Illini guard Mihailo Petrovic arrives on campus

At long last, Illini guard Mihailo Petrovic has officially arrived on campus. The Illini basketball roster is now fully together as Petrovic was the final piece to make it to Champaign. Petrovic announced a verbal commitment to the Illini on April 22nd; however, he was not officially announced as a signing until the end of July. Many worried about his status as the Euroleague MVP, but he worked out his Visa situation. However, now Brad Underwood’s team is fully put together with a little under two months to go before the opening exhibition vs Illinois State.

Mihailo Petrovic is expected to play a huge role for Illinois this year as the 22-year-old guard averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 assists per game for KK Mega Superbet. He will take on a lead guard role, which makes senior guard Kylan Boswell’s job a whole lot easier. Petrovic excels in the open court and in ball-screens, which will allow the Illinois offense to remain as one of the most potent in the nation.

Mihailo Petrovic player comparison

Petrovic’s name was not a household name until he committed to Illinois. Afterwards, many took notice of just how good he was in the Euroleague. Despite this, adjusting to college basketball and gelling with his teammates with less than two months until the season is a tall task. On top of that, Petrovic is expected to be the lead guard as Kylan Boswell is better served as an off-guard/secondary playmaker. A good player comparison for the EuroLeague MVP is former Iowa State point guard Monte Morris. Morris was a four-year player at Iowa State and averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.

Petrovic may not average that kind of production; however, the similarities between the two are obvious. Neither Petrovic nor Morris was super athletic or lights-out shooters. However, they are extremely quick and crafty with the way they use ball-screens. They have great court vision in transition and can push the ball with ease. On top of that, they are reliable shooters who use angles and their quickness to get to the basket. Morris and Petrovic are smaller guards; however, they use their quickness and stout lower bodies to their advantage. If Petrovic can match the impact that Monte Morris had for Iowa State, watch out for the Illini.

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