Illinois basketball outworked by UCONN in physical 13 point loss

Illinois basketball fell to UConn 74–61 on Friday in New York City. The game was never close, and the outcome was never in question. The Illini made a late run but couldn’t recover from the early punch the Huskies delivered to start the game.

UConn jumped out to a 26–15 lead inside Madison Square Garden and took a 43–32 advantage into halftime. Illinois played marginally better in the second half but still lost the half by two points.

A recurring theme from last season resurfaced on Friday, as Illinois shot just 6-for-29 (21%) from three-point range. David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Mihailo Petrovic all attempted a three but failed to make one. The Illini shot only 9 for 22 (40.9%) from two-point range as well, a mark that would rank near the bottom of Division I on average.

Like their Elite Eight loss to UConn in 2024, Illinois’ inability to get into the paint and convert tough shots forced them to settle for threes. The Illini shot just 25% from two-point range in that blowout regional final loss two seasons ago.

The team needs to adopt an identity.

Brad Underwood has preached grit and toughness as a program staple, calling his team the “Everyday Guys,” but this group has not shown much grit so far this season. Illinois was outrebounded by UConn 43-38and barely won the battle on the boards against Alabama. They also allowed Texas Tech center JT Toppin and Alabama guard Labaron Philon to score at will. This team was not constructed to be a lockdown defensive team. However, scouting report errors and defensive miscommunications (or lack of communication), simply cannot happen.

Credit to senior guard Kylan Boswell, who was clearly the best player on the court. Boswell led the Illini with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.

“We’d better get tougher”, said Brad Underwood. “We’ve got to have much more grit, much more fight, much more combat, whatever you want to call it on the defensive side when that ball doesn’t go in. So, we will see if we can correct some of that.”

UConn came ready for a fight on Friday, playing like they had something to prove, while Illinois did not match that intensity. Defensive effort, rebounding, and a willingness to attack the rim and finish through contact are all toughness traits — and Illinois needs more of them moving forward. Illinois basketball has some soul-searching to do as it faces top-ranked Tennessee in just one week.

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