2. Tomislav Ivisic is back at the right time for Illinois
I am old enough to remember the days when Tomislav Ivisic was dominating for Illinois. He was so good at all levels of the floor, and his presence gave the Illini such a dynamic edge.
Illinois lost that edge over the past month or so. Ivisic dealt with some illnesses that kept him out of games and really affected his overall health. Coming off the illness, Ivisic didn’t look the same. He needed a few games to get back to normal.
Iowa felt the wrath of a healthy Ivisic. For the first time in a long time, Illinois had their big man back at nearly 100%.
Ivisic finished the game against the Hawkeyes with 22 points, four rebounds, five assists, and one block on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor and 2-of-5 from three-point range. This was a refreshing performance considering the numbers he had put up over the past three games.
In the three games prior to the Iowa contest, Ivisic only averaged 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. Those aren’t the numbers Illinois needs out of the starting big man, especially with Morez Johnson Jr. on the mend.
On Tuesday night, Ivisic flipped a switch. He wasn’t settling for three-point attempts, and he played more in the paint than on the perimeter. I loved the pick-and-roll he had going with Kasparas Jakucionis as well. That is the style Illinois needs to play with more often.
When Ivisic is at 100%, Illinois basketball is at its best. He is a big part of this program, and Iowa got to experience one of the best big men in the Big Ten.