It was a historic afternoon at Mackey Arena on Saturday as No. 11 Illinois (17-3, 8-1) downed No. 4 Purdue (17-3, 7-2), 88-82, behind a monster 46-point performance from freshman guard Keaton Wagler. Even after a rocky first-half shooting performance from the Illini, Wagler kept them afloat and led the charge until the final buzzer. This victory marks Illinois’ ninth straight win and head coach Brad Underwood’s 100th win in the Big Ten.
“It’s so awesome,” Underwood said about the celebration for Wagler after the game. “It’s why coaches do that. You love those moments. That locker room today, when they’re 45 years old, they’re all going to remember that locker room. There’s special moments that happen throughout the course of a career and that will be one. Our secret sauce is our connective mentality.”
*Andrej Stojaković (C+): After a 30-point performance to lead Illinois over Maryland on Wednesday, the expectations were high for junior wing Andrej Stojaković going into this top 15 matchup. Stojaković proved he could be the two-way player that the Illini need in Boswell’s absence earlier this week, but he struggled to continue doing that against Purdue.
In 37 minutes, Stojaković scored just 5 points on an inefficient 2 for 9 from the field and committed three turnovers. In comparison to his last game, where he hit four 3-pointers, he struggled from beyond the arc, going 0 for 3. The Boilermakers’ defense didn’t make it easy for Stojaković to get what he wanted at the rim, which caused him to disappear within the Illini offense. However, Stojaković grabbed seven rebounds, two offensive, to contribute to Illinois’ rebounding efforts, which was one of the ways it kept itself within striking distance of Purdue.
On the defensive side, Stojaković was tasked as the primary defender on Purdue senior guard Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year. Defending Smith was a difficult task for Stojaković, with Smith’s speed and tough shot-making ability. The junior didn’t do the best job defensively as he allowed Smith to record a 27-point, 12-assist double-double on 11 for 16 shooting. Stojaković also made, what could’ve been, a detrimental defensive mistake down the stretch, fouling Smith on a 3-point shot attempt. Luckily, Smith only made two of the three free throws.
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*Keaton Wagler (A+): Saying that Wagler carried Illinois to victory at one of the toughest arenas in college basketball is an understatement. Wagler broke multiple records on Saturday afternoon with his monster 46 points on 13 for 17 from the field, including nine threes. Wagler not only broke Illinois’ single-game freshman scoring record, but he also recorded the most points by a visitor at Mackey Arena and by a Big Ten player against an AP top-five team.
“If you guys didn’t get a good read on Keaton Wagler right there, then you missed it because that’s him,” Underwood said. “He just plays. He just hoops. There’s nothing that fazes him. He just wants to make the right basketball play, and tonight it happened to be scoring it … The most impressive thing is that he takes the emotion out of it in a venue with 15,000 people all against him and he just plays.”
In the first half, Wagler single-handedly willed the Illini to only being down by four at halftime by scoring 24 points while no other Illini had more than four. The freshman was lights out from the 3-point line and made six in his first 19 first-half minutes. Wagler’s 3-point shooting kept Illinois in the game against Purdue’s efficient offense that Illinois couldn’t stop in the paint, even with two 7-footers on its side.
Coming out of halftime, Wagler didn’t slow down one bit and led the Illini’s 7-0 run in the first two minutes that put them up by three. Wagler finished the game perfect from the 3-point line, going 3 for 3 in the second half. When Purdue’s bigs switched onto Wagler, it gave him more opportunities to hit shots from deep, but also use his craftiness and patience to get to the rim.
“I think the switches really opened up a lot of space,” Wagler said. “Especially with our bigs being able to shoot as well as they can. It just allowed me to have a lot of space to try to create, and you know, first bucket, just getting to the basket, and then they started playing off, just knocking down shots.”
Even in a packed Mackey Arena, Wagler was not fazed one bit. He stepped up to the plate in one of the most important games Illinois will play this season and made waves on a national level. Even in the final minutes of the game, Wagler’s decision-making was just as impressive as his scoring. The freshman assisted on two huge Illini threes in the final 2:30 when he could’ve tried to score on his own, but instead chose to make the right play. The fact that Wagler played at this high level for all 39 minutes he was on the floor proves just how vital he was to this win and how he doesn’t back down from clutch moments.
