Analyzing the biggest plays that decided Wisconsin’s win over Illinois

The Wisconsin Badgers overcame a substantial obstacle on Tuesday night, defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini for the first time in 10 meetings.

The Badgers won 95-74, thanks to another huge performance by star John Tonje. The veteran wing registered his second straight game with at least 30 points, joining program legend Michael Finley as the only Badger to boast that feat.

Wisconsin started the game strong before creating significant separation in the second half, outscoring Illinois by 15 in the frame. Illinois was decimated by injuries and illness, which is why the Badgers attacked its depleted frontcourt. Besides Tonje’s excellence, the Badgers excelled in this game thanks to a standout performance from Steven Crowl, who scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. This is a vast improvement from his outing against the Fighting Illini early December, where he only scored nine points and, more importantly, failed to grab a single rebound.

The Badgers were out-rebounded by eleven in that previous matchup, which was one of the key reasons why they lost. On Tuesday, they outrebounded their rival 39-30, flipping the script completely.

With the dust settling on the result, here are four key plays that helped the Badgers pull out the much-needed win and break a five-year losing streak to Illinois:

1. Max Klesmit’s three-pointer late in the first half

The 2024-25 season hasn’t gone the way senior guard Max Klesmit envisioned, at least when it comes to his offensive production. Klesmit was recovering from an injury during preseason, which could be part of the reason he’s struggled shooting the basketball.

At the 7:36 mark of the first half, the Badgers led 26-17 and had just gotten a nice defensive stop against Illinois guard Kylan Boswell. Klesmit brought the ball up the court and passed it to Nolan Winter, who gave it to Xavier Amos, who then found Klesmit for a nice step-back three.

Wisconsin has the talent and intangibles to go deep into March this season. If a guy like Max Klesmit can stay hot, the Badgers can be a real threat to other higher seeds.

2. Jack Janicki’s pass to Xavier Amos for an easy layup

With 5:48 left in the first half, Wisconsin led Illinois 34-23. Jack Janicki brought the ball up in transition and instead of slowing the tempo down, he caught Illinois off-guard and found Xavier Amos in the paint for an easy layup. Wisconsin’s increased aggressiveness has been one of the reasons why it has improved from last season.

Janicki struggled in the beginning of Big Ten play, but he’s played a lot better in his last few games. That was specifically the case at Purdue when he scored 11 points on 3/4 shooting from beyond the arc.

3. Kamari McGee’s incredible pass to John Tonje, leading to an and-one opportunity

Kamari McGee was ejected from Wisconsin’s last game against Purdue and had to watch the second half from his iPad inside the locker room. Many expected him to have a big performance on Tuesday night because of this.

While McGee didn’t have an huge game from the box score standpoint, he was clearly giving it his all on defense and also made some nice plays offensively. His best play came with 5:05 left in the first half, when he slipped while trying to drive to the hoop. Instead of kicking the ball out to the perimeter, he instead waited for an open man to draw open down low. In this case it was John Tonje. Tonje caught McGee’s pass, scored the basket and drew a foul, leading to a nice three-point play. Wisconsin continues to make winning plays like these on each end of the court, which is why it has won at such a high level this season.

The play is seen below at the 0:09 mark.

4. John Blackwell’s behind the back pass to Steven Crowl for an open three

Most of the plays listed are from the first half, so there should be an inclusion that represents Wisconsin’s strong second-half showing. The most impressive play of the second frame, by far, came at the 11:00 minute mark. As John Blackwell was driving into the basket, Illinois’ Will Riley and Tomislav Ivisic cut him off.

Blackwell, with little room to operate, had the right idea to kick the ball back out to the perimeter, where he found an open Steven Crowl, who drained his third three-pointer of the night. Not only was this a great find, but it was behind his back and basically a no-look pass. It was a pretty incredible play from the star sophomore who has improved as a playmaker and facilitator as the season has progressed.

Wisconsin takes on Oregon this Saturday at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT, in what will be yet another game against a projected tournament team. The Badgers will have another solid opportunity to add to their strong resume and increase their chance at a top seed in March Madness.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Illinois game recap key plays