Why Tomislav Ivisic Could Be the X-Factor for Illinois Against VCU

There are some matchups that just scream opportunity, and this one might be yelling it through a megaphone. When No. 3-seeded Illinois faces No. 11 VCU in Saturday's second round of the NCAA Tournament (6:50 p.m. CT, CBS), Tomislav Ivisic could be in line for one of his better games of the season.

The Rams are tough, physical for their size and annoying in all the ways good March teams tend to be, but this also looks like the kind of matchup in which Ivisic can make life miserable for them. VCU does a lot of things well. Dealing with a skilled 7-footer who can drag their bigs away from the basket and then punish them in space isn't one of them.

Ivisic has been a little quiet lately, so naturally this may be the exact moment he reminds everyone why he is such a unique piece in Illinois’ offense.

1. VCU just does not have much size

The most obvious reason is also the simplest. VCU is not a very big team. The Rams compete hard and fly around defensively, but this is not a frontcourt loaded with size and length. That becomes a problem when the opponent can throw Ivisic out there.

At 7-foot-1, Ivisic is already a difficult matchup based on sheer size alone. Against a smaller team, he can shoot over defenders, see over the top of help and create problems without needing a huge volume of touches. VCU’s bigs are going to have to battle him physically, but they are also going to have to guard him in places most big men don't want to defend. That isn't exactly a relaxing evening.

2. The Rams struggled with the pick-and-pop against North Carolina

If Illinois needed a little scouting encouragement, it got plenty from watching VCU against North Carolina. Henri Veesaar went for 26 points, and one of the biggest reasons why was VCU’s trouble defending actions involving its bigs away from the basket.

That matters a lot against Ivisic. Illinois doesn't run a ton of traditional pick-and-roll compared to some teams, but it absolutely uses pick-and-pop actions that fit Ivisic perfectly. VCU’s big men haven't really seen many players their size who can shoot at such a high clip. That is a very different problem than just guarding a traditional post player.

If VCU drops too far, Ivisic can step into open threes. If the closeouts are late, that is trouble. And if the Rams start panicking every time he drifts to the perimeter, Illinois can use that hesitation against them in other ways, too. In other words, if VCU thought one stretch big was annoying, Illinois is prepared to test that theory with multiple weapons.

3. Ivisic can hurt VCU inside and out

Ivisic has struggled from three-point range in recent games, but he is still a good shooter by all accounts, and players with his kind of touch don't stay cold forever. This feels like the kind of matchup where he could finally get back on track. He knocked one down late in the second half against Penn, and sometimes that's all a shooter needs to get going. One make can calm everything down, bring the confidence back and get a shooter feeling like himself again.

Ivisic also showed against Penn that he doesn't need to live only from the perimeter, bullying smaller defenders on a few second-half post-ups for easy offense. If that confidence carries over and an early three drops against VCU, this could become a long night for the Rams in a hurry.

The bottom line

If Illinois is going to make a real run at a national title, it probably needs Tomislav Ivisic playing with confidence and looking like the version of himself that can change a game. When he is right, he gives the Illini something few teams in the country can match: a 7-footer who can stretch the floor, punish people down low and make opposing big men question all of their life choices.

That's part of what makes this VCU matchup so important. It feels like the kind of game in which he can get back into rhythm, see a few shots fall and start building that confidence again. And Illinois may need that sooner rather than later. Because in March, a confident Ivisic isn't a luxury item the Illini can add on at checkout. It's much closer to an essential ingredient.