Illinois basketball has concluded the first round of the NCAA tournament.
This was a game that had me a bit worried, but the Illini came out and stifled Penn the entire game.
From the jump, Illinois looked like the better team. There was a moment early in the first half when Penn had some life, but the Illini quickly suffocated them and extinguished any hope for the Quakers.
Illinois took a 10-point lead into halftime. That lead then ballooned quickly in the second half, as the Illini beat down Penn, 105-70.
Here are five huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over Penn
1. David Mirkovic was Illinois’ heartbeat
Illinois cruised to a big win on Thursday night, and it was on the back of David Mirkovic. He has had some impressive games, but he saved his best for the biggest moment yet.
Mirkovic had more energy, toughness, and tenacity throughout the night than Penn. He was all over the court, and they couldn’t physically stop him on either end of the court.
By halftime, Mirkovic had already logged a double-double. His numbers continued to grow throughout the second half, too. He finished the game with 29 points, 17 rebounds, and three assists.
The great thing about Mirkovic is that he is more than just a scorer or rebounder. His vision when he has the ball is incredible. He was able to get into the lane and find open Illinois players. The big man finished with the second-most assists on the Illinois basketball team.
There have been plenty of great Illinois postseason performances, but the night Mirkovic had in the first round of the NCAA tournament is one of the all-timers.
2. The Illini had great defensive communication
Throughout the season, there have been issues with the Illini defense. We get lazy at times, and we rest on our athletic ability.
Against Penn, a switch flipped on defense. The Illini were much better on the defensive end of the court, and it had a lot to do with how we communicated.
The Quakers do a ton of ball screens. They like to chip the defender, and this opens them up for three-pointers or mid-range jumpers. Illinois did a great job communicating the screens and switches.
Mirkovic was brilliant in this aspect. He was always pointing out who should guard whom, and this helped get the Illinois defense organized.
I was amazed by the ability of all Illinois players to communicate effectively. That type of defensive prowess is going to make us competitive for a national championship.
3. I loved the aggression by Illinois
This was an incredible game from the Illini. We played great basketball for nearly all 40 minutes.
There was only about a five-minute span in the first half that frustrated me. Illinois started getting lazy and was just chucking up three-pointers. We weren’t forcing the issue.
Besides that short amount of time, I loved how aggressive Illinois was the rest of the game. We drove to the basket. Mirkovic was crashing the glass and posting up on the block.
Illinois fans finally got to see Tomislav Ivisic play in the post. He likes to hang around the three-point arc too much, but against Penn, he was a back-to-the-basket big man. Illinois needs him in that role more often.
Kylan Boswell also got downhill a lot. Even if he didn’t shoot, he put Penn on their heels, and this got the Illinois offense more open looks.
Illinois can’t just stand around and shoot from the perimeter. We need to continue to break down the opposing defense. We did that on Thursday night.
4. Illinois beat Penn’s hope out of them
Penn is a good team. They can knock off a lot of programs because of their three-point shooting talent.
Illinois is not one of those teams, though. Penn kept up for most of the first half, but there was a point in the game when you could tell that the hope had drained away.
It is exhausting for a team to keep up with a program like the Illini. Penn was making shots early, but Mirkovic was all over the rebounds, and Illinois cleaning up on the offensive glass was demoralizing.
Constantly coming at the Quakers beat the hope out of them. Illinois forced the issue, and I have been waiting on that for the last month. We strayed away from that style of play, and finally, we got back to it against Penn.
5. This is exactly how the Illini needed to look
My worry was that Illinois would play with our food on Thursday night. Penn can surprise people, and they had an opportunity to knock off one of the top teams in the country.
Illinois needed to come out looking good. That is exactly what I saw on Thursday night. We came out and were crisp on both ends of the court.
There wasn’t one area that worried me against Penn. Every facet of the game was on-point, and that is what needed to happen to build momentum heading into the Round of 32.
On top of that, VCU beat North Carolina in the first round. That means Illinois gets a double-digit seed in the first two rounds to get to the Sweet 16.
For one of the first times in months, Illinois looked prepared for a game. We looked like one of the best teams in the country. Continue this play, and we might be hoisting some hardware in early April.