Possession dominance is key for Illinois.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini don’t need to be perfect to be elite, they just need discipline.
They need to be violent where it counts. And that’s the stuff that doesn’t always make the highlight reel, but will exhaust teams and help win you games: offensive rebounds, tipped balls, second efforts, blocks that turn into downhill transitions.
Possession dominance on display
Illinois put on a masterclass in possession control against Missouri in St. Louis, turning a rivalry game with tons of hype into a cakewalk by the end of the first half. They won the second-chance point battle 29-5, finished +19 on the glass and rejected eight shots. That wasn’t just a win from good shooting, it was domination in almost every category.
That win confirmed what many Illini fans already believed: on its day, this roster can turn a game on its head pretty quickly and be one of the most dangerous programs in college basketball.
Illinois already has plenty of lethal weapons on the offensive side. That part is settled.
But what can elevate this Illini squad to one that can make a run in March is figuring out how to create more opportunities for themselves.
If they can control the glass and create extra possessions, they don’t have to shoot well to win games. Missed shots stop being seen as mistakes, and instead they become opportunities for kick out threes for guys like freshman guard Keaton Wagler.
This roster was built for possession dominance
It’s not all that hard to realize that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood hand-picked this roster with a blueprint of what these players could become and how they could fit into the Illini’s gritty play-style.
Keaton Wagler obviously has a nose for putting the ball in the basket, but he possesses a mental maturity that few players have, one that drives him to hunt for loose balls and offensive rebounds. It’s still unreal to think about how he leads the Illini in offensive rebounds as one of the shorter, skinnier, younger players on the court. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make something happen.
Freshman forward David Mirkovic is still learning how to utilize his physicality, but when he gets it right, Illinois’ rebounding efficiency takes a massive jump.
The addition of Tomislav Ivišić‘s twin brother Zvonimir has proved to be a huge threat around the rim, with 30 blocks in just 13 games.
And veteran guard Kylan Boswell of course, the engine of the squad. He’s been a part of Underwood’s squad long enough to master the art of being a guy who tips a ball out, dives on the floor, then calmly hits the open three at the top of the key.
Underwood has been clear all season: offensive rebounding is mandatory and crucial. When Illinois polishes that mindset, many pieces of the puzzle will fall into place.
Why this matters ahead of Penn State
In recent years, matchups away from home against the Nittany Lions have seen slower pace and extended droughts in games decided by a handful of possessions.
In 2024, Illinois lost 90–89 in Philadelphia, a game that saw five lead changes and was decided on the final possession after Penn State closed the second half shooting 54.5% while the Illini couldn’t get clean looks late.
In 2023, the Illini lost 81–93 after losing the rebound battle and walking away with empty possessions in Philadelphia, falling victim to Penn State’s slow and physical tempo.
That’s exactly why this version of Illinois is dangerous.
At The Palestra, the Illini won’t knock down all their shots. That’s the type of environment that demands discipline to work for a chance to get the ball back. An extra rebound might end a dry spell. A Zvonimir block at the rim might lower Penn State’s confidence.
Second and third efforts drain opponents who want to play fundamental basketball the way Penn State does. The Illini don’t need to shoot lights-out at The Palestra, they just gotta win the possession battles.
Category: General Sports
