Was Losing Morez Johnson Jr. to Michigan a Blessing in Disguise for Illinois?

Let’s wind the clock back to late March for a moment and take a painful trip down memory lane. Homegrown player and blue-chip recruit Morez Johnson Jr., who had been committed to Illinois since his sophomore year of high school, bolted Champaign through the transfer portal after his freshman campaign. Naturally, the Illini fanbase did not respond well.

In their defense, Johnson’s decision came as a shock. After putting up 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 17.6 minutes per game as a freshman, Johnson seemed in line to take a big step up to a dominant 2025-26 season.

But instead he entered the portal and landed with another Big Ten program (and, notably, a bitter Illinois rival) in Michigan. But while Johnson's freshman year was undeniably impressive, will his departure actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Illini?

Why losing Morez Johnson Jr. may be a net gain for Illinois

Of Johnson’s 120 career field-goal attempts, a whopping zero came from behind the three-point line. At least for the time being, Johnson’s jump shot isn't an important weapon in his arsenal. And in Illinois’ three-point-heavy offense, that was a potential sticking point. When Johnson was on the floor, Illinois was forced to adjust from coach Brad Underwood’s preferred five-out system to a four-out, one-in offensive scheme.

The latter catered to Johnson's skills, putting him in the dunker spot and in prime position to pluck offensive rebounds for putbacks. But it also clogged the lane, closing down driving lanes and shrinking the floor – all of which are less-than-desirable scenarios for an offense predicated on drive-and-kick and pick-and-roll.

This year, with Johnson no longer in the fold, the Illini have a big-man lineup of pure shooters in the Ivisic twins (Tomislav and Zvonimir), along with forwards Ben Humrichous and David Mirkovic. In fact, with the injury sustained by guard/forward Ty Rodgers, the Illini don’t have a player on their active roster who isn’t a valuable shooter from deep. The era of pure-NBA style offense is officially being ushered into Illinois basketball.

Why losing Johnson may not be a net gain

Illinois’ three-point conundrum was well-documented last year. The Illini jacked up triples without a second thought, yet shot a cringey 31.3 percent from beyond the arc. Their saving grace when struggling from deep? Johnson’s interior dominance. The 6-foot-9 freshman shot a robust 64.2 percent from the field and had a handful of memorable, momentum-shifting jams.

This Morez Johnson Jr. poster was filthy 😮‍💨#B1GMBBall x @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/DtFWyfODIZ
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 26, 2024

More importantly, Johnson’s defensive presence was second to none: 1.1 blocks in 17.6 minutes is unheard of – and that’s just a basic counting stat. The advanced numbers were at least as impressive, as Johnson recorded a defensive box plus/minus of 3.8. Even relying purely on the eye test, Johnson’s impact was undeniable. On the ball, Johnson’s length and physicality bothered opposing bigs, and in help situations he often forced smaller guards to kick the ball outside.

A case could be made for Johnson as the nation’s top rebounder last season, and he was without a doubt the best rebounder of any freshman in the country. His physical gifts certainly played a role, but his understanding of angles – both in terms of boxing out and where the ball came off the rim – and timing were game-changers. His strength and springs just optimized the whole package.

Moral of the story: Johnson was integral to Illinois’ success on offense, defense and rebounding. Although the Illini can survive (and arguably thrive) on offense, their defense and rebounding won’t operate at the same level in 2025-26 without Johnson.

Was Losing Morez Johnson Jr. to Michigan a Blessing in Disguise for Illinois?

Why losing Morez Johnson Jr. may be a net gain for Illinois

Why losing Johnson may not be a net gain

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