Illinois Rediscovers Its Lost Identity to Batter Indiana on the Boards

Illinois didn’t shoot it well in Sunday's 71-51 win over Indiana, a statement that contains a couple of ideas that wouldn't seem to align. The Illini went just 7-for-31 (22.6 percent) from three-point range and missed a total of 37 shots from the field – yet they won by 20. Something doesn't add up.

Putting together all the pieces. pic.twitter.com/Rww5baCPTZ
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 15, 2026

That's because instead of letting those misses define the game, the eighth-ranked Illini (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) turned them into one of the biggest reasons they won.

Illinois grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, reclaiming 40.5 percent of its own misses and converting those extra possessions into 17 second-chance points. Nearly half the time the Illini failed to score on their first attempt of a possession, they got a chance to reset and try again.

That wasn’t coincidence. It was by design.

Illinois entered the afternoon having lost two straight games, and rebounding had been part of the problem in each. In a loss to Michigan State, the Illini were beaten 48-38 on the glass. Against a Wisconsin team that has been mediocre on the boards, Illinois allowed 14 offensive rebounds while collecting just eight of its own. The physical edge that had defined the program earlier in the season – especially during its 12-game win streak – had slipped.

Illini coach Brad Underwood made sure it didn’t slip any further.

“I thought one of the big keys to the game was just getting back to us on the glass,” Underwood said. “Kylan [Boswell], four offensive rebounds. Tomi [Ivisic], four offensive rebounds. You know, I thought we were so poor in the Wisconsin game. So just to re-emphasize that for two days was great.”

Illinois responded immediately.

Even with the three-ball misfiring, Illini players crashed from the perimeter and attacked long rebounds with urgency. Illinois' shot profile actually worked in its favor. As Indiana coach Darian DeVries pointed out, “They do take a lot of threes. So you get long shots, long rebounds.”

And Illinois is literally built to win those plays.

“They have so much size, really at all five positions,” DeVries said. “You see that in rebounding.”

And that size isn’t isolated to one post player. It’s everywhere – wings, forwards, guards – all capable of rising above traffic. DeVries noted the habits Illinois has developed, saying, “They’ve done a terrific job of creating those habits of guys going and going with force to go get the ball. … You’ve got 6-10, 6-7 everywhere where they’re able to just kind of grab it over the top of you.”

Those characteristics were visible throughout the afternoon. Offensive rebounds drained clock, extended possessions and demoralized the Hoosiers even after they played 30 seconds or so of sound defense. When the Illini really have it going on the boards, there seems to be no fear associated with a missed jumper. A clank isn't a stop. It's just another opportunity.

David Mirković working the glass 😤 pic.twitter.com/zB6iSknI2b
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 15, 2026

David Mirkovic, who scored a game-high 25 points and had two offensive rebounds, admitted the raw desire to beat other teams to the ball hadn’t been there in recent losses.

“In both games that we lost, we lost the rebounding battle,” Mirkovic said. “We weren’t that hungry as we were on the defensive end today, and that was the emphasis the last two days in practice. And I think we did it well today, and that’s why we won.”

That hunger – combined with size, of course – is what makes Illinois dangerous.

On days when the shots are falling, the Illini can overwhelm teams quickly. On days like Sunday, when they never seem able to find their mark, they simply dig in, roll up their sleeves and go take another crack at it.

After two straight losses, Illinois didn’t just secure a win. It reestablished who it is – a team that creates extra possessions and makes sure even an off shooting night isn’t enough to slow it down.