tied the freshman record for most blocks in a game, sending back six shots against EIU. His defense and athleticism really stood out, along with his rebounding. Johnson secured eight rebounds, which is how he made his mark in high school and for the gold medal-winning U18 AmeriCup team this summer.
However, Johnson’s offensive output was limited. In 15 minutes, the 6-foot-9 forward only attempted two shots, making one. He did get to the line, however he shot poorly, going 1-4 from the charity stripe.
All in all, a great performance for Johnson on defense and the glass, but there is definitely room for offensive improvement.
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