GREENVILLE, S.C.— Brad Underwood told his team to “let it rip” before the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Illini responded by shifting into a gear fans haven’t seen in weeks.
Behind a monstrous, career-high 29 points and 17 rebounds from freshman David Mirkovic, No. 3 Illinois turned a cold shooting start into a 105-70 statement win over No. 14 Penn on Thursday night in Greenville to move on to the Round of 32.
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“We just didn’t make a lot of shots,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. “That’s where this guy [Mirkovic] came in.”
The Illini began their March Madness journey up against a familiar face in former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey. After a month defined by late-game collapses against Michigan State, UCLA and Wisconsin twice, Illinois turned the page on that narrative and effectively put the game to bed early on in the second half.
While the three-pointers weren’t falling early, the Illini found different ways to control the game.
They physically overwhelmed the Quakers in the paint by tearing down the offensive boards and racking up second-chance buckets. Illinois’ defense held Penn to a single free throw make on the night and fully controlled the paint battle, scoring 44 in the paint and holding Penn to just 24.
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Freshman forward David Mirkovic checked every single box for the Illini, single-handedly bringing Illinois into the break up 10.
Mirkovic’s career night was driven by his commitment to the glass, leading to some easy second-chance buckets for the freshman. He continued his stretch of efficiency from beyond the arc as well, nailing four triples on the night.
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“With this loaded freshman class that we have, I think that he’s been kind of overshadowed a little bit,” Wagler said. “But in the games he does all the little stuff for us….tonight he showed what he’s capable of.”
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He fueled a dominant 18-0 advantage in second-chance points by halftime with a first-half double-double consisting of 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven offensive rebounds.
“Balls on the offensive glass were just like magnets to me,” Mirkovic said.
After leading 40-30 at the break, the Illini refused to let off the gas pedal, opening the second half with a 14-2 run. Keaton Wagler helped bring the win home, shaking off a slow start to finish with 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
Whether it was hitting a deep three while falling backwards or drawing a charge the very next possession, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year helped stretch the lead to as many as 40.
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“If we can defend for a whole 40 minutes, like how we did, then we have a really good chance of winning games,” Wagler said. “I feel like our offense will always be on point, especially when we’re getting stops, it sparks our offense.”
Although Penn’s leading scorer Ethan Roberts remained sidelined with a concussion, the Illini knew they’d have to take care of T.J. Power, the veteran forward who was coming off a 44-point, 14-rebound performance in the Ivy League title game.
But Illinois’ defensive intensity stayed present throughout, limiting the Quakers to one shot per possession and suffocating Fran McCaffrey’s electric offense from the opening tip. While Michael Zanoni stepped up for Penn, scoring 10 of the team’s first 22 points, the Illini calmly took care of Ivy League standout T.J. Power.
“We did a really really nice job on Power,” Underwood said. “I thought Kylan was absolutely phenomenal.”
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6’2” guard Kylan Boswell took on the assignment of guarding the 6’9” Power on the perimeter, and it paid off for Illinois. Penn’s primary engine finished with just six points on the night.
“Kylan just seems to have that ability to rise to the level,” Underwood said.
After a week of intense practice and attention to detail following the quarterfinal exit in Chicago, Illinois finally finds itself in a good headspace after passing its first test of March with a statement win.
The Illini now shift their focus to a Round-of-32 matchup against a VCU team with a head full of steam, coming off a stunning 19-point comeback win over North Carolina in overtime.
