The Illinois basketball team was a dumpster fire on Friday night against Maryland.
I was hoping for a good game. The Illini looked great against Iowa, but the Terrapins had other plans. They came out of the gates with a ton of energy and aggression. Illinois couldn’t match it, and this game got out of hand quickly.
An early 10-point lead turned into a 26-point first half drubbing by Maryland. That margin narrowed in the second half slightly, as the Terrapins called off the dogs early. The final score ended up being 88-65 in favor of Maryland.
Here are five sad observations from the Illinois basketball loss to the Maryland Terrapins
1. Tomislav Ivisic has to be more disciplined about fouls
This Illinois team has a ton of talent, but if that talent isn’t on the floor, teams can really expose us. A little bit of that happened on Friday night.
In the first game against Maryland, the Terrapins won by 20 points, but the Illini didn’t have big man Tomislav Ivisic. That makes a difference. Well, we didn’t get to see much of Ivisic because he got into foul trouble quickly.
This wasn’t a situation where the refs were heavy with the whistle one way or the other. Ivisic wasn’t disciplined at all. He bit on an average pump fake, and Julian Reese got him caught up in the air for an easy bucket and foul.
There were other times Ivisic didn’t need to be nearly as aggressive. I would rather give up two points on one possession than lose Ivisic for over half the game because of fouls.
Moving forward, if we want to win games, Illinois needs all hands on deck. We can’t have key players losing minutes because of fouls. Ivisic was dearly missed, and the result was a blowout.
2. The way the Illini lost the game hurts
Illinois has gone up against great teams this season on multiple occasions. Going into the game on Friday against Maryland, I knew there was a chance we were going to lose.
For some reason during Brad Underwood’s coaching tenure at Illinois, certain teams just have his number. Maryland is one of those programs. This is a quality Terrapins team too.
I can honestly say that Maryland is one of the best teams I have seen in the Big Ten in years. They have a great backcourt that can hit three-pointers, and their duo of Julian Reese and Derik Queen might be the best duo I have ever seen in the frontcourt.
With that being said, I am not disappointed in a loss from the Illini. I knew there was a solid chance a loss was coming. What I am disappointed in is the way Illinois lost the game.
From the jump, Maryland looked better. Illinois didn’t have any fight defensively, and it showed by the Terrapins putting up 88 points, which should have been more if they didn’t call off the dogs.
Maryland’s starters only played 25 minutes because it was such a blowout. At one time, the margin was approaching 40 points. The defensive effort, especially on the perimeter, is one that will get us booted from the NCAA tournament in the first round if we don’t be careful.
This was an ugly game. I wanted to see a good effort and the ability to keep the game close. Illinois didn’t even sniff that on Friday night. This game has me worried heading into the Big Dance.
3. There was too much settling for 3-pointers
I understand that hitting three-pointers is fun. It is awesome to see a big shot go in the bucket and three points on the board. In the game against Iowa, everything was going in for the Illini.
That Iowa game didn’t transfer over, though. But here is the thing, Illinois didn’t fall back on the three-point shot against Iowa to start the game. We were aggressive and scored inside the three-point arc.
The first two buckets of the game against the Hawkeyes were Tomislav Ivisic's three-pointers. After that mark, Illinois' next 18 points were either from two-point range or the free throw line. We weren’t settling often, and this helped keep Iowa in check.
When Illinois players think they are Steph Curry and just decide to take a step-back three-pointer out of nowhere, that is when a team like Maryland can feast, and feast they did.
As a team, the Illini had a brutal first half from three-point range. We went 3-of-14, and Kylan Boswell laid an egg, going 0-of-5. He, in particular, had a rough first half. Multiple turnovers early in the contest and the willingness to take unnecessary three-pointers killed the Illini.
4. Illinois has too many defensive liabilities
I have seen where people think Kylan Boswell should be on the All-Defensive Team in the Big Ten. I think it is pretty clear that not a single Illinois player should even be considered for that team.
Boswell is the best defending guard Illinois has on the court, but that doesn’t say much. Maryland could have easily scored 100 points on Friday night if they wanted to. They showed mercy on Illinois.
Not a single Illinois guard defended well on the perimeter against Maryland. I am tired of our guards going under screens, leaving the Terrapins shooters wide open. It is the reason why Iowa had Payton Sandfort go off for a big number. Thankfully, in that game, we were hitting buckets too.
Boswell was lazy on the perimeter. He does a good job keeping his man in front of him when he tries to drive, but Boswell does have some serious defensive flaws.
Illinois is awful defensively when Ben Humrichous is on the court. I am not sure I have seen a bigger defensive liability than him in my lifetime of being an Illinois fan. He can’t guard on the perimeter, and he makes some bad mistakes. Tre White has also struggled at times.
I would argue the only truly elite defender on the Illinois roster is Morez Johnson Jr. He is just coming into his own too. He can play well around the bucket, and I hope we get to see him with the program next season. I think this kid is going to be in the running for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Overall, though, Illinois can’t play defense and it pains me.
5. Morez Johnson Jr. was the Illini MVP
The last part of this observation article will be a positive one. Illinois did have one bright spot on Friday night, and that was Morez Johnson Jr.
You can’t say anything positive about the rest of the game, but Johnson played well and looked good in a tough situation. We have to remember that this kid is just a true freshman. He had to go up against two talented big men with a bum wrist, and honestly, Johnson did a good job.
Johnson finished the game with six points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and one steal. He pulled down three offensive rebounds, and toward the end of the game, it seemed like he was the only one still putting in effort. That is what I want on this team. Even when we are down, Johnson played like it is a close game. That is leadership.
On top of Johnson playing well, he was out there by himself in the paint for most of the night. Tomislav Ivisic got into foul trouble, so Illinois had to rely on Johnson to man the middle of the defense. Derik Queen and Julian Reese didn’t have nearly the games they did in the first game.
I don’t know who is going to return to the Illinois squad next season, as this could be another shift change for the Illini. But I sure do hope to see Johnson with us. This kid is going to be a special player.