5 Brutal Stats That Explain Illinois' Loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament

CHICAGO – Illinois tipped off its 2026 Big Ten Tournament – an event that began Tuesday but seemingly started ages ago – on Friday afternoon in front of a crowd evenly mixed with Illini orange and blue and Wisconsin red at the United Center.

A quick double technical foul on Illinois’ Kylan Boswell and the Badgers’ Nick Boyd set the precedent for the entire contest: intense and passionate. In other words, a true postseason affair. Here are five key stats that explain how the Illini let another lead slip out of their grasp.

5 key stats in Illinois’ loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) reacts at the end of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Illinois’ points in the final nine minutes of the first half: 8

After leaping out to a quick 15-point lead in the first half, the Illini offense slowed down, allowing the Badgers to creep back and cut the deficit to just six at the break. Brad Underwood’s unit shot 28.6 percent from long distance (4-for-14) over the first half and closed by hitting just two of its last 11 field-goal attempts before the break.

Once again, the Illini – who have been prone to blundering double-digit leads all season long (including one in another overtime loss to Wisconsin back in February) – were unable to put their foot on the gas, this time due to a long scoring dry spell. In the end, that allowed the Badgers to hang around and snatch the win at the end.

The rebounding margin: Plus-1 for Wisconsin

After the Badgers overcame being dominated on the boards (45-29) in their win over Washington on Thursday, the expectation was that the Illini – who are (statistically, at least) even tougher on the glass – would have their way with Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. And through one half, all seemed to be going according to plan for Illinois, which held a six-rebound advantage on the glass at the break.

Then, in the second half, Wisconsin took control, crashing the offensive glass (the Badgers finished with 11 offensive boards) while preventing second chances for Illinois on the other end (only nine offensive rebounds for the Illini). Although the Badgers won the rebounding battle by just one, any statistic that doesn't favor Illinois in that realm is inexplicable. Rebounding is a supposed superpower for the Illini, who appeared just ordinary in that department Friday.

Andrej Stojakovic and Zvonimir Ivisic's combined points: 26

If you're looking for a positive from the Illini loss, bench scoring arguably rose to meet the criteria. In three of his previous four outings, Andrej Stojakovic had scored eight or less points, with the anti-masterpiece coming in the form of a donut against Michigan. But on Friday, Stojakovic seemed to have moved beyond recent injuries (ankle sprain) and illness (flu) as he spun, bumped and slithered his way to a handful of buckets in trademark Stojakovic fashion.

Meanwhile, Zvonimir Ivisic knocked down a three and impressed as a play finisher, catching lobs and rolling for dunks while showing off his sweet touch around the rim on another shot. Behind Ivisic’s nine and Stojakovic’s 12, the Illini bench outscored the Badgers bench 26-5.

John Blackwell and Nick Boyd’s combined points: 69

Wisconsin’s dynamic backcourt pairing of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd picked up right where it left off in Champaign, scoring in every imaginable facet (from deep, in transition, at the rim, on the free-throw line and otherwise) against the Illini.

Boyd and Blackwell were practically the Badgers’ entire offense, but they were more than enough, as they combined to shoot 21-for-37 from the field and 21-for-22 from the charity stripe. Once again, Illinois found itself out of answers against elite guard play – which may be the demise of Underwood’s squad in the NCAA Tournament.

Free-throw percentage disparity: Plus-23.3 percent for Wisconsin

Illinois, which has been fairly efficient at the free-throw line all season long (79.3 percent entering the tournament), was abysmal there Friday, going just 9-for-15 (60.0 percent). Once again, the Illini failed to hit clutch freebies when they mattered most (missing two go-ahead free throws in the final minute/overtime).

On the flip side, Wisconsin went 25-for-30 (83.3 percent), with Boyd’s and Blackwell’s tremendous showings at the line carrying the Badgers. Aside from a few missed free throws late in overtime (when the game was mostly out of hand), Wisconsin was nearly perfect in that department.