Illinois basketball is going to be at least one man down when we take on the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday night.
Coming off a tough loss on the road to Michigan State, the Illini are back home to take on a tough Terrapins squad. This wasn’t going to be an easy game at full strength, as Maryland is 14-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten this season.
Throw full strength out the window, though. The Illini won’t be suiting up the usual suspects on Thursday night, as the Big Ten injury report has Illinois big man Tomislav Ivisic out for the game.
Illinois' Tomislav Ivisic (undisclosed) is OUT for tonight's game against Maryland, per the Big Ten Injury Report.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 23, 2025
Will Riley (undisclosed) and Tre White (undisclosed) are both questionable.
Game of the night in college hoops.
Missing Ivisic makes sense. While the injury is undisclosed, Brad Underwood did mention in the last press conference that Ivisic has been sick with strep throat and has been under the weather. I assume this is just a carryover from that illness.
In the report, two other Illini are questionable for the game. Will Riley and Tre White’s status are both up in the air. White is a starter for the Orange and Blue and Riley is a key piece off the bench. It could be a tough night for Illinois.
Tomislav Ivisic being out for the Illinois basketball team opens the door for a big night from Morez Johnson Jr.
It is always tough missing a player. It messes with the entire rhythm of a team, and that could send a program into a tailspin. When you miss someone like Ivisic, it takes that hurt to another level. He is averaging 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Illini this season. That is hard to replace.
But, thankfully, Underwood did a great job this past offseason and Illinois has, arguably, the best backup big man in the country.
Morez Johnson Jr. only logs 15 minutes per game and somehow still manages 6.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per contest. Those are really good numbers for a starter getting 25-30 minutes each night, not someone who plays just 15 minutes.
Johnson is going to get his number called on Thursday night. This is his chance to shine and give the Illini some big-time production. As long as he is smart and avoids foul trouble, I fully expect Johnson to log somewhere around 25 minutes against the Terrapins.
If that ends up being the case, look for Johnson to hit a double-double easily. I see him putting up something like 10.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on Thursday night. This kid is in for a special game.