Brad Underwood excited for the “lethal” Illini offense with Petrovic arrival

The Illinois football game vs Western Illinois featured a very special group of guests. The 2004-2005 Fighting Illini basketball team all came back to visit their Alma Mater. Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Roger Powell, Coach Bruce Weber, and more all came together to watch the Illini win their season opener. In between that, coach Brad Underwood spoke with the media to talk about that special team and how his current team is doing. Recently, Illinois basketball finally had its final roster piece arrive on campus. At long last, Mihailo Petrovic is signed and on campus.

Though the Illini have not officially practiced since Petrovic’s arrival, Brad Underwood is bullish on the Illini’s potential now that they are whole.

A lot of combinations for the Fighting Illini

Underwood highlighted Mihailo Petrovic’s ability to play in ball screens. He said, “His ability to play in ball screens I thought had the potential to be one of the best in the world,”. Last year for KK Mega SuperBet, Petrovic averaged a solid  14.2 points and 7.3 assists. Petrovic is an older guard who is extremely quick and fluid in ball-screens. His quickness allows him to push the ball in the open court, while also serving as a shot-creator in the half-court. Like the 2024-2025 season, Illinois has some really intriguing options for pick-and-pop situations, particularly with Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic.

The Ivisic brothers both have incredible offensive versatility due to their size and skill set, which makes them a nightmare for opposing defenses. Compared to last year, this team is far more seasoned and experienced, hence the emotional lapses that we saw hopefully will not happen. If this Illini team can stay healthy and avoid injuries and sicknesses that plagued them last year, watch out.

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