Why Kylan Boswell returning to Illinois Basketball is massive news

On April 2nd, Illini point guard Kylan Boswell announced in a social media post that he will be back for another season in Champaign. The rising senior point guard became a focal point of this team as one of the more experienced players on this roster, despite being just 19 years old. After two years with the Arizona Wildcats, Boswell decided to return home and quickly took charge as a leader on this team. He emerged as one of the league’s premier defenders despite being asked to guard wings and forwards at points during this season. Boswell’s decision to return is massive news, as the Illini are hoping to become older and more experienced from top down.

I fully expect Kylan Boswell to take another step in his game. When Terrence Shannon Jr first transferred to Illinois, he had an up-and-down first year. During his second year, he became more comfortable in the Orange and Blue and emerged as arguably the best player in College basketball. I expect Boswell to have a similar trajectory.

Run it back. pic.twitter.com/adl7OE9P6N

— Kylan Boswell (@BamBam_Boz) April 2, 2025

Finishing off the season on a strong note

Through the last seven games, Kylan Boswell averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.  On top of that, he shot an efficient 56.0 percent from the field while averaging only 2 turnovers per game. An area of improvement would be drawing fouls. Kylan shot 25 total free throws in that game span, equating to around three free throw attempts per game. Boswell also only shot 31 percent from the three during that span. If he can work on drawing fouls and increasing his three-point efficiency, there is no doubt that Boswell will return as one of the top guards in the Big Ten conference. Look for Boswell to feel more comfortable as the leader of the locker room.

For example, Terrence Shannon Jr. averaged 6.8 free-throw attempts per game during his first season at Illinois and upped that to 8.6 attempts. He also became a more efficient three-point shooter, going from 32.1% to 36.2%

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