3 Illinois Players Houston’s Defense Has To Shutdown
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After a dominating performance by Houston basketball in the Round of 32, the Sweet Sixteen isn’t going to be a cake walk, as the Illinois basketball program is flying high after a 21-point victory over VCU.
Between the first two games the Illini have played, the two opponents have been kicked in the rear by over 50 points, which means one thing. There are shooters. There are defenders. There are championship-caliber hopes.
No matter how hot the roster has been playing, the Cougars have been in a familiar position as it has destroyed its two opponents in the NCAA Tournament by 31 points in each matchup, so that speaks to how physical, aggressive, and hungry this defense is so shutting down these three players will be pivotal if it wants to repeat its success in March Madness.
Keaton Wagler, Guard
The only teammate on this roster to have played over 30 minutes is the star, who has appeared in 34 games and is the Illini's leading scorer. Over the last two games, Wagler has combined for 32 points and played 63 minutes, which means he has been asked a lot and has shown up on the big stage. Could he do that in front of a crowd that should heavily favor Houston?
Wagler averages 17.8 points to go along with his 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field. From three, the 6-foot-6 weapon is going 40.8 percent and 79.9 percent from the line as only a freshman. If the youngster can heat up early, draw the whistle, and pressure the defense on the perimeter, it will come right down to the wire.
David Mirkovic, Forward
Another aspect the Cougars will have to be sharp in is rebounding, because Illinois's leading rebounder, Mirkovic, is great at cleaning the glass with an average of 7.9 rebounds.
Part of his game is swinging the ball to his teammates and collecting several assists, which really open up gaps and fastbreak opportunities. He is posting 2.7 assists and is also a great shooter, shooting 49.3 percent from the field, which has helped him rank second on the team with 13.6 points per game.
Andrej Stojakovic, Guard
Head coach Kelvin Sampson is likely aware that one of the things that the Illinois squad can do well is draw fouls and get to the line for those easy buckets. One of the players who is great at driving down the lane and maneuvering through traffic is the 6-foot-7 star, an 82.2 percent shooter. There are only three players listed that are active who are 80 percent or better at the charity stripe, and Stojakovic is one of those players who is not someone an opponent wants to see at the line with his accuracy.
The Carmichael, California native is averaging 13.5 points per game, 4.5 assists, and one assist. From the field, he is a 49.2 percent shooter, which is second-best among the starting five who take the court. There aren't many worries the Cougars should have with him nailing his 3-pointers, as he is only 24.1 percent from downtown, but he certainly has the range to knock down those mid-range jumpers and scatter his shot selection all over the place. Watch for the junior wearing No. 2 to be all over the place, helping the Illinois offense.
Tipoff between Houston and Illinois begins Thursday, March 26, at 9:05 on TBS/truTV.
Kolton Becker is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies and Houston Cougars On SI from Port Lavaca, Texas. He is a graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism and a minor in sport management. As a former sports reporter with TexAgs and The Battalion, he has covered Texas A&M football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, cross country, swim & dive and equestrian. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, cook, do play-by-play announcing at high school sporting events, spend time with family/friends as well as be involved with his local church.
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