How Illinois Basketball dominated Florida Gulf Coast University

Illinois basketball dominated Florida Gulf Coast 113-70 to move to 2-0 on the season. The Eagles never stood a chance, as the Illini jumped out to a 20-3 lead early and held Florida Gulf Coast without a field goal until the 13:32 mark of the first half.

The Illini once again showcased their lethal offense, scoring 113 points while shooting an impressive 55.4% from the field. Senior guard Kylan Boswell led the way with 31 points and added ten rebounds.

“He is our leader,” said Brad Underwood on Kylan Boswell in his post-game interview on Peacock.

Stojakovic’s debut

Junior transfer Andrej Stojakovic made his Illini debut after returning from a knee injury. He looked rusty at first and forced shots early but finished strong, contributing nine points and five rebounds.

Freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic continued to prove that the hype around them is real, finishing with 22 and 17 points respectively. Mirkovic finished with a double-double in his second straight game.

Defensively, Illinois basketball delivered an encouraging performance for a team that entered the season with questions on that end of the floor. The Illini forced Florida Gulf Coast to shoot just 32.9% from the field and 25.9% from beyond the arc.

Tomislav Ivisic injured his knee in practice on Wednesday and did not suit up, so his brother Zvonimir Ivisic started in his place. Zvonimir provided the Illini with a level of rim protection they haven’t had in the Brad Underwood era, finishing with seven blocks and altering shots all game.

Expectations have risen following these two dominant wins against Jackson State and Florida Gulf Coast. Illinois is now ranked No. 3 nationally on KenPom and will host No. 13-ranked (KenPom) Texas Tech on Tuesday night.

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