Milwaukee-Tredje seeds Kentucky will meet a mature Illinois team that will be healthy at the right time in a second round of matchup in the NCAA tournament’s Midwest region on Sunday.
Sixth-seeded Illinois (22-12) advanced with a victory 86-73 over 11th seeded Xavier on Friday. Kentucky (23-11) pulled away in the second half for a victory 76-57 over No. 14 Frö Troy.
Illinois, who was obsessed with the mid season of illness and injuries, received 44 points from three beginners against Xavier. Will Riley had a team high 22 points, and Kasparas Jakucionis had 16 points, 10 assists and nine returns. Morez Johnson Jr., who returned in time for the Big Ten Conference tournament after missing five matches with a broken wrist, added six points and five returns in about 13 minutes.
Sophomore Center Tomislav Ivisic had 20 points and 10 returns, which helped Illini to a 45-25 advantage on the boards.
“We’re no longer a beginner,” said Illinois coach Brad Underwood. “These guys have played 30-plus minutes a game. I’ve said it all the time: I like their roof because I know how gifted they are.”
Jakucionis is an average of 15.0 points and 5.7 returns a game, and Ivisic adds 12.8 points and a team best 7.7 boards. Riley, the cold Boswell and three white are also on average in double numbers.
Kentucky broke up his towards Troy with a 16-0 run halfway through the second half. Otega Oweh had 20 points, and Koby Brea, Andrew Carr and Brandon Garrison had 13.
Wildcats have five players on average in double numbers in points. Oweh leads with 16.4 ppg, Brea adds 11.5 and Lamont Butler 11.0. Amari Williams is an average of 10.9 points and a team high 8.6 returns.
Jaxson Robinson, the second leading painter at 13.0 points per match, underwent season -ending surgery after injuring the wrist in early February.
Kentucky, who hit 10 out of 26 shots beyond the arch against Troy, is an average of 9.6 3 points per match. Wildcats also had 23 assists on 28 field goals against Trojans.
“It was ball protection. It was guys who were diligent with being aggressive,” said Kentucky coach Mark Pope. “It has to do with being super aggressive. The Troy defense is fantastic. They are a fantastic defensive team. They are extremely disturbing.”
The Pope, captain of Kentucky’s national title team 1996, is in his first season at Kentucky after five seasons at Byu.
Underwood said Kentucky would present specific challenges, but it is the same with each opponent.
“I just think you have to take every game for what it’s worth,” he said. “There is another opponent. This one will be Kentucky. They are grafted in front of us. We will be a sub -dog in this. We have to go out and do things differently to them.”
Tomislav Ivisic twin brother, Zvonimir, played last season at Kentucky as a beginner before transferring to Arkansas.
“I hope it will be a fun game,” said Tomislav Ivisic, a 7-foot-1 Sophomore from Croatia. “My brother played there last year. He told all the best things about Kentucky. He had a great time there, and I look forward to playing that game.”
-Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
