Illinois (18-11, 10-8) ended a three-game losing streak in a 20-point win over Iowa (15-13, 6-11) on Tuesday in Champaign. The 81-61 victory was a much-needed win to secure an NCAA tournament bid for the Illini, and it was a team effort. Illinois came out aggressive and sustained that energy throughout the game, helping almost everyone perform well.
*Kasparas Jakučionis (B+): Freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis had nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and only one turnover.
Jakučionis was solid overall. He took care of the ball and didn’t need to do too much offensively with many of his teammates having strong scoring nights. However, going 1-4 from three, leading to only nine points in a team-high 37 minutes, could definitely be better.
*Kylan Boswell (A): Junior guard Kylan Boswell had one of his best performances of the season on Tuesday. Boswell was relentless in driving to the rim, scoring around the basket and kicking the ball out to shooters. He was aggressive from the jump and seemed to have a fire lit inside after a few embarrassing losses for the Illini.
“We get matchups that we like, all of us guards can just get downhill 1-on-1,” Boswell said. “So we just try to exploit that. Continuously just putting ourselves in positions and the right plays and stuff for us to be able to attack those guys on (defense).”
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Boswell finished with 15 points on 6-12 shooting, with most of his misses coming on threes. He also dished out a team-high seven assists with only one turnover — a very efficient performance that has not been seen often this year.
“A big focus when we watch the film is me, KJ (Jakučionis), guys that bring it up a lot, not having silly turnovers,” Boswell said. “Closing out these types of games. I think today we did a great job of that.”
One of those assists was a behind-the-back pass to sophomore center Tomislav Ivišić, who drained a three off the pick-and-pop. According to Boswell, they practice it all the time, with and admittedly limited rate of success.
“Usually he don’t make it,” Ivišić joked.
*Tre White (A-): Junior guard Tre White was extremely efficient offensively, scoring 14 points on 5-8 shooting, including 2-4 from three. On both of his threes, White was open in the corner, as the defense pulled away to focus an Illini drive to the rim. That opened up opportunities to kick the ball out to White, who made multiple threes for only the third time this season.
“It’s great to see (White) get back into rhythm; dealing with illness and stuff, it sucks,” Boswell said. “Your wind is not as good as it usually is. Duke, I feel like he was kind of getting back to his flow, and tonight he did great. Having him on the court is just a huge help for all of us, defensively and offensively.”
The slight knock on White’s performance was that he picked up four fouls and only had two rebounds in 20 minutes, which didn’t help Illinois as they were out-rebounded again.
*Will Riley (B+): Freshman forward Will Riley was inserted into the starting lineup, and it paid off. Riley was a team-high plus-28 in 36 minutes on the court, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Riley attacked the paint, not avoiding contact, and also kept a high level of defensive energy throughout the game.
On two-point attempts, Riley was a solid 5-9, but he still struggled to convert threes. He went 1-6 from deep, despite getting good looks. Riley also turned the ball over three times, a team high.
Overall, it was a solid game for Riley, but there’s definitely still room for improvement in some areas.
*Tomislav Ivišić (A): Ivišić was sensational. The 7-foot-1 center scored 22 points, a Big Ten career high, on 9-13 shooting. He showed his ability as a three-level scorer, hitting multiple mid-range shots, posting up Iowa defenders in the paint and knocking down two three-pointers. The Illini kept going to Ivišić, and he kept producing.
“When the game started I felt good, and the team recognized me there,” Ivišić said. “I’m glad that I helped the team win.”
It was a great bounce back for Ivišić, who hadn’t made more than three buckets in any of Illinois’ last three games and has dealt with illnesses and injuries throughout the month.
Ivišić also had five assists and was able to make tough pass cutters from his spot in the high post. He is a valuable connector for an Illini offense when they move off the ball.
Ben Humrichous (A): Graduate student forward Ben Humrichous played 14 minutes, the fewest of his season, and he came off the bench for only the third time. In his low usage, however, Humrichous did exactly what he was recruited to do: shoot. Humrichous went 2-2 from three, added three rebounds and made three steals.
“Three steals, you know, two of two from three; there’s no doubt we’re going to need (Humrichous),” head coach Brad Underwood said. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing.”
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (D): Sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn went scoreless in 13 minutes. He took three triples and missed all of them. It was Gibbs-Lawhorn’s first scoreless game of the year in which he played double-digit minutes.
Jake Davis (C): Sophomore wing Jake Davis was basically a non-factor in his nine minutes on the court. He missed one shot and grabbed one rebound.
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