Illini Guard Kylan Boswell suffers fractured right hand in practice.

Kylan Boswell is a focal point of the Illinois basketball team on both ends. He is their emotional leader, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, and has the ability to lock down the opponent’s best player. That will be missing for Illinois for at least one month as Brad Underwood shared that the senior guard has suffered a fractured right hand during practice. Per Underwood, Boswell is expected to be out until mid-February. This is a major blow for the Illini as they were really starting to gel amidst a seven game win streak. On top of that, the Illini are headed into some major Big Ten battles vs the likes of Purdue, Nebraska, and Michigan State. Without arguably their most important player, winning those big games just became a whole lot tougher.

There is no positive to this news. Without Boswell, roles will get shifted around again. Kylan Boswell was averaging 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

Who steps up?

It is difficult to replicate what Kylan Boswell brings to this team. However, my eyes immediately shift over to Andrej Stojakovic. As one of the more experienced players on this roster, Stojakovic needs to be the stabilizing force on both ends of the ball. Obviously, Jake Davis and Mihailo Petrovic will get more minutes to replace the 30+ minutes a night Boswell was playing. However, Stojakovic needs to take the responsibility of being a consistent offensive threat and a defensive anchor on the perimeter. He has the capability to do so and needs to start showing up consistently. In addition to Stojakovic, Mihailo Petrovic and Brandon Lee will see a lot more court time.

Lee has shown potential as a rugged defender. If he can knock down a few shots and limit freshman mistakes, the Illini will certainly benefit.

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