In its first home victory of 2026, No. 16 Illinois (12-3, 3-1) put on an offensive and defensive masterclass to defeat Rutgers (8-8, 1-4), 81-55. The Illini executed each part of their game plan necessary to limit the Scarlet Knights, and the Illini starters showed why their depth makes them a dangerous team to face on both ends of the floor. Each of the starters made a positive impact on the outcome of the game, continuing to build chemistry and overall team continuity.
*Kylan Boswell (A): Senior guard Kylan Boswell did exactly what was needed from him for Illinois to secure a win. While Boswell didn’t take as many shots as he did against Penn State last Saturday, he was more efficient on Thursday night. The senior shot 4 for 7 from the field for 9 points. He was also a willing distributor as he dished out five assists, including an impressive cross-court skip pass for a corner three from junior forward Jake Davis. Boswell’s high IQ and unselfish play lead to good decisions, which help make the Illini offense run smoothly and continue to improve.
However, it was Boswell’s defensive performance that stood out the most in this matchup. Rutgers star bench player junior guard Tariq Francis had been on a heater the last few games, and decreasing his productivity was important for Illinois. Once again, Boswell took on the defensive challenge and succeeded. Boswell’s defensive prowess isn’t new to watch, but it’s proving to become more and more valuable as the Illini get into a full Big Ten schedule.
The senior helped hold Francis to only 6 points on 3 of 10 from the field. The senior also did well on the defensive glass, grabbing five rebounds, all defensive. While Illinois’ bigs in the paint blocked out Rutgers’ primary offensive rebounders, its guards needed to track down the long rebounds. Boswell contributed to doing just that with his strength and athleticism.
*Andrej Stojaković (A): For the second straight game, junior wing Andrej Stojaković impacted the game not only by scoring, but on the glass as well. Stojaković utilized his size effectively on the defensive end, grabbing seven defensive rebounds in a game where Illinois needed him to be engaged in that area. He also recorded one offensive rebound. Underwood has emphasized a lot so far this season the importance of getting Stojaković to improve as a rebounder, and the junior seems to be finally stepping up to the plate as of late.
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“(Stojaković) had a couple plays in the first half where he got rebounds and went the full length of the court, Terrence Shannon-like, Ayo (Dosunmu)-like,” said head coach Brad Underwood. “ … He’s got all the tools and all the ability.”
Stojaković is also finding a consistent rhythm on the offensive end once again. He recorded his second straight double-digit scoring performance with 12 points on 4 for 6 shooting from the field. With many skilled scorers on this roster, Stojaković doesn’t have to take on as much of an offensive load as he may have had to at his previous schools. He is starting to settle in and play within Illinois’ offense, finding his consistent role alongside other great scorers.
*Keaton Wagler (A): If there was one word to describe freshman guard Keaton Wagler, it would be dependable. No matter the night, Wagler can be depended on to run Illinois’ offense, play through physicality, knock down threes and rebound on both ends of the floor. It is tough for any player to do all of that consistently night in and night out, much less a freshman, but Wagler does. He led the Illini in scoring on Thursday night with 17 points, including shooting 6 for 7 from the free-throw line.
Wagler didn’t fall short defensively either. He was also vital in helping Boswell keep Francis from getting hot in the matchup, using his 5-inch size advantage to contest Francis’s attempts. Yet again, Wagler was an avid rebounder on the defensive end, alongside Boswell and Stojaković, recording seven rebounds total in 32 minutes.
*David Mirković (A-): Freshman forward David Mirković did a little bit of everything for the Illini against the Scarlet Knights, showing off how he can impact the game in multiple ways. Mirković finished Thursday night’s contest with 8 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Most impressively, Mirković didn’t commit a single turnover in his 26 minutes of playing time. As this was a continued concern for the freshman up to this point, his improvement is a good sign. When Mirković is dialed in, he takes care of the ball and makes himself tougher to defend.
The only area where Mirković struggled on Thursday was in his shooting percentage. The freshman wasn’t as efficient as he normally is, shooting 2 for 8 from the field. Still, Mirković is showing glimpses again of the dominance he started the season with at the perfect time.
