Illinois (8-3) defended its 2023 Braggin’ Rights win on Sunday, bringing the trophy to Champaign for back-to-back years for the first time since a five-year win streak from 2013-2017. Missouri (10-2) kept the game close throughout 40 minutes. It was tied with two minutes to go, but Illinois pulled ahead in the final minute, winning 80-77.
The win for Illinois propelled them back into the AP Top 25 poll, landing at No. 24 on Monday. Most of the Illini roster contributed positively against the Tigers, but the usual suspects continued to struggle.
*Kylan Boswell (B+): Junior guard Kylan Boswell showed off his elite on-ball defense once again against Missouri. He limited sophomore guard Anthony Robinson II to two points. For reference, Robinson entered the matchup averaging 11.5 points per game.
Boswell’s defense has anchored the Illini all year, and his intensity and toughness make him one of the toughest matchups in the Big Ten, even with him being only 6-foot-2.
Boswell didn’t shoot the ball well and went 2-12 from the field. But he still found ways to score, especially at the free-throw line. Boswell went 11-12 from the line and ended the game with 16 points.
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He also grabbed nine rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass, allowing multiple second-chance opportunities for the Illini. Boswell took care of the ball well, too, only turning it over twice and dishing out five assists.
*Kasparas Jakučionis (A): Freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis was spectacular, as usual. He scored a game-high 21 points and had the game-winning bucket on a turnaround mid-range jumper with 28 seconds left.
Jakučionis’ freshman record lives on, as he notched his sixth straight 20-point game. Nine of Jakučionis’ 21 points came from three. The Lithuanian shot 3-7 from deep and continued his impressive barrage from long range. Jakučionis is averaging 42.1% from three this season and has made 15 of his last 32.
He committed five turnovers, but that’s not atypical. Head coach Brad Underwood has voiced that he knows his primary ball handler, who averages 32 minutes per game, will turn the ball over.
Jakučionis’ ability to play through the mistakes and not be fazed is impressive for an 18-year-old. His early success as Illinois’ primary offensive option makes up for the missteps, especially with older and more physical defenders putting pressure on him.
*Tre White (A-): Junior guard Tre White put up his third straight solid game on Sunday. White was an efficient scorer, going 5-7 from the field en route to 13 points in 26 minutes. One of his layups, an and-one, ended an 11-0 Missouri run in the second half. White also added eight rebounds, which helped Illinois win the battle on the boards 42-30.
White’s grit has been important for Illinois recently, and that was no different on Sunday. He fouled out with less than a minute remaining, but White was still very impactful for the Illini in a physical contest.
*Ben Humrichous (C-): Graduate student forward Ben Humrichous was not good once again on either side of the ball. Humrichous only scored once, going 1-3 from long range.
The one positive is that he did not keep shooting, like when he took nine threes at Northwestern. Humrichous is now 4-21 from deep over Illinois’ last four games, which is disappointing, considering he was brought in to be an elite shooter.
On the defensive end, Humrichous continued to be a liability. He only grabbed one rebound in 21 minutes and was scored on a lot in the first half. He held his ground better in the second half, but there is room for improvement.
His rebounding also needs a lot of work, as a 6-foot-9 starting forward should not be securing only one rebound. Humrichous registered -7.5 net points, the worst on the team, meaning he allowed 7.5 more points than he scored.
*Tomislav Ivišić (A-): After a slow couple of games against Wisconsin and Tennessee for sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić, he showed out against Missouri. The Croatian big man registered his sixth double-double of the season, grabbing 10 rebounds and scoring an efficient 11 points. He was strong on defense, securing nine defensive boards and two blocks.
It was a physical game, so Ivišić’s three turnovers and four fouls were not a huge surprise. Overall, Ivišić’s solid effort showed he can be one of the most consistent and effective big men in college basketball.
Will Riley (D): The shooting struggles continued for freshman forward Will Riley on Sunday. Riley shot a poor 1-8 from the field, including 1-6 from three. He played 17 minutes and still took a high volume of shots despite them not falling. Underwood has continually stressed that he wants Riley to keep shooting, but the results haven’t improved.
Riley is now a combined 2-23 from three over the Illini’s last six games after starting the year shooting a blistering 17-31 from deep. He’s going to have to start making shots soon, or Underwood’s comments labeling him as an elite shooter who needs to keep taking shots will become a tired narrative.
Morez Johnson Jr. (A-): Freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. played his most minutes of the season against a high-major team, with 19 on Sunday. Missouri’s size and physical inside presence primed Johnson for more action, and he took advantage of his time on the court.
Johnson was efficient on the offensive end, scoring six points on 3-4 shooting. He also created many second-chance opportunities for his teammates; five of Johnson’s eight rebounds came on the offensive end.
Johnson did foul out, but the referees were widely slammed for their officiating. Johnson did seem to jump straight up and not swing when fouls against him were called. Despite fouling out, Johnson was effective for Illinois in his role and provided much-needed physicality when Humrichous and Riley struggled.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (B+): Sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is a scorer, and that’s all he did against Missouri. Gibbs-Lawhorn scored seven points on 3-4 shooting in 14 minutes on the floor. He brought offensive aggressiveness and a score-first mentality, which is exactly what Illinois needs from him, especially since Jakučionis and Boswell are both fantastic facilitators.
It was a good bounceback for Gibbs-Lawhorn after he scored just two points in Illinois’ previous three games.
Jake Davis (C): Sophomore forward Jake Davis played three minutes and didn’t do anything to affect the game. He did get in during the last minute of the game after White fouled out. Still, he was just a filler piece for Illinois during his limited time on the court.
Carey Booth (C): Once again, sophomore forward Carey Booth barely saw the court. He only played two minutes for the Illini and didn’t register a single statistic. Even with Humrichous struggling, Underwood still seems unwilling to give Booth more playing time, despite his experience after starting 19 games last year for Notre Dame.
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