With Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic blossoming, Illinois is primed to contend after win over Texas Tech

CHAMPAIGN, Il. — Brad Underwood may have preferred a postgame shot and a beer after his 14th-ranked Illini outlasted No. 11 Texas Tech, 81-77, but he had to settle for popcorn (his usual) and cough drops ('tis the season). 

That might not be an ideal combination, but the Andrej Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell pairing sure might be. Texas Tech All-American JT Toppin may have been the best player on the floor, but the offices of Stojakovic & Boswell thrived in its first true test of the 2025-26 campaign. Boswell poured in 22 points, but it was his defense that proved to be the story of the game. He turned off Texas Tech star point guard Christian Anderson's water before pivoting to fronting, grappling and tangling with Toppin, who had blowtorched anyone and everyone in the first six-plus minutes of the second half to erase Illinois' 13-point halftime advantage. 

Not to be outdone, Stojakovic deposited a team-high 23 points in 26 minutes off the bench, but he saved the day with a game-sealing block on Anderson's game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds. It drew a roar from his dad, Peja, who was dialed into the proceedings from his perch in the lower bowl of the State Farm Center.

Nights like Tuesday had to be what Boswell was envisioning when he was blowing up Stojakovic's phone last April, when the Cal transfer hit the market.

"I was just calling this dude, bugging this kid," Boswell said. "He was one of my favorite players that I was watching throughout the summer. I'm really excited that he got here. Big shoutout to me for doing that."

Visions of nights like Tuesday just had to emerge in the nightly banter when Stojakovic took Boswell to his home country, Greece, this summer for a vacation.

Nights like Tuesday can also reinforce Underwood's belief that the Illini have righted the wrongs that kept a talented team from coalescing into a great team a year ago.

Illinois' formula emerges

Championships aren't won in mid-November, but Illinois showed a recipe Tuesday that is both tantalizing and repeatable. Illinois didn't have All-Big Ten center Tomislav Ivisic (knee sprain), didn't make a single 3-pointer in the second half, and yet still managed a respectable 1.19 points per possession offensively and won the battle on the boards.

Illinois has seemingly made real changes before the rash of New Year's Resolutions. These Illini have traded a barrage of stepback triples for a paint-centered lifestyle. It's helped the Illini avoid the stagnant pitfalls that befell them at inopportune times in the past. Illinois scored 42 points in the paint against Texas Tech, shot 23 free throws and ripped down 11 offensive rebounds, including five by steady freshman Keaton Wagler.

"I can't name another freshman wing that is doing that," Stojakovic said. "I'm very proud of him."

That's good math.

The defense had to take real, tangible strides as well.

Underwood, yet again, petitioned for Boswell to be regarded as one of the nation's top defenders — Boswell was featured in CBS Sports' Top Defenders rundown — but he can't do it alone. 

Boswell has been weaponized by real defensive tweaks, and Stojakovic may have delivered the best defensive game of his career on Tuesday, despite missing seven weeks in the preseason due to a knee sprain. Stojakovic shifted onto Anderson and used his length to wreak havoc, which allowed Boswell to take the Toppin assignment. 

"(Stojakovic) doesn't need to score big every single night for us to win and be a great offensive player, but he does have to guard," Underwood said. "That's the part I missed the most is those seven weeks I didn't get screaming and barking at him to guard.

Consistency will be the name of the game, but all of a sudden, Underwood has three big, sturdy guards in Boswell, Stojakovic and Wagler who can play some defense paired with a massive frontcourt, anchored by Zvonimir Ivisic. Tomislav's twin brother is on pace to post the best shot-blocking numbers of any Illinois player in the modern era after swatting away three more shots on Tuesday.

Toss in new defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker, who threw a galore of changeups at Texas Tech in the quest for stops, and there's optimism that this defense can take a step forward from a unit that ranked 40th nationally in efficiency. Toppin delivered a 35-point haymaker, but the Illini won the war with a defense that tried not to foul (six free throw attempts), limited transition (six transition points allowed) and mostly blanketed the 3-point stripe (just 22 of Texas Tech's 64 shots were from downtown).

"We're cerebral," Underwood said. "That's where our freshmen have been huge. Understanding the communication part of it, that's where we're continuing to grow. That's what I've been worried most about Andrej. The (defensive) end of the court. I'm relatively pleased. We've had good halves. I felt like we've followed the game plan pretty close to a T tonight. I wouldn't have envisioned (Toppin) getting 35, I would've envisioned 20 or 25 because he's going to get that every night that he's not in foul trouble. But really pleased."

Where can this go?

Embellishment after a home win in mid-November is never ideal, especially with the Illini's dates against Alabama, UConn and Tennessee looming in the next three-and-a-half weeks. But it's hard to walk out of the State Farm Center and find a real hotspot that could derail this Illini roster.

Tomislav Ivisic is the best player on this team, and the Stojakovic-Boswell pairing is rocking and rolling already. The brute-force size, shooting, slashing, perimeter defense and rim protection are all encouraging. Plus, the freshmen are way ahead of the curve. Fellow freshman forward David Mirkovic was far from perfect Tuesday, but he still posted 11 points and whipped a clutch dime to Boswell for a layup with 26 ticks left in regulation. Wagler (11 points, seven rebounds) has drawn rave reviews all summer, and that was echoed by his teammates, Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland, and even has NBA Draft scouts buzzing. 

"He's very calm as a freshman, very poised," Stojakovic said. "He's so talented, and he doesn't even know yet. Trying to help him understand what he can mean to this team later on this year. We knew he was going to be good. Ever since the season started, just the rest of the world is seeing him now."

This is what the bones of a contender look like, and Underwood appears to know it.