4. Tomislav Ivisic have a day
Coming into the game on Tuesday against Indiana, I was a bit worried about Tomislav Ivisic. I have always known he is a great player, but he had hit a rough patch.
In the four games leading up to the thumping of the Hoosiers, Ivisic had failed to hit double-digit points. He wasn’t shooting well from three-point range either, as he was just 4-of-15, 26.7%, in those four contests.
If Illinois wants to win a national title this season, we are going to need Ivisic playing at a high level. Against Indiana, he broke out of his funk and put up a big game.
Ivisic was unstoppable against Indiana. He finished the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and one block. On top of those great numbers, the big man didn’t have a single turnover.
The dynamic ability of Ivisic is what makes him special. He showed that off by being able to hit from three-point range. He was 3-of-6 from deep. His ability to shoot from distance also made Oumar Ballo go out to the perimeter, which helped unclog the lane.
It was exciting to see Illinois dominate, and a big reason we crushed Indiana is the play of Ivisic. He broke out of his slump and played like the All-Big Ten caliber player I believe he is.