Ohio State looked like a much better team than the Illinois basketball program in the first half on Sunday.
The Buckeyes came out and were hitting nearly every shot they took from three-point range. While that was going on, the Illini were trying to find some chemistry again, as this is the first game we have had our full lineup back in action in nearly a month.
Illinois was down 42-36 at halftime after a run to end the first half by Ohio State. In the second half, the Illini flipped a switch. Certain players started to take over the game, and Ohio State didn’t know what to do.
The Illini started to work well together. We played team basketball, and the result was a massive run to end the game. Illinois forged ahead and took down the Buckeyes, 87-79.
Here are five massive observations from the Illinois basketball win over the Ohio State Buckeyes
1. Morez Johnson Jr. is such a force in the paint
Earlier in the season, Brad Underwood didn’t play Morez Johnson Jr. a lot. He was getting fewer than 20 minutes in each game, and we didn’t get to see the full scope of what the kid could do.
Over the past three games, Underwood has needed to find an answer for Illinois’ struggles. That answer has clearly been the usage of Johnson. He has now had at least 25 minutes in each of the past three contests, and Illinois has found a monster in the paint.
Against Ohio State on Sunday, Johnson showed his full repertoire of skills. He finished the game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and one block. Johnson was 6-of-8 from the field and made 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
I can’t count how many times Johnson’s incredible ability to rebound the basketball gave Illinois another chance at points or at least gave us a jolt when we needed it.
There were so many times when I was confused about how Johnson could possibly come down with the rebound. Ohio State would have three or four players around him, and Johnson would still rip the ball away and cause chaos in the paint.
In the last three games alone, Johnson is averaging 11.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per contest. Those numbers will only continue to grow as Johnson grows as a player. We are only tapping into his potential.