Basketball
Morez Johnson Jr. to Return from Wrist injury during postseason play
The freshman standout will bring much needed depth to the Illini’s frontcourt.

Illinois basketball freshman, Morez Johnson Jr. supposedly will return to action in postseason play. The freshman standout was coming into his own as a huge piece before suffering a broken left wrist in the February 15th game vs Michigan State. Johnson Jr. skied high for an insane two-handed block which captured the essence of the effect that he had on Illinois basketball. In the five games that Morez Johnson Jr. started games, he averaged 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
In the last two games, starting big man Tomislav Ivisic has certainly shown some signs of fatigue, hence it is very positive news that Johnson Jr. will be able to spot some minutes.
Locked and loaded
The Illini had a tough stretch after Johnson Jr. suffered his injury. They got absolutely dominated by Wisconsin and the Duke Blue Devils. However, they showed incredible resolve to win three straight games, two of which were against ranked opponents in Purdue and Michigan. When the Illini were at their full strength, they were blitzing teams with their exciting brand of basketball and positional versatility. With Johnson Jr’s return, they should be back at full strength.
The Illini’s first game of the Big Ten Tournament will be Thursday, March 13th. They will await the Iowa and Ohio State winners.
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