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Three Instant Observations From Illinois Basketball's 90-55 Win Over Southern

The Illini hit shots, locked up on D and handled their business against the Jaguars as they closed out their non-conference schedule Monday
Jason Langendorf|
Illinois forward Jake Davis (15) rises up to fire one of his five made three-pointers in the Illini's 90-55 win over Southern on Monday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
Illinois forward Jake Davis (15) rises up to fire one of his five made three-pointers in the Illini's 90-55 win over Southern on Monday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. | University of Illinois

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Illinois Fighting IlliniSouthern University Jaguars

Illinois was never likely to be threatened in Monday's 90-55 steamrolling of Southern, a non-conference opponent outside the Power 5, but the Illini handled their business in appropriate fashion and got all the right muscles stretched as they prepare for the Big Ten journey ahead, starting Saturday at Penn State (6 p.m. CT, BTN).

On a day when they were at their most selfless and connected on offense, the Illini (10-3) dished out assists on 22 of their 30 field goals – including 14 from three-point range. Jake Davis, who was breathing fire in a 5-for-6 performance from long distance, led the team with 15 points. Zvonimir Ivisic followed with 13 points (and three triples of his own), and three more Illini chipped in 11 apiece.

Here are three more instant observations from Illinois' big win in its final non-conference matchup of the regular season:

1. Facing a zone defense is just what Illinois needed

There may be no team in college basketball with more individual scoring talent than Illinois. Yes, there are shooters everywhere you look, but Brad Underwood can also count on multiple scoring options in the post, on dribble penetration and from the free-throw line. But the Illini occasionally run into the common problem that has existed since the invention of the game: There's only one ball to go around.

Illinois isn't selfish, per se, but encouragement from Brad Underwood for players to get in touch with their inner Allen Iversons can lead to tunnel vision and more contested (and even ugly) looks than are remotely necessary. A zone forces even collections of great individual talents to move the ball briskly, snap off convincing fakes and hunt for open shots. That's exactly what the Illini reacted with against Southern, which, Underwood should hope, will carry over into tougher matchups and against man-to-man looks.

2. The job belongs to Keaton Wagler

Who knows how things would have played out had Mihailo Petrovic arrived in the U.S. sooner and stayed healthy, but we only get one view of the multiverse – and in this one, Keaton Wagler is unquestionably locked in as Illinois' starting point guard.

Even in a game when Petrovic got on the floor earlier than usual and played more minutes against Southern (10) than he had in his previous three appearances combined, he had no chance of emerging from Wagler's shadow. In a "down" scoring performance, Wagler finished with 11 points against the Jaguars but still showed off why Underwood struggles to find moments to spell him, adding seven rebounds, two steals and a career-high 10 assists (against just one turnover). Petrovic is a fine player – but it's hard to top Wagler's do-everything act.

3. Is this the Illini defense we should come to expect?

Missouri and Southern may not be the ideal litmus test, but it's hard to ignore Illinois' defensive numbers since the Nebraska game: 39-for-122 field-goal shooting allowed (32.0 percent) and 9-for-36 on threes (25.0 percent). The Illini don't turn teams over much, but when they shut down all scoring avenues and Hoover up nearly twice as many missed shots as their opponent (Illinois had an 88-50 rebounding advantage in those two games), they are agonizingly tough to beat.

The Illini ramp up to tougher competition over the next few weeks, which will give them a chance to either cement the good habits of a vice-grip defense as part of their identity or lull them into a laziness that would undoubtedly come back to bite them against the Purdues, Michigans and Michigan States of the Big Ten weeks from now. Sharp rotations and hard closeouts against the Nittany Lions this weekend would be an excellent sign.

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Jason Langendorf
JASON LANGENDORF

Jason Langendorf has covered Illinois basketball, football and more for Illinois on SI since October 2024, and has covered Illini sports – among other subjects – for 30 years. A veteran of ESPN and Sporting News, he has published work in The Guardian, Vice, Chicago Sun-Times and many other outlets. He is currently also the U.S. editor at BoxingScene and a judge for the annual BWAA writing awards. He can be followed and reached on X and Bluesky @JasonLangendorf.

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