Brad Underwood Says Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. 'Owned' the Paint Against Illinois

Johnson returned to Champaign to dominate the Illini, and after the dust settled, his former coach offered his perspective

Feb 4, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Michigan may not have pulled away against Illinois on Friday until the second half, but the Wolverines’ first-half display of physicality and tenacity foreshadowed what the second frame had in store. And there wasn’t a player on the floor who had a greater impact in that regard than Morez Johnson Jr. Just ask his former head coach:

Illinois' Brad Underwood on impact of Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr.

Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) dunks in the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“I thought Morez, in the first half, was the best player on the court,” Illini head man Brad Underwood said in the postgame press conference. “His offensive rebounding, his activity.”

Johnson wrangled in four offensive boards in the first half, while fellow forward Yaxel Lendeborg managed three. As a team, Michigan parlayed those seven offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points, helping the visitors build a seven-point lead by halftime.

“I just thought that [in] the first half, everything was in the three-foot radius of the rim – and Morez just owned it,” Underwood said. “Morez just got every ball. The physicality. The hit. We all know Morez. First play of the game: just let me see how hard I can go hit [David Mirkovic]. And just launched him.”

From a physicality and impose-your-will standpoint, every team could use a tone-setter. Johnson was just that for the Illini last year. Now he’s playing that same role for Michigan – and as a result, the disparity between the two clubs was glaringly large on Friday.

Johnson didn’t just offer his team-high 19 points and game-high 11 rebounds, but he also contributed an infectious energy that paid dividends for the Wolverines, who controlled the glass (34-30) and dominated the loose-ball battle en route to a 14-point road victory over Illinois.

The Illini, on the flip side, don’t have that guy. Take your pick: Mirkovic, Kylan Boswell, even Zvonimir Ivisic can be that guy – but only on occasions. All of them expend 100 percent effort at times, but not every time. And it’s impossible to enforce a standard and elevate your teammates to it if you’re not hitting the mark yourself.

Johnson is, though, and the result is that Michigan plays as hard as any team in the country and maximizes its abilities across the board – which is rare for a team that talented.

“I love Morez to death,” Underwood said. “He’s a terrific young man. He’s a next-level guy [and] he showed that tonight.”