Illinois Basketball Bewildered and Beaten by No. 11 Wisconsin

Nothing was as it seemed, or at least as it had been, for the Illini in a disorienting 95-74 loss to the Badgers in Madison

Jan 30, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2) shoots a three-point shot against Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The chaos continues.

In a season of unrest and uncertainty, Illinois hit peak absurdity Tuesday against No. 11 Wisconsin at Madison’s Kohl Center, falling 95-74 under a barrage of threes and bad fortune.

It started before tip-off. Illini center Tomislav Ivisic, who has been through the wringer this season and was listed for the game as questionable, began the game on the bench in warm-ups. Swingman Tre White, who was (maybe?) a healthy scratch against Michigan State, was surprisingly enlisted to the starting lineup. Forward Jake Davis, who had come off the bench all season, against Bucky was suddenly thrust into the starting five.

The game itself was more bizarre. Ivisic – who had missed time earlier this season because of mono and an ankle sprain, and who was widely assumed to be out against Wisconsin (stomach bug) after not getting the start – entered the game after four minutes.

Was it emergency duty? Illini coach Brad Underwood could have been forgiven for going there after watching the Badgers eviscerate a small lineup missing its top two frontcourt players (Morez Johnson Jr. was out because of a broken wrist) in the earlygoing.

Even after Ivisic checked in, Wisconsin had its way inside, collecting 16 rebounds (six offensive) to Illinois' four to take a 21-15 lead. And with their leading scorer and offensive catalyst Kasparas Jakucionis finishing the half with more turnovers (five) than points (four), it was a nightmare scenario for the Illini (17-10, 9-8 Big Ten).

Perhaps that was the most puzzling aspect of the night: Illinois actually performed ... decently? The Illini played hard, shrunk the deficit on the boards and trimmed a Badgers lead that had swelled to as much as 13 in the first half to five shortly after halftime. They contested shots and even knocked down some of their own, turning in one of their better perimeter-shooting outings in recent memory (10-for-30 on threes, 33.3 percent).

But the Badgers (21-5, 11-4) – and specifically Big Ten Player of the Year candidate John Tonje – seemingly could not miss Tuesday at the Kohl. They abused the Illini inside, outscoring them 48-28 in the paint, but they were just as punishing from long range (10-for-24, 41.7 percent) – even when the Illini were in position to defend.

Tonje got it done every which way, shooting 9-for-14 on field goals (including 3-for-5 from three) and 10-for-12 from the line to score a game-high 31. Steven Crowl and John Blackwell chipped in 20 and 16, respectively, as six different Badgers connected on threes.

It was a wild departure from the teams' first meeting of the season, back in December, when the Illini whipped the Badgers on the glass and held Tonje to 15 points in an 86-80 win in Champaign.

In keeping with the topsy-turvy theme of the evening, guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn – who had played just a combined 14 minutes and been held scoreless over the past three games – came off the bench to lead the Illini with 17 points (and, of course, grab three offensive rebounds at just 6-foot-1).

The blow-by finger roll layup from @DravynGibbs 😮‍💨

2H 10:19 | Illini 59, Wisconsin 69 pic.twitter.com/gpmTzWhzue

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 19, 2025

Ben Humrichous added 13 points and Will Riley 11, but the Illini stammered and strained in a game when Jakucioinis' turnover yips returned and Ivisic probably should have been resting. No one could blame the rest of the Illini if they secretly wished they were at home in bed themselves.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

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