Dec 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) drives the ball in opposition to Illinois Preventing Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) in the course of the second half at State Farm Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Ron Johnson-Imagn Photos Illinois coach Brad Underwood believes in gamers pushing one another throughout follow to enhance themselves and the crew.
That is why he typically pits beginning guards Kylan Boswell and Kasparas Jakucionis in opposition to one another in follow. Underwood figures if it labored for Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier, why not his latest backcourt?
To date, that technique seems to be paying off once more as Boswell and Jakucionis are keying a robust begin for the No. 24 Preventing Illini (8-3). They will shoot for a non-conference win Sunday afternoon when Chicago State (0-14) visits Champaign, Sick.
Boswell and Jakucionis’ imprints had been throughout Illinois’ 80-77 Braggin’ Rights win over Missouri in St. Louis on Dec. 22. They mixed for 37 factors, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, with Jakucionis scoring 21 for his sixth straight recreation with a minimum of 20 factors.
Underwood stated pitting the 2 in opposition to one another in follow is a win-win.
“I play them reverse one another to allow them to simply exhaust one another and beat one another up,” the coach stated.
Jakucionis, who averages a team-high 16.5 factors a recreation on 46.8 p.c taking pictures from the sector, co-signs on that philosophy.
“We elevate one another,” he stated. “In follow, we’re pushing one another by defending and attacking one another. And it makes each other higher every day and day-after-day.”
Boswell provides 10.6 ppg to go along with 3.5 assists, whereas teammates Tomislav Ivisic (13.9 ppg) and Will Riley (12.5) are also in double figures in scoring.
Maybe the perfect factor about this crew is that it seems to have extra ceiling left. Illinois is averaging 83.6 factors a recreation with out being environment friendly from the sector (43.3 p.c) or the 3-point line (32.3 p.c).
The Illini doubtless will discover extra effectivity in opposition to the winless Cougars, who’re trying to find solutions and consistency of their first 12 months as a member of the Northeast Convention. They have not performed since Dec. 21, after they fell 81-57 at Cal State Northridge.
It was predictable that Chicago State would battle. After incomes 13 wins final season at a program that has had a tough time successful persistently, coach Gerald Gillion left to function Rod Strickland’s lead assistant at Lengthy Island.
New Cougars coach Scott Spinelli, who labored beneath Mark Turgeon (Maryland) and Jim Christian (Boston School), not solely needed to substitute most of his roster however introduced a brand new type of play to city. Gillion performed a methodical half-court recreation, and Spinelli is making an attempt to play at a sooner tempo.
“We need to have guys on the market that may stand up and down the ground,” Spinelli stated this previous summer time.
That hasn’t come to fruition but. The Cougars are final in Division I in field-goal proportion at 35.1 and third from the underside in scoring at 59.6 factors per recreation. In addition they rank close to the underside in free-throw proportion, 3-point proportion, rebounding, assists and turnovers.
Jalen Forrest is the crew’s main scorer at 9.1 ppg however is taking pictures solely 33.6 p.c from the sector. Cameron Jernigan averages a team-high 4.5 rebounds.
–Area Stage Media
