How Illinois Basketball Can Survive - And Maybe Thrive

Illinois’ depth has been a hot topic of discussion in Champaign. But in reality, how often have the Illini actually displayed it? Zvonimir Ivisic, Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis each get solid burn off the bench (all play 15 minutes or more per game), but Brad Underwood has decided against regular minutes for anyone else, specifically among the backcourt assets behind Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell.

All season, that has hardly been an issue, as Wagler has been superb in the lead guard role and Boswell has starred off the ball, routinely filling in at point during Wagler’s minimal time off the floor.

But as of Tuesday, the Illini will no longer have Boswell on the floor. The veteran leader is expected to be sidelined until mid-February because of a broken hand he suffered in practice Monday.

Who does Illinois turn to without Kylan Boswell available?

We’ve criticized Underwood occasionally for his inexplicably failing to find minutes for Mihailo Petrovic and Brandon Lee. But in his defense, given the level Illinois was operating at – and specifically Wagler and Boswell – it didn’t seem as though keeping Petrovic and Lee on the bench was the end-all-be-all.

But now, with Petrovic and Lee – who combine for 14.4 minutes per game – set to be thrust into the limelight, the blame will lie with Underwood if they aren’t ready to meet the moment.

Yet we’ve already seen one of them deliver. Petrovic played just seven minutes inIllinois' win over Minnesota on Saturday, but his presence was heavily felt in all of his time on the floor, as he went for four points and three rebounds while breaking down the Golden Gophers' zone and playing elite defense.

But Petrovic isn’t Boswell. They’re entirely different players. So how do the Illini best fill the gaping hole left in Boswell’s absence? The answer is a combination of Petrovic and Lee.

When Illinois desperately needs another perimeter stopper on the floor, it will be Lee’s number that should be called. A ball-hawk, Lee moves his feet extremely well, is physical at the point of attack and plays with unteachable fire and passion on that end. He lives for shutting down opposing players.

Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Brandon Lee (1) and Southern University Jaguars forward AJ Barnes (12) vie for a loose ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Although he may not boast the defensive versatility of Boswell (Lee probably isn’t going to be guarding post players, as a rule), he can be an effective answer on the perimeter, especially if an opposing guard gets a hot hand. (Lee is perhaps Illinois’ best defender in denial situations.)

Offensively, though, it has to be Petrovic. The Illini needed to find a way to get the ultra-dynamic Serbian guard going, and although this surely wasn’t the path anyone envisioned, it’s an opportunity to hand Petrovic the keys more often and allow him to just hoop.

The burst we needed. pic.twitter.com/yFbBHfdeP8
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 17, 2026

Petrovic makes his offensive impact in a drastically different manner than Boswell does, but he has the potential to be nearly as – if not more – effective. There are only two players in the Big Ten (Purdue’s Braden Smith and Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr.) who are better playmakers than Petrovic. That’s how gifted a creator he is.

The issue is that Petrovic’s ability to make plays is a double-edged sword: He is prone to making just as many mistakes. Some of that could be chalked up to his still finding his footing, but it’s also just an inevitable result of the near-frenzy he seems to constantly play in.

With Petrovic running the show – mind you, Wagler will still be handling some of those duties – the Illini offense may hardly appear recognizable. But it can thrive.

The kind of player whose style is contagious, Petrovic has the vision and passing skills that encourage ball movement from an entire club. And his ability to consistently touch the paint is going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with, considering the quality and depth of Illinois’ shooters.

If he can find any semblance of touch around the rim – Petrovic has struggled mightily to finish at the cup this year – he is going to elevate this already-elite offense to a new level.

All that said, Illinois is going to miss Boswell – and likely in a massive way. He’s such a special, unique player, with a blend of skills that no one else in college basketball possesses. Illinois can mishmash the abilities of some of its reserves – namely Petrovic and Lee – to offset his absence, but there is no recreating Boswell's impact.

With him out of the fold in the short term, Illinois is going to look different on both ends of the floor – but it will survive. And perhaps in the long run, the Illini may even benefit from – forgive the unintended pun – their hand being forced into giving Petrovic and Lee more tick, as both players now have the opportunity to blossom into key contributors come March.