It wasn’t an easy win, but the Illinois basketball team went on the road in the Big Ten once again and came away with the victory.
The Illini seemed to have control in the game early on. We had a double-digit lead early, and Iowa couldn’t get going. But like most Big Ten games, the home team ends up being tough to beat.
Iowa was only down 11 points at halftime. Illinois increased the lead to 17 points midway through the second half, but then Iowa came charging back. The Hawkeyes narrowed the margin to just four points with less than two minutes to go. Illinois managed to hold off Iowa in the end, winning the game, 75-69.
Here are five huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over Iowa
1. Illinois did a great job on Bennett Stirtz
On Sunday, the Illini went up against one of the best players in the Big Ten. Bennett Stirtz has come onto the scene with Iowa, and he has been on fire this season.
Illinois didn’t let the sharpshooter go off, though. He finished the contest with 12 points, six assists, and one rebound while shooting 5-of-17 from the field and just 2-of-8 from three-point range.
Brad Underwood came into the game with a game plan of shutting Stirtz down from deep. The Illini were switching well all game long, and we didn’t slack off the former transfer.
I would argue that this was one of the best defensive games Illinois has played this season. Holding that good of a player to just 12 points and 29.4% from the field is an insane accomplishment. If he gets going, we are probably going to lose that game. But that didn’t happen, and holding Stirtz to a bad game was crucial.
2. Everyone on the Illinois roster knows their role
I have mentioned Keaton Wagler so many times this season when it comes to the observation articles. He has been spectacular.
With each passing game, it becomes clearer and clearer what the pecking order is with the Illinois roster.
Wagler is the guy now. He has cemented himself as the lead dog on the Illinois basketball team, and everything else falls around him. When Iowa had momentum, it was Wagler who commanded the ball and helped turn the tide.
At this point and moving forward, it is Wagler who is Batman. Thankfully, Illinois has a roster full of players who are okay with being Robin. That isn’t always the case. Usually, there are multiple players who want to be the star, but this roster is filled with unselfish players.
Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic are extremely talented players, but they are the second option on the floor. They are the players who are going to get the ball when Wagler gets double-teamed, driving down the lane or at the top of the key. When this happens, those two come through clutch.
Everyone on this team knows their role. I would argue that this is the most cohesive team I have seen in Champaign in quite some time.
3. Brad Underwood has his trusted players
We are now 16 games into the 2025-26 campaign, and I believe it is clear that Underwood has his players that Illinois is riding with the rest of the season.
Earlier in the year, Underwood was playing a wide variety of talent on the court. He wanted to see who would rise to the occasion and who would shrink under the bright lights.
The Iowa game showed me who Underwood is riding with the rest of the season. David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Wagler, Stojakovic, and Boswell will be Illinois’ starters the rest of the season.
Underwood has then shrunk the bench down to just three players. Jake Davis has emerged and risen to the occasion, so he is a solid rotational piece the rest of the way out. Davis is joined by Ben Humrichous and Zvonimir Ivisic off the bench. These three are the only ones I expect in tight games to come in for the Illini.
Over the first couple of months, Underwood gave everyone a chance to shine. Only a few took advantage of this opportunity, and now we have the rotation set for, essentially, the rest of the season.
4. Andrej Stojakovic got Illinois started on the right foot
Illinois has had their issues with the way we have started in past games. When we start hot, the game usually goes in our favor.
There are also times when Illinois gets off to a slow start. We get behind the eight ball, and then it is tough to get into a groove and come out with a win.
The start Illinois had against Iowa was exactly what we needed. It was all led by Stojakovic’s great play.
Stojakovic hit the first bucket of the game, knocking down a three-pointer less than a minute into the game. He didn’t stop with just that big bucket, either.
In the first 10 minutes of the game against Iowa, Stojakovic had nine points and four rebounds. Illinois was able to jump out to a 21-7 lead in that time and never looked back.
I think this is the first time Stojakovic has made this type of an impact this early in a game. He has been sporadic when it comes to production, but he came up huge for Illinois on Sunday. This was a great start, and it helped Illinois start on the right track against a ranked opponent.
5. Illinois got important minutes from Ben Humrichous
I mentioned Illinois’ bench already and how Underwood has his rotations down for the rest of the season. Humrichous is a key part of that rotation.
Against Iowa, Humrichous was huge for the Illini. He was someone we could trust to come in and give us crucial minutes. Illinois doesn’t take a dip in production when he is on the court, and this is so valuable for the program.
Humrichous only got 13 minutes in the game, but he didn’t score a single point. So, why were these minutes so big for the Illini?
With just over five minutes to go in the game, Humrichous checked back in. Illinois was only up 62-57 at the time. This was a close contest with Iowa trying to make a heroic comeback.
Humrichous immediately pulls down a big rebound to give Illinois the ball back. We come down the court, and he then makes the assist to get Wagler open and convert on a three-pointer.
About a minute later, Humrichous then grabs another rebound. I know, on paper, it doesn’t sound like a lot. When you were watching the game, the impact he made in that short time, and when he is on the court, was so important. Humrichous is a great asset to have come off the bench.