The Illinois basketball team is back in action on Friday night against one of the best teams in the country in the Michigan Wolverines.
This is a massive game for both programs. The Illini are trying to buck a nasty trend of losing in overtime, as we have dropped three out of the last five games, all of which have come in extra minutes.
Michigan, while they have already wrapped up the Big Ten regular season title, is still vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Illinois is knocking on the door of that top seed, and a win by the Orange and Blue over the Wolverines would put even more pressure on the NCAA tournament selection committee.
Here are three keys for Illinois basketball to secure a massive win over Michigan
1. Use Zvonimir Ivisic more on Morez Johnson Jr.
The big match up of the night is going to be whoever is on Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr.
Johnson is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game this season. While it does say he is shooting 35.3% from three-point range, he has only taken 16 shots from deep, so that isn’t a worry.
Illinois is going to experience a back-to-the-basket big man on Friday night. What that means is that we will need more of a defensive stopper.
Tomislav Ivisic is good, but he is more of an offensive player. I think the Illini should sub in his brother, Zvonimir, more against the Wolverines.
Ivisic leads Illinois in blocks with 2.3 blocks per game. He is someone who can stop whatever Johnson throws at us. Having to go up against a 7-foot-2 guy in the paint will be a daunting task for Johnson. That is exactly what Illinois needs to do. Put pressure on the Michigan paint with a great defensive stopper like Ivisic, and let the chips fall where they may.
2. Get David Mirkovic involved early in the game
Illinois fell to UCLA in the last game in overtime. This was a contest that we could have easily won, but we fell short.
A big part of the loss was that we had David Mirkovic only give the program three points in 25 minutes of action. He has been a big part of the Illini squad this season, and Mirkovic only scoring three points was a bit of a shocker.
Against Michigan, let’s get the unique big man going. He is someone who can really stretch the floor for the Illini. Mirkovic, at 6-foot-9, does wiggle around in the paint, but his three-point shooting sets him apart. At this point in his career, he is a discount bin version of Nikola Jokic.
If the Illini want to knock off the Wolverines, we are going to need Mirkovic to provide his averages of 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The only way to do that is to get him going early and get his confidence up for the rest of the night.
3. Don’t let Michigan get going from three-point range
I have focused the first two sections on paint play. Stopping Johnson for Michigan with Ivisic is going to be huge. Having Mirkovic get going is also another massive thing for the Orange and Blue.
The last thing I want to touch on is what could happen if Illinois does focus on the paint. Michigan can then dish the ball out to the perimeter and hit shots. We can’t let them get going from deep.
Michigan is shooting 36.0% from three-point range this season, which ranks No. 64 in the country. While that is a great number, not all Michigan players are hitting shots efficiently.
The biggest worries are all from their guard play. The Wolverines aren’t stretching the floor, so at least our big men know they don’t have to cover too much on the outside.
Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, Nimari Burnett, and LJ Cason are the biggest worries. They all shoot at least 37.6% from three-point range. It will be interesting to see the mix of man and zone defense that Illinois plays. One thing is for sure: if Michigan gets going from three-point range, it could be a long night.