Two weeks ago, No. 11 Wisconsin (22-7, 12-6) ended a nine-game losing streak to Illinois (19-11, 11-8). However, No. 15 Michigan (22-7, 14-4) was not so fortunate to end a long streak of defeats when facing head coach Brad Underwood.
It was a close first half, followed by an offensive explosion that the passionate Illini fanbase has waited for since an early January drubbing in Eugene. The Illini truly dominated the Wolverines for 40 minutes on Sunday, winning by 20, but they struggled to hit open shots in the first half. The formula was working, though, and boy, did it look good when the ball started going through the basket.
Long-range buckets
A weekend finale in Ann Arbor began with a continuation of recent trends. Illinois shot 3-14 from distance in the first half and only 12-37 from the field. It also coughed up the basketball eight times, letting the hosts back into the game.
Since the absences began in early January, Illinois has seemingly lost the ability to shoot consistently. Fans have cried for better shot selection and pointed fingers toward Illinois’ stellar numbers when driving to the basket in several games.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
However, three-pointers are a necessity in the current age of basketball. Underwood’s system relies on it, and he recruited guys who could shoot the rock. For one reason or another, Underwood has not gotten what he paid for this season, with several shooters falling off a cliff from expectations.
Admittedly, it was frustrating to watch the Illini miss so many shots recently, but for a second on Sunday, a barrage seemed worth the wait. The Illini of November and December showed up and sent the Wolverine fans home early with an 11-23 shooting period.
An outstanding 19 offensive rebounds also helped give Illinois plenty of second chances. Despite more than a few complaints from the public, confidence in the locker room has never wavered. The pure shooting strokes of underclassmen and veterans alike were beautiful to witness against Michigan, and fans are fortunate, for now, that nobody listened to them.
A leader arrives
Following the horrendous showing in Madison Square Garden, Illinois was searching for a leader in the locker room. Underwood had a guy in mind but noted that everyone had to step up and be more mature as well.
“Kylan. Kylan Boswell. Kylan Boswell,” Underwood said.
Junior guard Kylan Boswell wasn’t bad in that loss but has responded to his coach with two stellar performances. In the last two games, Boswell averaged 16 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and two stocks (steals and blocks).
“There’s times throughout the season where you get in those mental slumps,” Boswell said. “After the Duke game, I just had a different click for me. Just try to be as aggressive as I can.”
His defense has been ridiculous for most of the season, but the offensive attack mode is a switch that is now flipped “on.”
“I thought it was the best game Kylan Boswell has played in our uniform,” Underwood said after the win over Michigan. “There’s a lot different with him — I think his swagger. Some of the defense adjustments have helped him. But he’s playing with so much confidence.”
Despite being a junior with two seasons of NCAA tournament experience, Boswell is only 19. Having a kid that young step up and lead vocally and by example is invaluable to a club that was searching for answers not long ago. The Illini will lean on the experienced Boswell in the coming weeks, but if they want to achieve their goals, more will need to rise to the transfer’s level.
Looking ahead
Illinois has just one more game in the regular season. It’ll receive four days off, continuing to implement new strategies and schemes before hosting No. 20 Purdue (20-9, 12-6) on Friday. Practice has been huge for Illinois lately, and it finally has a mostly healthy roster that can come and play every day.
“I feel like it started in practice,” said junior guard Tre White to reporters following the win. “I think the intensity was ramped up to like a 1,000. Honestly, our practices are always a battle, but just to ramp it up even more with intent, everything.”
It would be smart to temper expectations, as there is no telling how long the Illini can stay at peak form. But, similar to what people were saying in early January when Illinois was ranked No. 13, Underwood’s team is hard to beat when it is clicking. The two-game streak is just a taste of the past, but it could turn into a sample of the future if Illinois continues to do all that matters in March and beyond: win.
@benfader7
