MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Illini tries to regroup on road

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CHAMAPIGN — After another close defeat to Michigan State on Saturday, the University of Illinois men’s basketball team will face another tough Big Ten opponent on the road tonight.

The Illini (17-9 overall, 9-7 in the Big Ten) will take on No. 11 Wisconsin tonight and it is an situation that Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said is perfect for the Illini.

“I relish these chances,” Underwood said. “I was watching the Kurt Warner story one night and when Trent Green went down, Dick Vermeil didn’t cry over spilled milk, he put Kurt Warner in and they went to a Super Bowl. It is about taking your blows. and getting off the mat. We have good players and we are going to control the controllables and it is going to be tough without Morez.”

Morez is freshman Morez Johnson, Jr., who was injured during Saturday’s game.

“He broke his wrist on a fall on that elite blocked shot he made. He was tough enough to say tape it afterward,” Underwood said. “He’s in a cast and there is no timeline to that at this point, so we will strap it up and have to move forward without his presence. I feel sorry for him and he was playing so well. He is trying to make sure that it will be healthy and heal right. He has a great personality. My heart goes out for him and it was a tough break.”

Another tough break was the last few minutes of Saturday’s game as the Illini shot 3-pointers to try to keep pace with the Spartans and could not make them.

“It was a hard-fought game and watching the film, it was hard to explain the last seven minutes or so,” Underwood said. “It were really good shots until we starting jacking 3’s, I twasn’t as bad as I looked at in the last 7-8 minutes, there were good things but we didn’t make shots. Ben (Humrichous) had a night where he was 0-6 and a few shots hit the rim and did not go in.

“Defensively, I thought it wasn’t one of our better nights. We didn’t play with any attitude. I thought we laid on screens and was a step behind. “We…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball-illini-tries-201700050.html

Author : Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.

Publish date : 2025-02-18 20:17:00

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