5 Key Stats That Show How Dominant Illinois Was in Win Over USC

Illinois tipped off its West Coast road trip in Los Angeles on Wednesday night in a matchup against USC – a club that had won three of its past four. The Illini quickly leapt out to a big lead, and (for once) put their foot on the gas and never let up, ultimately snagging their largest road win – final score: 101-65 – in league play in more than a quarter century.

Here are five key stats that explain the dominant victory:

Five stats that defined Illinois' blowout win over USC

Feb 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) dunks the ball against Southern California Trojans center Gabe Dynes (45) in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Illinois’ double-digit scorers: seven

Freshman guard Keaton Wagler has been the star of the show for the past few weeks, but on Wednesday night the Illini reminded the Big Ten that they may be the most balanced team in the league.

Of the eight Illinois players who logged more than 10 minutes, seven of them cracked double digits. Every rotational player aside from Zvonimir Ivisic (four points) had at least 10 points, led by 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting from Andrej Stojakovic.

USC’s two-point percentage: 36.4 percent

The Trojans were actually solid from deep (7-for-18), but they couldn’t buy a bucket inside the arc. Illinois’ signature length made drives difficult, and the rim protection – spearheaded by Big Z – was once again exceptional (three blocks from Ivisic and seven total from the team).

+2

Z's block leads to Brandon's layup!

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/FBdYFUx27w
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 19, 2026

Kylan Boswell and Stojakovic being back on the floor together also made a notable difference, as the pair helped Illinois hold USC’s starting backcourt to a combined 4-for-14 shooting from the field for 12 total points.

The Illini’s turnovers forced: 14

Illinois forced more turnovers against USC than it had in any Big Ten game this season – and by a fairly wide margin (previous high: 10 vs. Washington). Underwood and his staff seem to have made a decision to emphasize a more aggressive approach in passing lanes and being aggressive with hands in help defense on drivers.

The result – 14 forced turnovers – was mostly welcome, but the flip side was 19 team fouls. That number, which is much higher than Illinois’ season average, led to 20 free-throw attempts for the home squad (although the Trojans didn’t exactly capitalize on the opportunities, making just 12 free throws).

Illinois’ rebounding advantage: 11

After a step (or two) in the wrong direction on the glass in games at Michigan State and against Wisconsin, the Illini seemingly have returned to form. After pounding Indiana on the boards on Sunday, Illinois showed up in Los Angeles and tossed USC around, winning the rebounding battle 41-30.

The Illini finished with 13 offensive rebounds, which they flipped into 17 second-chance points (none better than the two from Boswell you absolutely have to see below), helping them put up an absurd 1.46 points per possession.

Throw your fours up pic.twitter.com/EgNZmQ5j2O
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 19, 2026

Illinois’ free-throw percentage: 92.3 percent

To win big games, a team must hit free throws. Obviously, the Illini win over the Trojans didn’t exactly fall into the “big” category, but it was encouraging to see Illinois knock down its free throws at a high clip (24-for-26 from the free-throw line).

Now the Illini need to find that impressive touch from the charity stripe when it matters – and it very likely will in upcoming contests at UCLA and at home against Michigan.