MILWAUKEE — Illinois basketball has been inconsistent all season, so it’s fitting that the Illini’s variance showed up in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament and ultimately kept them from a prolonged run.
After an even-keeled, surgical Dr. Jekyll performance in a 86-73 first-round win over Xavier, the No. 6 seed Illini’s more crazed side came out in an 84-75 loss to No. 3 seed Kentucky at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.
Kentucky scored 26 points off 14 Illinois turnovers and held the Illini to 9 for 32 (28.1%) from three and now advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019, where the Wildcats (24-11) will play No. 2 seed and SEC rival Tennessee in Indianapolis.
Koby Brea scored a team-high 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead Kentucky , while Lamont Butler added 14 points and five assists and Otega Oweh had 14 points.
Kylan Boswell led Illinois (22-13) with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting, while Tomislav Ivisic added 16 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Kasparas Jakucionis had 13 points but shot 5-for-13 and had six turnovers for the fourth straight game.
Kentucky raced out to a 25-13 lead as it took advantage of the Illini’s sloppiness, scoring 14 points off eight Illini turnovers in the first 12 minutes behind nine points from Brea. The Illini cleaned up their play and got aggressive to the rim. Boswell scored six straight points during a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 27-23.
After a Butler 3-pointer for Kentucky, Illinois went on a 7-2 run behind four points from Riley to cut it to a one-possession game, 32-29. But Ansley Almonor hit a corner 3-pointer and Illinois fouled Trent Noah on a 3-point attempt and he made two free throws to give Kentucky a 37-32 lead at halftime.
But Kentucky threw a haymaker to begin the second half, going on a 10- 0 run to take its largest lead, 47-32. The game then turned into a track meet. Kentucky made 10 of its first 11 shots, but Illinois then got hot, making 7 of 10 shots including four 3-pointers, to cut the deficit to 60-51 with about 12 minutes remaining. But Brea made four straight shots to key a 10-3 run to extend Kentucky’s lead to 70-54 with 9:32 left.
Illinois went on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 72-62, but Kasparas Jakucions was stripped on a fastbreak, which led to a Brandon Garrison layup to temporarily stop the momentum. But Illinois went on a 6-0 run, holding Kentucky scoreless for more than three minutes to trim the Kentucky lead to two possessions, 74-68, with 1:36 remaining. But Andrew Carr scored a layup through a foul to all but end the Illini’s chances.
What it means: This was a good season for Illinois, especially considering how much talent they lost from last season’s Elite Eight team, but it was not an undeniably smashing success that lived up to Brad Underwood’s own lofty expectations. This season will be remembered for potential flashed but a high ceiling ultimately not reached. A year after building an old and experienced roster, Underwood leaned into talent (mostly) over experience — in part due to necessity after losing most of its rotation players to graduation or the transfer — and ultimately that youth showed through inconsistency.
Yet even with freshmen stars Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley likely heading to the NBA, this season still can be a building block for Underwood if he retains most of the rotation (especially Kylan Boswell, Tre White, Morez Johnson Jr. and Tomislav Ivisic), lands a difference-making play-maker in the transfer portal and makes the most of developing the program’s first one-and-done(s) on the recruiting trail.
Star of the game: Koby Brea might be the best shooter in the country, and he took a flamethrower to the Illini on Sunday, scoring 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting. In the second half, Brea buried the Illini by sinking his first six shots. He lived on a steady diet of midrange jumpers against Illinois’ drop coverage and 3-pointers off screens. The NBA will want the sharpshooter.
Also, shout out to Lamont Butler who showed his March mettle in his 12th NCAA Tournament start. Limited by a shoulder injury, the San Diego State transfer entered Sunday just 1-for-11 from three during his last eight games. But he made two huge first-half 3-pointers as Illinois went under ball screens to keep Kentucky ahead. He probed Illinois’ defense well with five assists. Most importantly, he pestered Jakucionis into a poor performance.
Stats of the game
- Kentucky scored 26 points off 14 Illinois turnovers. Illinois scored eight points off five Kentucky turnovers.
- Illinois shot 9-for-32 from three, while Kentucky shot 8-for-21 from three.
- Illinois outrebounded Kentucky 44-36 and had nine second-chance points on 12 offensive rebounds.
- Kentucky had 18 assists on 32 field goals, while Illinois had 12 assists on 27 field goals.
- Illinois shot 12-for-19 on free throws, while Kentucky shot 12-for-20 on free throws.
Don’t overlook: Projected first-round draft picks Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley played like freshmen after sensational performances against Xavier. They combined for 18 points on 6-for-20 shooting and nine turnovers. Both struggled with Kentucky’s aggression and physicality but also made a lot of unforced errors, including turnovers and some poor shots. Each showed great talent and potential this season, but both will need development at the next level. Their best days just won’t be an Illini uniform most likely.
What’s next: Illinois prepares for another busy offseason of retooling. While Jakucionis and Riley are projected to be first-round draft picks, Illinois likely will prioritize retention of its other top players: Boswell, White, Morez Johnson Jr., Tomislav Ivisic and potentially Ben Humrichous. When the transfer portal window opens on Monday, expect Illinois to lose some depth but prioritize a top-tier playmaker in the backcourt. The Illini have a strong sell after developing three potential first-round draft picks during the last two years.
