In No. 18 Illinois’ (8-3, 1-1) 80-83 loss to No. 15 Nebraska (11-0, 2–0) on Saturday afternoon, few players on Illinois’ roster performed at a high level on either end of the floor. This kept the Illini from being able to push ahead of the Cornhuskers in this close matchup. Specifically on the defensive side, Illinois didn’t play with the effort and hustle necessary to win a ranked conference game.
“I’m really disappointed in our mental approach to how we handled this game and the effort that it takes to win a Big Ten game,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “That ultimately falls on me.”
Andrej Stojaković (A-): Since the start of the season, Underwood has continuously talked about how junior wing Andrej Stojaković needs to be an effective rebounder for the Illini. Stojaković finally showed his potential on the glass on Saturday. The junior recorded his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, stepping up on the offensive end when Illinois needed him most. Stojaković’s rebounding performance proved that he can rebound at a high level, but now it’s about him becoming more consistent.
After struggling to score in double figures in the Illini’s final neutral site games, Stojaković is finding his footing once again to start Big Ten play. When Illinois’ frontcourt was almost nonexistent, Stojaković got himself going by doing what he does best — finishing at the rim through traffic. Despite not hitting any of his 3-point attempts, Stojaković still performed well offensively. Having their star offensive player back in consistent double figures is a much needed good sign for the Illini moving forward.
Kylan Boswell (A-): If any player took advantage of Nebraska’s plethora of fouls, it was senior guard Kylan Boswell. Boswell shot nine free throws in the contest, going 7 for 9 in his 37 minutes of play. His ability to get to the free throw line proves how well Boswell uses his strength when he gets downhill. This accounted for 7 of his total 20 points. After a cold start from three for Illinois, Boswell also ended shooting 3 for 6 from the 3-point line, once again showing his versatility.
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While the Illini were overall checked out defensively, Boswell helped limit the Cornhuskers’ star shooter junior guard Pryce Sandfort in the second half. Sandfort only had 6 second half points compared to his 26 in the first. Throughout the season, Boswell has taken a lot of pride on the defensive end and proven over and over again how he can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Now, it is a matter of getting the rest of the Illini to play the same way.
Keaton Wagler (B+): Freshman guard Keaton Wagler continued to show why he is one of the most consistent players on this roster against Nebraska. Wagler secured his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 assists in 40 minutes. To put up that type of stat line while also playing the entire game is impressive for any player, much less a freshman.
“What (Wagler) did for us down the stretch kept us in the game for sure,” Boswell said. “He’s prepared for that mentally and physically. I’m really proud of him continuously stepping into the spotlight. Having confidence day in and day out to be the guy that he needs to be for this team to be successful.
Alongside Boswell, Wagler also shot efficiently from three, going 4 for 8. When the team is struggling from long range, Wagler is turning into someone Underwood can depend on to knock down a three when the Illini need one. Compared with his recent games, Wagler showed a little immaturity in turning the ball over, as he had three turnovers on Saturday. This is expected since he is still a freshman playing a lot of minutes, but its still something small for him to clean up.
David Mirković (D): In his 23 minutes on the court, freshman David Mirković hurt the Illini’s chances for victory more than he helped. Mirković had almost the same amount of turnovers as he did points, with three turnovers compared to his 4 points. The freshman also wasn’t effective on the glass as he only grabbed two rebounds, neither of them offensive.
To say Mirković struggled against Nebraska is an understatement. Mirković sat on the bench for most of the second half and watched from the sidelines as Nebraska senior guard Jamarques Lawrence hit the game-winner. When he was on the court, Mirković wasn’t locked in and ready to go from the jump, hence the three turnovers. Taking advantage of home games is important in the Big Ten. Mirković wasn’t focused on either end of the floor and contributed to the Illini dropping a crucial Quad 1 win.
“David was in Serbia; he wasn’t in this building,” Underwood said. “Three turnovers. I mean, I couldn’t play him, couldn’t put him in the game.”
Tomislav Ivišić (C-): Junior center Tomislav Ivišić was another member of Illinois’ almost nonexistent frontcourt. After his monster performance against Tennessee, Ivišić had looked like he flipped a switch as he started to play more aggressively in the paint and crash the glass. However, that player was not at State Farm Center on Saturday afternoon. Ivišić took three shots in 29 minutes, ending the game with 3 points.
While Nebraska’s defensive scheme doesn’t allow for many post ups, Ivišić is still a playmaker and facilitator from inside the paint. He is a talented passer, but he wasn’t involved in the offense enough to be effective. Ivišić did win the rebounding battle between him, Mirković and junior center Zvonimir Ivišić by grabbing five rebounds. Still, similar to the rest of the Illini, his defense effort was minimal and impacted the game’s end result negatively.
Zvonimir Ivisic (C-): Same as his brother and Mirković, Ivišić didn’t contribute many positive plays on Saturday afternoon. He only played 10 minutes but made one of the most costly momentum shifting plays to help propel Nebraska to victory. Late into the second half, Ivišić slammed a poster dunk on the Cornhuskers but got hit with a technical foul after the play. Nebraska went on to hit both free throws which prompted it to go on a 7-0 run. Making smarter decisions in these situations is where Ivišić still needs to improve.
“That’s on me for not stopping that in practice,” Underwood said about Ivišić’s technical foul. “ … (Ivišić) has got to grow up.”
Outside of that, Ivišić still scored 7 points, going 3 for 5 from the field in his limited minutes. However, the junior only had three rebounds, an area where the Illini needed him to excel, but he didn’t. Overall, the Illini frontcourt’s lack of aggressiveness and effort put them at a disadvantage.
Ben Humrichous (C-): Illinois needed graduate student forward Ben Humrichous’ defensive effort and leadership on Saturday afternoon. Yet, his defense wasn’t at the same elite level as it was against Tennessee. Humrichous did finally hit a three late into the contest to help the Illini chip away at the Cornhuskers’ lead, but it was no use.
Jake Davis (C+): Out of his most recent games, junior forward Jake Davis had one of his better performances. Davis scored 5 points and grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes of play. The junior even grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Boswell three during Illinois’ late first-half run. Still, Davis didn’t make any plays that would’ve helped the Illini push past the Cornhuskers.
@evy_york2
