A powerhouse visits Champaign on Friday night, as No. 3 Michigan (26-2, 16-1) is set to take on No. 10 Illinois (22-6, 13-4) at State Farm Center. The game between these two teams, both in the top 10, is drawing national attention, as the Wolverines look to clinch the conference title, while the Illini look to rebound after an unranked loss over the weekend and solidify their seeding for the NCAA tournament.
Wolverine’s intense front court
Michigan’s front line is one of, if not the best, in the nation. Led by sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr., junior center Aday Mara and graduate student forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines have the size and physicality to stop most teams from finding any consistent ability to put the ball in the basket. Michigan has the No. 2 defense in the country, according to KenPom.
Mara, at 7-foot-3, is an elite rim protector. His length leads him to swat 2.6 shots per game, making him one of the best shot-blocking bigs in the country. To go along with that, Lendeborg and Johnson are strong deterrents around the rim as well, blocking 1.4 and 1.2 shots per game, respectively. Lendeborg’s more versatile ability to defend both inside and out, combined with the paint presence of Mara and Johnson, gives the Wolverines a wall that is tough for opposing teams to crack.
“(Mara) protects the rim at a very high rate, and they’re very physical,” Underwood said. “They have a tremendous physicality about them. They want to impede every cut. They’re going to shove you into every ball screen.”
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The trio are also prolific rebounders, with each grabbing about seven boards per game. Illini freshman forward David Mirković will need to bring his physicality and be ready to battle, but he cannot be the only one. Junior centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić need to crash the boards as well. The Illini have guards that have shown an aptitude for rebounding, but when they are playing against the most physical front court in the country, their bigs need to lead the charge and anchor their presence down low.
Supporting cast
Offensively, Mara, Lendeborg and Johnson lead the Wolverines in scoring, but they have so many other pieces that have kept them on top of the rankings this season. Starting junior guard Elliot Cadeau averages 10.2 points, good for fourth on Michigan’s roster, but he is also an adept facilitator who drops 5.5 dimes per game.
Off the bench, Michigan also has multiple key players in the back court that are regular and consistent contributors. Freshman guard Trey McKenney, sophomore guard L.J. Cason and senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. all average at least 7 points per game, giving Michigan a big boost off the pine.
“I love their bench,” Underwood said. “I think they’ve got just tremendous productivity from their bench, which has been a big key for them. They’re very good at what they do. They play very fast. They get easy baskets.”
Return of Morez Johnson Jr.
A major storyline of Friday night’s game is the return of Johnson to his former stomping grounds. The sophomore transferred to Michigan at the conclusion of his freshman season, leaving many Illinois fans surprised, especially since he had been committed to the program since his sophomore year of high school. Underwood, who tried to keep Johnson after his first year, is trying not to make his return a major focus of the evening.
“I don’t know if I ever worry about that – we’ve faced other former players,” Underwood said. “Morez is an unbelievable kid. I love him to death, and his time here was, I hope, just as beneficial for him as he was for us.”
The reception for Johnson is not expected to be warm, with fans and players alike expecting the crowd to get rowdy.
“I think he’s going to hear it,” said junior forward Jake Davis. “I think the fans are going to let him know. As they should, you know, he left. Nothing against that – love Morez – but I think it will be good for him to return to what could’ve been, what he could’ve had.”
Despite Johnson leaving for another Big Ten program and facing criticism from Illini fans, Underwood was still complimentary of his former player. On Friday, he will do everything it takes to beat Johnson, but his abilities are undeniable. Johnson is a future NBA player, and Underwood hopes he does well.
“I always look at guys while we have them – they’re part of our family,” Underwood said. “They make decisions for whatever the reasons, and you wish them well. I don’t begrudge anybody in today’s world. I hope I’m not that petty. But he’s a very talented player. I told their coach in the summer, I said, ‘I think he’s a future pro.’ … He’s tough. He plays very hard, and he’s impacted that team.”
Bouncing back after Los Angeles loss
Illinois had two days off after falling at UCLA on Saturday, followed by what Underwood likes to call an “us day,” where the team focused entirely on themselves.
“It was refreshing to kind of get caught up and then just touch on some things and not have to talk about an opponent,” Underwood said. “We didn’t say one word about our next opponent. We just kept it about us and let’s get better, and those (days) don’t happen very often.”
Defensive lapses were a big part of the Illini losing their 23-point lead over the Bruins, and that was a point of emphasis for them during this week of practice leading up to the Wolverines. Small errors can lead to big swings. It’s all about staying composed and not losing sight of the little things that go into winning, even when the opponent is providing unexpected challenges.
“I think that the one thing we want our group to understand is it’s the margins,” Underwood said. “It’s the very small things we’re doing. On the whole, we’re doing a lot of things very, very well. … It’s a missed free throw blockout, whether it’s a blockout period, whether it’s a lack of effort on a loose ball, whatever it is, and you want to go through those. You want to look at your mistakes that we’re making, you want to withstand and get our guys to understand, you know, variance as I call it.”
Wagler shoulder update
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler will play on Friday after a hard fall against UCLA that hurt his shoulder. Wagler exited that contest briefly before returning to finish the game. He said that the pain subsided once he got back into the flow of the game and adrenaline kicked in. Ahead of the matchup with Michigan, Underwood provided an update on his young star.
“He’s had a lot of treatment,” Underwood said. “There’s no doubt it was a hard, hard fall. It’s a part of basketball. I think it shows how tough he is. A pretty good stinger and a little jolt through the shoulder and the neck, but he’s dedicated. He’s tougher than heck.”
Wagler, who is in contention for Big Ten Player of the Year, will face off against a fellow award contender in Lendeborg on Friday. The race is tight, and Friday will give each player a chance to add a signature statement to their resumes for the honor.
@sahil_mittal24
