Illinois basketball has some massive games ahead, but we had to take care of business on Monday night.
A tough UTRGV team showed up in Champaign ready to fight. The Illini were ready for the punches, though. They came out swinging, but Illinois had the answers throughout the game.
This wasn’t a clean contest by any means. There were some issues that Brad Underwood will need to clean up. But overall, Illinois played well, and the score reflected that fact.
After a slow start, the Illini took control of the game midway through the first half. An 11-point halftime lead ended up turning into an 87-73 victory for the Orange and Blue.
Here are five crucial observations from the Illinois basketball win over UTRGV
1. UTRGV was a pesky team against Illinois
There are always teams on the schedule that are by far inferior talent-wise. UTRGV is one of those teams compared to Illinois.
Despite the talent gap, UTRGV has something that isn’t always showing up in the box score. They are a pesky team.
The Vaqueros were constantly doing the little things that would get under the skin of the Illini. They had the quicker hands when Illinois would come down with a rebound. This would result in us losing the ball randomly and UTRGV getting the ball back.
Illinois struggled at times with the aggression from the Vaqueros, too. Their big man would bang around in the paint, and players like Tomislav Ivisic had a hard time holding his ground.
When the final horn blew, Illinois ended up beating UTGRV soundly, but this was a scrappy team. They gave us everything they had, and it shook us at times.
2. I love the limited time Brandon Lee saw the court
Illinois has so many weapons. Some of those weapons have joined the roster in the past week due to injuries that have kept them out.
Brandon Lee’s first action was in the last game. He got some time on the court and his feet underneath him. I was hoping to see more of him in the game against UTRGV, but that didn’t end up being the case.
Still, Lee checked in around the 10-minute mark of the first half and played for a couple of minutes. The time on the court was effective, too. He wasn’t just out there flailing, but rather, Lee gave Illinois some solid time.
Lee finished the game with four points while playing only five minutes. He looked pretty sharp for just being a freshman in his second game. Illinois has been gelling for a few games before Lee’s entrance, too. Yet, he fit in seamlessly. He is also solid on both ends of the floor. Lee isn’t just a one-way player.
Let’s start ramping up Lee’s minutes a little bit. He should be getting around 10 minutes per game. This kid could be a big help to the Illini down the stretch.
3. The Illinois defense struggled in the second half
I was impressed with the Illinois basketball team in the first half against UTRGV. We looked good for the most part, and the Illini controlled the game.
The second half got a little sloppy, though. Illinois didn’t seem to take the Vaqueros seriously, and that word pesky came back into play.
UTRGV continued to swipe at the ball. They had quick hands, and that got Illinois in trouble. Moreover, the Vaqueros moved well. They were able to swing the ball around the perimeter, and they found the open man for easy buckets.
At one time in the second 20 minutes of action, Illinois allowed UTRGV to get within 11 points. The Vaqueros were hitting shots at a rapid rate, too. They shot 5-of-9 in the second half from three-point range.
Illinois needs to do better with keeping focus for an entire game. Yes, we are a better team than UTRGV, but let’s take care of business and not sleepwalk through the easier games. We have to keep closing out strong and communicating.
4. It might be time to start Mihailo Petrovic
The haul this offseason was pretty incredible for the Illinois basketball team. We went out and snagged quite a few talented players who are all helping the program win games right now.
Illinois had to wait to unleash a few of the talented newcomers. One of those players was Mihailo Petrovic.
Petrovic just started playing in games for the Illini. Underwood has been easing him into action, and on Monday night, Petrovic got some pretty important playing time.
Underwood continued to bring the talented guard off the bench, but he still managed to log 16 minutes and compiled 12 points, four assists, and two rebounds while shooting 4-of-5 from the floor and making his only three-point attempt. This was by far his most minutes in a game thus far, surpassing his time in the Alabama game when he played 12 minutes.
Coming into the season, I had Petrovic as a projected starter for the Illini. It is understandable that an injury can keep him from starting and playing big minutes early on.
Petrovic now has his feet underneath him. He is fully acclimated to the Illinois roster and is gelling with the team. When he is on the court, Illinois runs well. He can shoot the ball. He is a great passer. I love what Petrovic brings to the court.
Let’s figure out a way to get him into the starting lineup. I don’t want to take too many minutes away from the kid, but Keaton Wagler would be a good candidate to make the sixth man on the team. Move Petrovic into the starting rotation, and let’s see what the Illini can do.
5. Zvonimir is playing better than his brother Tomislav
It is pretty incredible that Illinois can trot out two 7-foot-1 or bigger players without missing a beat. We have a rotation of big men who can shoot from anywhere on the court.
Tomislav Ivisic is Illinois’ starting center, but he is coming off an injury. He was inserted back into the starting lineup, but honestly, it seems like he was thrown into the fray a little too early.
I haven’t been impressed with Tomislav. He is rusty on the offensive end of the floor, and his defense has suffered lately. The big man for UTRGV had his way with Tomislav, but Zvonimir was a different story.
I thought Zvonimir played extremely well, and he was one of the best players Illinois had on the court. He was able to score efficiently, he didn’t have a single turnover, and his length really gave the Vaqueros problems.
Let’s not get things misconstrued, though. Both Ivisic brothers are huge assets. They combined for 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range. But at the end of the day, I think Zvonimir is looking more in tune with this Illinois team right now. It would be nice if Tomislav could knock off some rust.