*Jake Davis (B): In his second start of the week, junior forward Jake Davis was a solid and steady presence for the Illini. While Davis struggled to hit threes in the first half, going 1 for 4, he made the ones that mattered down the stretch. Davis’ three with 2:30 left in the game put Illinois up one and gave it the momentum it needed to put Purdue away. The junior also made an effort for offensive rebounds with two of them, which helped the Illini make up for the fact that they weren’t hitting shots early.
Although Davis doesn’t have the flashiest stat line from this matchup, he didn’t make any mistakes that put Illinois in a place it couldn’t win this game, besides not hitting shots. With Boswell still sidelined, the Illini need players who consistently fill their role without fail, and Davis is doing that very well right now.
*David Mirković (B+): Freshman forward David Mirković had Illini fans nervous before the contest even started, as he was reported as questionable to play Saturday afternoon. Even after tweaking his ankle in the practice the day before, Mirković remained in his regular spot in the starting lineup and made his presence known at Mackey Arena. The freshman scored 12 points on 4 for 7 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds in his debut performance against the Boilermakers.
“Coach came to me at breakfast and said adrenaline is the best drug,” Mirković said. “When you come out there and see 14,000 drunk fans cussing at you, you’re going to be good. It was like that when I came on the court. My ankle just stopped hurting.”
Defensively, Mirković struggled against Purdue senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn early in the game, as Kaufman-Renn led Purdue in the first half with eight points. In the second half, Mirković improved, and Kaufman-Renn only had four points. Keeping Kaufman-Renn from having an offensive impact on the game was crucial for Illinois to maintain a small point differential with Purdue in the second half. The freshman also out rebounded Kaufman-Renn on both the offensive and defensive ends for the game, which was much-needed for the Illini to walk away victorious.
Most impressively, Mirković stayed engaged in the game and knocked down shots that won the game for Illinois in its final minutes. With 1:45 left in the game, the freshman hit a big-time 3-pointer that put Illinois up four. This came after Mirković didn’t hit a single three-pointer in the first half. For Mirković to make those types of clutch shots in critical moments is a testament to the improvements he has made in his focus this season.
*Tomislav Ivišić (A-): Alongside Wagler’s scoring, junior center Tomislav Ivišić’s rebounding was also a crucial component in helping the Illini not fall too far behind the Boilermakers. Tomislav didn’t score any points in his first 13 minutes on the court, but he did end the half with seven rebounds, three of those offensive. With Illinois’ early shooting struggles, Tomislav’s offensive rebounding helped it achieve extra possessions and give it more opportunities to try to sink in a shot or two. Especially with the talented rebounders in Purdue’s front court, Tomislav went to work on the glass, which is exactly what Illinois needed and what Underwood wanted out of his big men.
On the scoring side of things, Tomislav picked up his offensive production in the second half, scoring seven points on 2 for 4 shooting, with both made field goals being threes. Similar to Mirković, the junior was invaluable for Illinois down the stretch from the 3-point line. After a foul on Purdue senior center Oscar Cluff was upgraded to a flagrant 1, Tomislav knocked down one of his free throws and then followed that up with a 3-pointer that tied the game up at 73. He later hit another three with less than a minute left to give Illinois a 5-point lead.
Zvonimir Ivišić (C): In his 20 minutes of play, junior center Zvonimir Ivišić was overall average in this game. He didn’t stand out positively or negatively, but still helped Illinois complete the win. Zvonimir posted four points on 1 for 4 shooting alongside two rebounds and one assist. His biggest play of the game came in the final minute of the first half when he hit a corner during Illinois’ 6-0 run that chopped away at Purdue’s lead. Per usual, Zvonimir still recorded two blocks, which showed that he worked to protect the paint amidst Purdue’s talented presence there on the offensive end.
Ben Humrichous (C+): Graduate student forward Ben Humrichous found his shooting stroke once again on Saturday afternoon and scored six points on 2 for 4 shooting from the field, both 3-pointers. Humrichous hasn’t found much success hitting his open threes as of late, but he did manage to knock down a small step back that was contested in the first half. Also, Humrichous went to work on the boards right alongside the rest of the Illini, grabbing four rebounds in his 20 minutes.
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