*Tomislav Ivišić (A): After multiple games in a row with disappointing performances, junior center Tomislav Ivišić had the bounce-back game Illini fans were waiting to see. Like the rest of the Illini starters, Ivišić did what he needed to do to put away the Scarlet Knights early in the game. The center scored 14 points on 5 for 10 shooting from the field, along with two 3-pointers and four rebounds.
“Tomi’s just a force,” Davis said. “ … When he’s playing well, he’s one of the best centers in college basketball.”
Where Illinois needed Ivišić most, though, was on the defensive end against Rutgers’ tough offensive rebounders. While the Illini guards did their job in grabbing defensive rebounds, Ivišić did the work in the paint by blocking out senior center Emmanuel Ogbole to keep him off the glass. Ivišić’s size was also useful for the Illini in their drop coverage to consistently contest the Scarlet Knights’ smaller guards.
Ivišić’s performance on Thursday was much needed for him moving forward into the season. The junior doesn’t lack talent near the rim and from the 3-point line, but wasn’t showing that talent recently. The Illini need Ivišić to keep up this dominance as his versatile skillset and size give them an advantage over nearly every opponent.
Zvonimir Ivišić (C+): Junior center Zvonimir Ivišić had one of his quieter games against Rutgers as he didn’t stand out on either end of the floor. Ivišić didn’t play poorly, as his interior defense protected the rim and contained the Scarlet Knights’ guards, but he wasn’t at his best either. His two personal fouls were the most by any Illini in the contest, and he only attempted two field goals in 14 minutes of play.
Ben Humrichous (C): Similar to Zvonimir Ivišić, graduate student forward Ben Humrichous wasn’t at his best on Thursday, but he also didn’t play his worst. Humrichous knocked down one 3-pointer for his only points of the contest, grabbed one rebound and dished out one assist. His defense contributed to Illinois’ disruption of Rutgers’ offense, but other than that, he didn’t make much of an impact. Although he hit one 3-pointer, Humrichous still had other open looks that he could’ve made when the ball was swung to him, but he didn’t sink one in.
Jake Davis (A): Davis couldn’t seem to miss from anywhere outside the arc against Rutgers as he went 4 for 7 from the field for 12 points on only 3-pointers. The junior forward earned his extended minutes on the floor, though, by doing more than just knocking down 3-pointers. His communication on the defensive end made all the difference in helping the Illini lock in on that end of the floor.
“Jake’s playing with confidence,” Underwood said. “He’s a very good player with really good players. I don’t mean that to sound bad about him … We love him defensively because he’s a great talker and he’s very smart when it comes to scouting reports and knowing what’s going on. He can talk his way through a lot of that.”
Especially in Thursday night’s contest, Davis proved himself as a leader, and his teammates have that belief in him that he can continue to perform at this level. If Davis continues to hit threes like he is right now, that only adds another layer to Illinois’ already deep offense.
“Not for him, it doesn’t matter,” Stojaković said about Davis shooting well at home. “When you’re a good shooter, you’re a good shooter.”
Mihailo Petrović (C-): Sophomore guard Mihailo Petrović only played three minutes, and it doesn’t seem like he will be seeing more minutes anytime soon. Petrović saw the court for a small amount of time in the first half, but he didn’t stay in for long. He ended the game with 0 points and one rebound.
Brandon Lee (C): Freshman guard Brandon Lee scored 2 points off free throws in his three minutes of play, and he also grabbed two rebounds. Lee didn’t impact Thursday’s game too much, but Underwood complimented his work in practice, which helped the Illini prepare for the Scarlet Knights.
“Brandon’s going to be an unbelievable scorer here,” Underwood said. “We had him playing (as) Francis yesterday in practice, and I was concerned as heck because we couldn’t guard him. He is an elite scorer.”
Jason Jakstys (C-): Redshirt freshman center Jason Jakstys played the final minute of the game but still managed to score 2 points from the free-throw line.
Blake Fagbemi (D): Freshman guard Blake Fagbemi saw minutes for only the fifth game this season and didn’t record any notable statistics in the one minute he played.
AJ Redd (D): Senior guard AJ Redd also played in his fifth game this season and committed one foul in the final minute of the game.
