The Illini were sitting at 20-3 following their blowout win at home against Northwestern but have since lost four of their last six games. They looked like one of the best teams in the country and a team that could compete with Michigan for a Big Ten regular season championship.
Concerns have grown following their 84-70 loss to Michigan on Friday night inside State Farm Center. The Illini never had a chance in that game, and they allowed the Wolverines to clinch an outright conference championship. Michigan is the favorite to win the national championship, but Illinois did not look like it belonged on the same floor.
The Illini will need to beat a team near Michigan’s level if they want to make their first Final Four since 2005. The projected No. 1 seeds Illinois would likely have to get through are Michigan, Duke, Arizona, and UConn.
Illinois has already lost by double digits to UConn and Michigan, but they still have over two weeks before the NCAA Tournament to get back on track. Here are three areas where the Illini need to improve to cap the season with a deep run in March Madness.
“Leadership. Nastiness. Toughness,” said head coach Brad Underwood postgame on Friday.
Illinois has not shown the same grit and toughness they displayed at the beginning of the season. The Illini imposed their will and used their size to their advantage against teams like Tennessee, Missouri, Purdue, and Nebraska — all of which resulted in victories.
The Illini still rank No. 3 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, but they have not dominated the glass the way they did during their long winning streak. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State all recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in their wins against Illinois.
Dominating the glass and winning the rebounding margin needs to be a focus for this team moving forward.
How important is winning the rebounding margin?
The Illini are just 1-4 this season when they lose the rebounding margin, according to Evan Miya.
“We’ve got to get back to the post-Nebraska mindset on the defensively side,” Underwood said.
Illinois’ defense needs to improve if they want to be a legitimate threat in the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. The Illini have not had an elite defense this season, but it has dropped significantly since their winning streak was snapped with a loss to Michigan State.
Since Feb. 1, Illinois’ defense ranks No. 57 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Bart Torvik. UCLA was their second-worst defensive performance by efficiency this season, while Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan rank closely behind.
The defense starts with Kylan Boswell at the point of attack. The senior guard has accepted difficult assignments and done an unbelievable job guarding high-level scorers like Nick Martinelli, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Bennett Stirtz, and others.
“Kylan Boswell can go do everything Yaxel did,” Underwood said. “It all starts with Kylan and Tomi.”
The defense begins with Boswell, and he will need to step up and lead this unit if Illinois wants to improve on that end of the floor.
Andrej Stojakovic has experienced ups and downs in his first year at Illinois after transferring from Cal. He began the season as Illinois’ main offensive option but took a back seat to freshman Keaton Wagler once December began.
The Cal transfer has scored 20+ points in numerous games but has also been held under 10 in others. He scored zero points against Michigan and played just 12 minutes – his lowest total of the season.
Stojakovic missed three games with an ankle injury and lost his starting spot to junior guard Jake Davis.
Is Andrej Stojakovic fully healthy?
He played just 17 minutes against USC in his first game back from injury despite scoring 22 points.
Getting Stojakovic going offensively early in games could make the difference in meaningful contests in March. He gains confidence when he sees shots fall early and gives this team another offensive weapon alongside Keaton Wagler.
Illinois will need to find ways to get Andrej Stojakovic back on track, or they will struggle to make a deep run in the Big Dance. Brad Underwood and his staff should make it a priority to run actions for him and get him in space moving forward.
