2. Illinois has a monster in the paint
When I say Illinois has a monster in the paint, most people probably think of Tomislav Ivisic. He is a monster, standing at 7-foot-1, and has the ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.
But the big man I am talking about is not Ivisic. Illinois has another monster, and his name is Morez Johnson Jr.
Entering the 2024-25 campaign, I had Johnson starting at the No. 5 spot. This kid wasn’t just a solid recruit, he was the best player in the state of Illinois and a borderline five-star recruit. He is an elite player, and Johnson got to show that dominance on Wednesday.
Johnson came off the bench as usual, except he got to actually play minutes. For the third time this season, Johnson hit 20 minutes of action, and it paid off for the Illini. He finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and one block. Johnson shot 9-of-11 from the field as well.
Another crazy part of Johnson’s big night is the fact at times, he was going up against a 7-foot big man for the Nittany Lions. Johnson only stands at 6-foot-9. Even with that height difference, Johnson still had a great game and held his own.
Johnson isn’t going to get the starting nod, as that is now what Brad Underwood does. But this kid needs to be woven into the lineup for 20 minutes per game. When he logs at least 20 minutes, Johnson averages 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Let this kid eat.