The Illinois basketball program ends the season with what should be a nice momentum builder as we enter the Big Ten Tournament.
It has been a wild 2025-26 campaign thus far. The Illini have won some big games, had injuries throughout, and we still came out on the other side looking strong as ever.
Maryland is the final piece to the puzzle. The Terrapins have nothing to lose, so they are going to try to knock off one of the top teams in the country to close out their regular season. Illinois needs to be ready for a tough battle.
Here are three keys for the Illinois basketball team to end the season on a high note against Maryland
1. Illinois needs to lock down the 3-point arc
Some of the keys for Illinois to beat a team like Maryland are obvious. It is obvious that if every team slows down their opponent from three-point range, they have a better chance to win.
For the Illini, there is a clear line of demarcation. This season, when Illinois allows their opponent to shoot better than 28% from three-point range, we are 11-7. When teams shoot sub-28% from three-point range, the Illini are 12-0.
I don’t think there is too much to worry about when it comes to Maryland, though. The Terrapins are shooting just 31.8% from three-point range on the season, which ranks No. 291 in the country.
But the three-point shot is the miracle elixir. It is the thing that bad teams can use to knock off unsuspecting programs. Illinois just can’t allow the Terrapins to get going and get confidence from beyond the three-point arc. Shut that down, and we should be cruising to a win.
2. The Illini guards need to create for Andrej Stojakovic
At the end of the day, this section of the keys to getting the win has more to do with games down the road.
We finally saw some signs of life from Andrej Stojakovic in the last game against Oregon, and I want to keep that momentum going. Illinois needs this kid to be playing well as we enter the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA tournament.
Thankfully, when Illinois played Maryland back in late January, Stojakovic feasted. He went for a team-high 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor. He was a starter back then, as Kylan Boswell was out with an injury.
Leading up to the game against the Ducks this past Tuesday, Stojakovic had only shot 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range for eight points, four rebounds, and one assist in the past two games combined. Illinois lost both contests.
I think Illinois’ guards are a big part of how Stojakovic plays each night. They need to continue to move the ball and get Stojakovic slashing to the basket more often. He can move well without the ball, and the one thing Illinois can’t afford is just standing around pounding the rock. Get Stojakovic engaged and moving early on, and he is going to be a nightmare moving forward.
3. A collective effort is needed on the glass
Illinois goes as the rebounding goes. If we are crashing the glass, then there is a great chance we are coming away with the victory.
There have been a total of four games this season when Illinois lost the rebounding battle. In those four games, we are 1-3. That means that when we at least tie the rebounding battle, Illinois is 22-4 overall.
It isn’t about the big men when it comes to rebounding, though. You would think that with two players who are 7-foot-1 and taller, we would lean on those players to pull down the boards. That isn’t the case.
Illinois has a roster of talented rebounders at every position. David Mirkovic is just 6-foot-9, and he leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game. Keaton Wagler is a 6-foot-6 guard and is third on the team in rebounds.
There are seven Illini players who average at least 4.0 rebounds per game. That is a true team effort. To make sure we hold Maryland at bay, we need that collective effort on Sunday.
The one thing Maryland is good at is rebounding the basketball. They average 35.5 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 139 in the country.
As long as Illinois is crashing the glass, we should be able to dominate the Terrapins. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Get everyone involved in rebounding, and let’s end the regular season in style.