Illinois basketball had a fight on our hands for much of the game on Thursday night, but we proved too much for Iowa.
The Illini looked great from the jump. We hit shots all night long, and that was a big reason we scored 106 points, and this game set the Big Ten Tournament record for most combined points in a game.
Iowa didn’t fold, though. The Hawkeyes were hitting shots and fighting back, despite their head coach Fran McCaffery losing his cool and getting ejected. It had me nervous when Iowa was still within striking distance despite Illinois playing great basketball.
Thankfully, the Illini didn’t let off the gas. We looked great for the entire 40 minutes and came away with a 106-94 win over the Hawkeyes.
Here are five huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over the Iowa Hawkeyes
1. The Kylan Boswell game
In the first 20 seconds of the game, Kylan Boswell made his presence known. He hit the floor going for a ball, and this set the tone for the rest of the night.
That single play led to Tomislav Ivisic knocking down a three-pointer. This was only the beginning of a special night for Boswell.
Throughout the game, Boswell was doing everything for the Illini. He finished the night with a team-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. I loved that Iowa continued to leave him open like he was Russell Westbrook or something. Boswell knocked down 4-of-7 from three-point range.
But Boswell’s contributions were bigger than just points. He led Illinois in energy. He literally picked players up when they were down so we could get back on defense. Boswell was the engine that drove the Illini.
If Illinois can get this type of Boswell the rest of the way out, we are going to be tough to beat. This was a special game for this special player.
2. Illinois continued to shoot lights out
This season has been a roller coaster when it comes to Illinois shooting the basketball. But since the program has gotten healthier, we have started to shoot the ball well.
On Thursday night, that great shooting continued against Iowa. Illinois took on the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament and blew them out of the building by dropping a triple-digit number on Iowa.
A big part of the great scoring is the fact Illinois is shooting it well. For the game, Illinois was 35-of-65, 53.8%, from the field. We also hit 12-of-26 from three-point range, which comes out to an eye-popping 46.2%.
What was different than in games past? I don’t think a lot. Illinois was just making the shots. It was one of those games where we couldn’t miss. Kylan Boswell was getting left wide open, and he was hitting. Tomislav Ivisic picked and popped for three-point buckets. And Tre White continued his tear.
Great shooting has been a trend for Illinois too. This is the third straight game we have shot at least 36.7% from three-point range. All of them have been wins too. Iowa was just the latest victim to feel the wrath of the Illini.
3. The Illini dodge the random big game
If you are an Illinois fan, you know that we have run into some teams that have a random player go off for a big night. It usually dooms us, and the Illini get sent home with an upset loss.
That random big game happened on Thursday night. Even though Illinois scored over 100 points, Iowa fought tough and kept in the game. That was due to Payton Sandfort putting up a huge game.
Sandfort finished the contest with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field and 8-of-13 from three-point range. Just think about that for a second. Sandfort was 8-of-13 from three-point distance, and the rest of Iowa’s team was 3-of-11.
Despite the massive game for the experienced Iowa guard, Illinois managed to surge ahead. Thankfully, we were making shots every time Sandfort would hit a bucket that would get them momentum. Let’s hope the random big game doesn’t continue the rest of the way out.
4. Morez Johnson Jr. was a welcomed sight
Coming into the game on Thursday night, it was reported that Morez Johnson Jr. was going to be suiting up. He just broke his wrist about a month ago, and he was already going to be back for the Illini.
That is mind-blowing if you think about it. A broken wrist being healed enough to go out there and play a sport that requires the wrist more than just about any other sport. Johnson didn’t miss a beat either. He went out there and looked great for the Illini.
Johnson finished his first game back playing 12 minutes and pulling down eight rebounds, which was second on the team. He also had four points and one assist.
A little icing on the cake of Johnson’s return is the fact that he had five offensive rebounds. I can’t express enough how crucial offensive rebounds are to a team. He helped Illinois so much in just 12 minutes of action.
With that being said, I also believe Brad Underwood did a good job with Johnson and his return. Underwood didn’t start Johnson, and he didn’t bring him into the game right away. He let the game settle in, and then Johnson started to get minutes. This was the right strategy for the big man.
5. A team rebounding effort by Illinois
I touched on Morez Johnson Jr. in the last section and how crucial he was for the Illini on Thursday night. Johnson pulling down eight rebounds, five of which were offensive boards, was huge for the program.
While Johnson was second on the team in rebounds against Iowa, the whole team contributed in this department.
Illinois thrashed Iowa on the boards, outrebounding the Hawkeyes 41-24. A large part of this rebounding margin was that the Illini had everyone crashing the glass.
Tomislav Ivisic had a team-high 10 rebounds against the Hawkeyes. Johnson was second on the team with eight rebounds. Will Riley also skied for rebounds on Thursday, as he finished with seven rebounds.
Seven different Illinois players finished with at least three rebounds against Iowa. We had four players log at least five rebounds as well. The Illini showed why they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country when fully healthy.
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