Dan Hurley’s plan to avoid the tryptophan hangover by hosting UConn’s Thanksgiving celebration on Wednesday turned out to be next-level coaching.
No. 5 UConn defeated No. 13 Illinois, 74-61, on Friday in the SentinelOne Showdown at Madison Square Garden. This was the fifth-ever meeting between UConn and Illinois: the last time they met was in a 2024 Elite Eight showdown where UConn went on a 30-0 run on their way to a 77-52 win. Things went down much differently this time at Madison Square Garden, even if they sometimes looked reminiscent of that affair and the end result was the same.
Here are the takeaways:
1. UConn was a problem behind the arc, and so was Illinois
UConn started hitting 3-pointers early, and they did not stop – nor did Illinois do much to try to stop them, either. Whether stepping and shooting, firing off a shot off of a screen or passing from the paint to beyond the arc, UConn was both taking and hitting their threes. They wrapped up the first half with 7-for-17 shooting on 3-point attempts, and, not coincidentally, a 43-32 lead over Illinois, which went 4-for-13.
UConn wasn’t quite as deadly from three in the second half, but the damage had already been done. Illinois’ first made 3-pointer of the second half came at 12:40; they shot just 6-for-29 on threes, 20.7%, for the game. It’s tougher to come back from a first-half 11-point deficit without the three, but Illinois also wasn’t hitting their twos: they missed their first field 10 goal attempts in the second half, before that 3-pointer from Kylan Boswell.
2. We know how good UConn is thanks to tough early schedule
Yes, UConn lost to then-No. 4 Arizona and dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 because of it on Nov. 19, but they also defeated No. 9 BYU days before that and now No. 13 Illinois – they still have Kansas, which recently fell out of the top 25, and No. 10 Florida left between now and Dec. 9, too. and then nearly an entire month in between before their next ranked matchup against current No. 14 St. John’s.
UConn isn’t undefeated, but they have already had some heavy-hitters on the schedule, and while they lost to Arizona, it was also a 4-point loss – this is a real good team, as Illinois would surely tell you after having to deal with them for 40 minutes on Friday, and they are showing as much despite being in the midst of the most difficult part of the 2025-2026 schedule besides March.
3. Kylan Boswell rose to the challenge
Illinois, generally, didn’t match up well with UConn on Friday, but that wasn’t due to senior guard Kylan Boswell. After sinking a free throw with 9:53 left in the game, Boswell had 23 points – half of his team’s total. He would finish with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists as well, but he just didn’t get enough help from his teammates – just one other scorer reached in double-digits, and the same player, center Tomislav Ivisic, was the only one with more rebounds. That was the real difference between these two teams in this Madison Square Garden matchup. UConn showed off their depth, and Illinois had the opposite kind of game.
Boswell entered the game scoring 16.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, so this was certainly stepping up. How much he needed to step up was the issue here, though: as noted on FOX’s broadcast, with just under 8 minutes to go in the game and the score 64-50, UConn, the last non-Boswell field goal had come with just under 5 minutes remaining in the first half – it was all free throws and Boswell for more than half of the second. Even then, though, right after that stat was dropped, Boswell scored another field goal to push the Illini/Boswell run to 9-0, then someone besides him – Tomislav Ivisic – finally sank a shot to put them within 10. What a game from Boswell, at least.
4. This wasn’t the Elite Eight all over again
UConn led by as many as 21 points, and at times this looked like a repeat of their 77-52 victory over Illinois in March. Despite Illinois’ struggles shooting, though, they fought back – especially Boswell – and brought it to within 7 with 2:56 left in the game.
A loss is a loss, yes, but there’s a difference between getting wrecked by a top-5 team like UConn and refusing to quit despite struggling, and bringing it to a point where there was even a realistic chance of winning. That’s a comfort for the Fighting Illini – they’re still 6-2, and this was a loss to a high-ranked opponent… but not the blowout it could have been if they hadn’t pushed through their shooting struggles and adjusted. That made it a lot closer late – even briefly – than it looked like it could possibly be, enough to wonder what things would have looked like if not for that dismal and uncharacteristic start to the second half.
4 ½ What’s Next?
UConn was finally close to full strength, as top recruit and freshman guard Braylon Mullins finally made his season debut after dealing with an ankle injury, while 6-foot-10 senior forward Tarris Reed Jr. returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with his own ankle issue. Mullins played just two minutes in the first half, snagging a rebound while missing his one shot before scoring his first points in the second, while Reed played for 15 total minutes with 5 rebounds and 2 points. Reed came into the game averaging 20 points and 9.3 rebounds for the season – getting him back is huge for the Huskies, and getting him back at the same time Mullins, who scored 25 points per game in high school last season, will make it easier to forget about that loss to Arizona.
As for Illinois, they have to take on No. 17 Tennessee on Dec. 6, but then their schedule softens until a Jan. 24 matchup against current No. 1 Purdue: that’s time for them to work on what they couldn’t manage against the Huskies, namely, an inability to keep up with them beyond the arc or on ball movement – UConn dropped 19 dimes to Illinois’ 10, in a game where the Fighting Illini needed better looks to narrow the gap almost from the start.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Read the full article here
