Illinois Basketball Grades: Evaluating the Illini Against VCU

As exceptional as Illinois has been on the court for much of the 2025-26 college basketball season, there have been a number of lapses – inexplicable moments of inertia or indifference – and a handful of games that slipped through the Illini’s fingers as a result.

That wasn’t the case in Saturday’s second-round NCAA Tournament matchup, in which the 11th-seeded Rams disappeared a 12-point first-half lead and threw a North Carolina-sized scare into No. 3 Illinois. But instead of retreating into a shell, the Illini (26-8) bit down, swung back and landed a series of haymakers – including one shining mega-moment – to finish off VCU, 76-55. Because that’s what championship teams do.

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At least, that’s the hope in Champaign. The win over the Rams sends the Illini into a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 2 seed Houston (30-6), a bona fide beast, and dangerous guard Kingston Flemings. Conquer the Cougars, and Illinois is looking at a surprisingly favorable Elite Eight matchup against Iowa or Nebraska, both of which the Illini own wins over this season.

But before turning forward, let’s take one last look back at how Illinois fared against VCU. Below are individual grades – single-game measures of player effectiveness – for the Illini from Saturday’s win:

The Rams took no chances covering the perimeter against the Illini, and it left the middle of their defense wide open. Guess who took notice? Stojakovic attacked the paint over and over Saturday, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-for-12 field-goal shooting and 7-for-9 free-throw shooting. He was aggressive and accurate and a one-man maelstrom that VCU couldn’t contain.

Against the Rams, Ivisic got going early with a layup and a dunk, and it seemed to make all the difference. He was energized and involved, grabbing 11 rebounds (including three on the offensive end) and was as menacing a rim protector as he has been all season. He even more or less shook out of his shooting slump, knocking down 2 of 5 three-point attempts.

Big Z had…

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Publish date : 2026-03-23 04:16:00

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