Why Illinois Basketball Needs More From Kylan Boswell

"Talented” is a word often saved for uber-skilled offensive players, but it can also be used to describe a defender. And there are certain defensive abilities that can't be taught – you either have them or you don't.

Be it quick hands, nimble feet, a low center of gravity, excellent balance or other unquantifiable instincts – you name it, Illinois’ Kylan Boswell has it.

For years, Boswell has been lauded for his defensive prowess – and for good reason. But in 2025-26, with an expanded offensive role, Boswell’s defense appears to have taken a back seat.

Kylan Boswell needs to ramp up his defense to elevate Illinois in March

None of those aforementioned gifts have disappeared, which makes Boswell's defensive dip even more frustrating. The difference-maker: effort. Boswell, despite his lateral agility and stellar awareness, has failed to fight the good fight getting through ball screens.

He gets caught at a shockingly high rate, forcing the Illini into disadvantageous scenarios. Sometimes it’s Tomislav Ivisic or Zvonimir Ivisic getting switched on to a guard; other times the big men are forced to help so hard that their matchup gets a wide-open look from three or the defense is sent into a frenzied state of rotation.

Regardless, the result is almost always the same: Boswell gets screened and the ball-handler winds up with two feet in the paint – a telltale sign of an incoming open look for an offense.

UCLA’s Donovan Dent, who is a phenomenal lead guard, tore Illinois to shreds in ball-screen action due to Boswell’s lackadaisical attempts at fighting through a body. Sometimes an offensive player would fail to even make contact with Boswell on a screen, yet he inexplicably still managed to get caught behind the play.

On the rare occasion Dent decided he didn’t need a pick, he simply blew past Boswell, turning the corner with zero resistance. Dent is a superb player, and he may be the fastest guard in college basketball, but that’s no excuse for Boswell failing to disrupt Dent’s rhythm in any manner – and, more concerningly, rarely even appearing to try. (For those interested in watching Dent have his way with Illinois, see below:)

In the Michigan game, Boswell was exceptional on Yaxel Lendeborg, who, despite the size advantage, may actually be a better matchup for Boswell. In one-on-one situations, Boswell used his wide range of defensive skills to make it tough for Lendeborg to get downhill. But once again, when Boswell saw a ball screen, he called it a day.

Clearly, the Illini don’t mind switching (depending on the opposing player) ball screens if Ben Humrichous or David Mirkovic is the other defender, but they’re always trying to actively avoid switches with the Ivisic twins. Yet when Boswell has been on the ball, he hasn't given them much of a choice.

All season long, Illinois has been horrid against stellar lead guards, and Boswell is one of the main reasons why. The Illini offense is predicated on creating advantages – and, evidently, that philosophy works. Naturally, every other offense is seeking to do the same thing, and Boswell is making that task unnecessarily easy.

It’s one thing if Boswell is simply outmatched – but he’s not. It’s purely an effort problem. And when the end goal is a national championship, Illinois can't afford half-measures from its veteran leader, who should be the tone-setter.

If the Michigan loss taught the Illini anything, it’s that talent alone won’t will them to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Attention to detail and all-out effort on a consistent basis are non-negotiables. And if Illinois can’t get that from Boswell, where is it coming from?